The first white man who lived in modern-day Lake Township was Matthew Scouten. Hollenback & Urquhart would later own much of the territory. They were responsible for building the first sawmill in 1839 and the first gristmill in 1840. Every mill belonging to Hollenback & Urquhart was later transferred over to the Hoffman Lumber Company. At the time, due to the abundance of trees, the lumber industry was one of the major employers in the region. Lake Township was formed in 1841 from territory taken from Lehman and Monroe Townships. It was named after Harveys Lake, which was originally part of the township. In 1842, Wyoming County was formed and the county line cut off a portion of Lake Township, which was given back to Monroe Township. The Harveys Lake and Towanda Branch of the Lehigh Valley Railroad was constructed in the late 1800s. It ran directly from Wilkes-Barre to Harveys Lake. In the 1890s, railroad lines were constructed from the lake to the communities of Pittston and Towanda. Harveys Lake became a major tourist destination in the township. Places such as Warden Place and Sandy Beach were popular recreational areas near the lake in the early 1900s. During the same time period, there were three hotels, two hundred cottages, sixty boathouses, and four steamboats on Harveys Lake. The steamers were used for carrying passengers and freight. Recreational steamboat rides on the lake were commonplace between 1900 and 1920. In 1968, Lake Township lost its major tourist attraction — Harveys Lake. The region around the lake broke away from the township and was incorporated as a borough. Today, the township is made up of thick forests and farmland.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of, of which is land and 0.07% is water. Pikes Creek is a village in Lake Township. PA 29 runs north to south through the center of the municipality. PA 118 travels east to west through the southernmost portion of the township. The northwestern portion is made up of mountains and thick forests. The eastern and southern sections of the township are made up of hills, forests, and farms.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,110 people, 800 households, and 588 families residing in the township. The population density was 78.2 people per square mile. There were 865 housing units at an average density of 32.1/sq mi. The racial makeup of the township was 99.19% White, 0.19% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 0.14% from other races, and 0.19% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.19% of the population. There were 800 households, out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.4% were married couplesliving together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.4% were non-families. 21.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.01. In the township the population was spread out, with 23.6% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.9 males. The median income for a household in the township was $40,051, and the median income for a family was $43,636. Males had a median income of $32,500 versus $23,512 for females. The per capita income for the township was $16,641. About 9.5% of families and 11.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.8% of those under age 18 and 12.6% of those age 65 or over.
The former president of the Road Racing Drivers Club, Dolph Vilardi, won the 1953 Road Race for Class F, Class G, and Class H - Modified on a PBX Special.
