LACKAWANNA COUNTY, Pa. — Historians in Lackawanna County are asking people in the community to hunt for the area's hidden history.
Anyone with a keen eye may notice discrete additions to their communities in Lackawanna County: Lockboxes hidden in places of historical significance.
They're waiting to be found this month by teams of scavenger hunters working with the Lackawanna Historical Society.
Director Mary Ann Savakinus found all the hiding places as part of this year's "Valley Quest" scavenger hunt.
Searchers use weekly clues to find the lockboxes and then a combination to unlock the box for a prize symbolizing this part of the county's history.
This week's clues had searchers in Lackawanna County's up-valley at places including St. Michael's Orthodox Church in Jermyn and the caboose parked outside Carbondale City Hall.
"We hope that people start to think more broadly about our history. For so long, we've taught our history, 'OK, there was an industrial revolution, people came in, opened coal mines, immigrants came here.' Who were those people? Who built up the communities that we see?" Savakinus said.
The Lackawanna County Visitors Bureau is one of the organizations with a scavenger hunt team.
"Every time I do a site tour, people are really interested in the history, and I like giving those tidbits and facts, so I'm really excited to learn more of that," Alexa Peregrim said.
So, if you see one of these boxes in your community, look around. It's likely in a historic place.
"I think it's just exciting that people might be stopping and looking around because we don't do that enough."