Scranton was first settled in 1776 by Lenape Indians. Over time, settlers from New England began to move to Scranton. They built mills and other small businesses. The village was known as Slocum Hollow. In 1845, Scranton started to manufacture iron and steel. The iron was used for making rails. Scranton became a leading maker of iron rails. A railroad was founded in 1851. It was built to move iron and coal.