Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Images of America, Paperback Wilkes-Barre, founded in 1769, is a city of changes: environmental changes brought on by the Susquehanna River and industrial changes that transformed a quiet farming community into a busy breaker town. When anthracite coal was discovered in the 1800s and massive coal breakers were built, immigrants from eastern, western, and southern Europe began to arrive. As these immigrants arrived, they changed the face of the city, creating their own communities and hamlets. Fortunately for the citizens of the Wyoming Valley, changes continue today, thanks to many forward-thinking men and women who see the potential in something old and take the time to make it new again.