Lansford grew out of two mining hamlets with growth sparked by the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company.

The tiny villages were known as Ashton and Storm Hill. Interestingly, it is said that a man named Peter Fisher built a house in the vicinity. The house blew over during a severe storm, hence the name Storm Hill. Over the years, Lansford's population grew and the town prospered.In fact, the town can boast its share of heavy hitters, including big band leaders Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, who made their home in Lansford after leaving Shenandoah. A display inside the museum salutes the Dorsey legend.Another legend is cable television pioneer Robert Tarleton, who devised a system to deliver television signals to multiple locations using a system of wires. When a tower was placed atop Summit Hill and cables were draped down the mountainside, the innovation marked the birth of local cable television.