The Monroe County Historical Association will host a free program on the history of the Pocono resort industry at 7 p.m. Sept. 21 at the Stroud Mansion, 900 Main St., Stroudsburg.

Retired East Stroudsburg University professor, Dr. Lawrence Squeri, will give his presentation, "Pocono Resorts: The Nineteenth Century to Today" as part of the Third Thursday Lecture Series.When Antoine Dutot opened the Kittatinny Hotel in 1829, the first tourist hotel in the Poconos, little did he know that he was the pioneer in what would become one of the largest and most diverse tourist and recreation areas on the East Coast. In his book, "Better in the Poconos," Squeri re-creates the Pocono vacation scenes and the people who brought it to life, not only the innkeepers, souvenir sellers, laborers, and service workers, but also the community leaders and visionaries who promoted and guided the vacation economy.Reservations are required due to limited space. Light refreshments will be served. The presentation will be held on the second floor of the mansion, which is not handicap-accessible.For more information or to make a reservation, contact the Monroe County Historical Association at 570-421-7703 or email at

info@monroehistorical.org.