Ebensburg, Pennsylvania
Ebensburg, Pennsylvania | |
---|---|
Borough | |
814 | |
FIPS code | 42-22144 |
GNIS feature ID | 1215018[2] |
Website | www |
Ebensburg is a
Ending in Ebensburg is the
History
[S]ituated on a rise with streets sloping from its center...founded in the early 1800s by the Reverend Rees Lloyd, a religious dissenter and leader of Welsh immigrants. Ebensburg was chosen as the county seat in 1805 when it was found to be at the geographical center of Cambria County. In 1842 it was still a rarity to have church services conducted in English rather than the ancient Cambrian tongue. Once a popular resort, Ebensburg is now largely dependent on agriculture, though many residents work in neighboring mines.
— Federal Writers'Project, "Part III: Tours, Pennsylvania: A Guide to the Keystone State (1940)
According to the book Cambria County Pioneers (1910), a General William Rudolph Smith, son of William Rudolph Smith, and referred to as "Captain" by residents, lived in the town of Ebensburg, Pennsylvania in the 1840s and raised a Company of men known as the Cambria Guards who would serve in the Mexican–American War, but Smith could not go.[11] He was "universally accepted as an authority in literary matters and upon historical subjects particularly he was a veritable encyclopedia. His literary style was forcible, direct, and elegant."[12] The Company he raised would embark South in January 1847, becoming Company D of the Second Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers, called the Highlanders, and had "a very pleasant trip" on their way to New Orleans.[13] They did not see combat until August that year as smallpox put the company in quarantine. Shortly after their release they saw heavy combat at Contreras, Churubusco, and Chapultepec. Following this they were encamped at a Monastery until 1848 when they returned to Ebensburg. Ebensburg is situated at a crossroads of roads heading North and South, and East to West. It has seen heavy traffic through its history but most significantly during the gold rush of the late 1840s and beyond. There was once a green apartment building situated on the corner of Phaney and East High Streets in town that was known as "The California House." It operated for years as an inn and tavern and housed thousands of travelers heading West to find their fortunes in the West. One young local boy called William J. Wherry joined a caravan West and left some detailed accounts of his journey in the form of letters to his sister, claiming to have crossed 600 miles of plain alone on his way there. But as the wagons of the West ran dry and transport evolved, the railroad was becoming a popular and efficient mode of transportation. Railroads were popular in the nearby town of Cresson, but there was no main line of railroad that ran through Ebensburg. However, a branch called the "Ebensburg Cresson Rail Road" was built in 1862 to run into Ebensburg. Many observed that Ebensburg, though industrious and sophisticated in character, was not going to be an industrial town given its location and geography.[13]
During the
Ebensburg did have its own connections to the Underground Railroad. Abraham A. Barker was well established in the towns, and nations abolitionist movement, he moved to town in 1856 to attempt to make it rich in Ebensburg's lucrative lumber industry. Barker lived in a log structure on the North West corner of Locust and High street. It was here that, prior to the Civil War, he assisted a slave on his escape to freedom, brought to him from Bedford. The fugitive stayed in his house overnight, and was brought a few miles out of Ebensburg the next morning, hidden under a buffalo robe on sled. Barker was, according to many towns folks, close friends with Abraham Lincoln as he had attended the Chicago Convention of 1860 to nominate Lincoln. Barker was later elected to congress.[13]
In the years following the Civil War, Ebensburg flourished, became a town of posh propriety in a sense with grand homes flanking the streets, lavish carriages rolled down the roads, and even a debate club of local gentleman would meet in lounges across town. Still it was a mountain town, high in the Alleghenies, and many Pittsburgh socialites flocked here to escape the dirty, loud and sickly streets of the industrial city. Locals realized the towns allure and would write in promotional pamphlets describing the town as having "many days of bright sunshine, its pure artisan well water, its health giving atmosphere, its splendid surroundings - absolutely free from smoke and dust... the town is remarkably free from the ills which plague so many localities."[18] This promise of healthy life in the high peaks of Ebensburg lured many who could afford "summer cottages" -though many are akin to mansions. The first wave of this tourism came as prominent hotels done in grandiose Victorian style began popping up across town. Such was the case of the Maple Park Springs Hotel which sat on a hill in the Northwest corner of town on a tract of land known as "Lloyds Grove." The Hotel was prominent enough that Altoona musician J.W. Leman wrote the "Maple Park March Two-Step" for the hotel.[13] However, the townspeople started building their own Victorian homes, and the socialites came flooding in to claim their own slivers of mountain paradise. Among them, Ormsby Lodge owned by the Phillips Family. Built in 1889 by Duncan Phillips, the lodge was an 18 room East Lake Victorian cottage built on the former Belmont Tract of land. Summering at the estate was artist Marjorie Acker Phillips, wife of Duncan Phillips, with her family. Another summer cottage was the Bissel Home which was designed by architect Stanford White, who designed Madison Square Garden.[18] David Park of Pittsburgh bought the Maple Park Springs Hotel and built his own mansion in town. The Johnstown Democrat wrote of the town around this time "that delightful village" of Ebensburg "In many respects is more attractive than Cresson... and it may be truthfully added that its complement of pretty girls is alone enough to give it enviable fame."[18] It was also during this time of great prosperity that the city of Johnstown to the south was devastated by a flood in 1889, a stark contrast to the march of progress in the mountain town.
In February 1915 most of downtown Ebensburg was wiped out "by fire which broke out in the pool room of the Mountain House. Every building in the block from the Mountain House to the county court house was destroyed. The loss is estimated between $250,000 and $300,000. The court house was not damaged although the buildings adjoining were destroyed. Fire companies from many northern Cambria towns were summoned to assist the Ebensburg company. The Johnstown city fire department also went to the scene. The buildings destroyed include the fine building of the Cambria Savings and company, several hotels, a livery barn, a bank building and a number of small office buildings. The telephone communications were cut off. The buildings destroyed were thirteen in number. A cigarette dropped in the poolroom the night previous is believed to have started the fire."[20] According to the Indiana Progress "Several buildings were dynamited to prevent the spread of the flames."[21] Taking into consideration the lowest cost estimate of $250,000, in 2020 it would have cost $6,402,920.79.
The Ebensburg Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2019, which is bounded roughly by Highland Ave., West St., Sugar St., and Triumph St.[22][23]
Art
Education
In the borough of Ebensburg, there are three public and two private schools. The two private schools are Bishop Carroll High School and Holy Name Elementary. The public schools are Cambria High School, Central Cambria Middle School, and Cambria Elementary. The fourth school of the Central Cambria School District is located about 5 miles (8.0 km) west of the borough, off Route 22. At the collegiate level, the Pennsylvania Highland Community College has one of their satellite sites about 2 miles (3.2 km) southwest of the center of town, also off Route 22.
Geography
Ebensburg is located in the center of Cambria County at 40°29′11″N 78°43′32″W / 40.48639°N 78.72556°W (40.486388, -78.725461).[26]
Three
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough of Ebensburg has a total area of 1.7 square miles (4.4 km2), of which 1.7 square miles (4.3 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km2), or 2.13%, is water.[5]
Climate
Climate data for Ebensburg, Pennsylvania (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1964–present) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 67 (19) |
75 (24) |
83 (28) |
89 (32) |
90 (32) |
92 (33) |
99 (37) |
94 (34) |
91 (33) |
85 (29) |
78 (26) |
71 (22) |
99 (37) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 32.7 (0.4) |
35.9 (2.2) |
45.0 (7.2) |
58.4 (14.7) |
67.8 (19.9) |
75.1 (23.9) |
78.7 (25.9) |
77.3 (25.2) |
71.3 (21.8) |
60.0 (15.6) |
47.7 (8.7) |
37.0 (2.8) |
57.2 (14.0) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 24.3 (−4.3) |
26.3 (−3.2) |
34.3 (1.3) |
46.0 (7.8) |
55.7 (13.2) |
63.6 (17.6) |
67.5 (19.7) |
66.0 (18.9) |
59.7 (15.4) |
48.7 (9.3) |
38.1 (3.4) |
29.2 (−1.6) |
46.6 (8.1) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 15.9 (−8.9) |
16.8 (−8.4) |
23.6 (−4.7) |
33.5 (0.8) |
43.6 (6.4) |
52.1 (11.2) |
56.3 (13.5) |
54.7 (12.6) |
48.1 (8.9) |
37.5 (3.1) |
28.4 (−2.0) |
21.5 (−5.8) |
36.0 (2.2) |
Record low °F (°C) | −28 (−33) |
−22 (−30) |
−16 (−27) |
3 (−16) |
20 (−7) |
28 (−2) |
35 (2) |
30 (−1) |
23 (−5) |
12 (−11) |
0 (−18) |
−20 (−29) |
−28 (−33) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.85 (98) |
3.21 (82) |
3.98 (101) |
4.35 (110) |
4.64 (118) |
4.43 (113) |
4.79 (122) |
4.02 (102) |
4.21 (107) |
3.55 (90) |
3.63 (92) |
4.02 (102) |
48.68 (1,236) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 24.0 (61) |
19.3 (49) |
14.1 (36) |
2.6 (6.6) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.7 (1.8) |
4.9 (12) |
14.1 (36) |
79.7 (202) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 20.1 | 16.4 | 15.0 | 15.1 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 13.3 | 12.0 | 11.4 | 12.7 | 13.8 | 18.2 | 176.9 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 10.9 | 9.5 | 6.1 | 1.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 2.7 | 7.1 | 38.3 |
Source: |
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1810 | 75 | — | |
1820 | 168 | 124.0% | |
1830 | 270 | 60.7% | |
1840 | 353 | 30.7% | |
1850 | 600 | 70.0% | |
1860 | 1,002 | 67.0% | |
1870 | 1,240 | 23.8% | |
1880 | 1,123 | −9.4% | |
1890 | 1,202 | 7.0% | |
1900 | 1,574 | 30.9% | |
1910 | 1,978 | 25.7% | |
1920 | 2,179 | 10.2% | |
1930 | 3,063 | 40.6% | |
1940 | 3,719 | 21.4% | |
1950 | 4,086 | 9.9% | |
1960 | 4,111 | 0.6% | |
1970 | 4,318 | 5.0% | |
1980 | 4,096 | −5.1% | |
1990 | 3,872 | −5.5% | |
2000 | 3,091 | −20.2% | |
2010 | 3,351 | 8.4% | |
2020 | 3,404 | 1.6% | |
Sources:[29][30][31][3] |
As of the
There were 1,612 households, out of which 22.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.3% were non-families. 35.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the borough the population was spread out, with 19.2% under the age of 18, 1.9% from 18 to 19, 6.4% from 20 to 24, 12.9% from 25 to 34, 17.4% from 35 to 49, 21.7% from 50 to 64, and 20.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. The population was 46.55% male, and 53.45% female.
Law and government
Borough Officials
Position | Official | Party |
---|---|---|
Mayor | Randy Datsko | Democrat |
Borough Manager | Daniel Penatzer | Democrat |
Tax Collector | Charlene Remillard | Democrat |
Council
Position | Official | Party |
---|---|---|
President | Doug Tusing | Republican |
Vice President | Dave Kuhar | Democrat |
Councilor | Cecilia Houser | Republican |
Councilor | Scot May | Democrat |
Councilor | Theresa Jacoby | Republican |
Councilor | Jeffrey Ball | Democrat |
Councilor | Michael Owatt | Democrat |
State Senate
District | Senator | Party |
---|---|---|
Pennsylvania's 35th Senatorial District |
Wayne Langerholc | Republican |
State House of Representatives
District | Representative | Party |
---|---|---|
72 |
Frank Burns | Democrat |
Notable buildings
Notable people
- Abraham A. Barker, a congressman, abolitionist, and conductor on the Underground Railroad.
- Alan Baylock, jazz composer, band leader, chief arranger, US Air Force Airmen of Note[32]
- Jack Darragh (1866–1939), baseball player
- Webster Davis (1861–1923), mayor of Kansas City, Missouri and Assistant Secretary of the Interior
- Ronald Duman (1954–2020), psychiatry professor and director of pharmacology
- Alvin Evans (1845–1906), congressman
- Bill Hartack (1932–2007), Hall of Fame jockey
- James Russell Leech(1888–1952), congressman
- Carol Scott (1949–2005), television producer and director
- Harriet B. Jones (1856–1943), physician and member of the West Virginia House of Delegates
- Harve Tibbott (1885–1969), congressman
- Samuel D. Pryce (1841–1923), Businessman, author, and Civil War officer
- William Pryce (1932–2006), U.S. Ambassador to Honduras
References
- ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
- ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Ebensburg, Pennsylvania
- ^ a b "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved Oct 12, 2022.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 2012-07-12. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ^ a b "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Ebensburg borough, Pennsylvania". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on March 12, 2015. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
- ^ "Ghost Town Trail General Info". Indiana County Parks & Trails. Retrieved 2020-12-10.
- ^ "Ebensburg War Memorial". The USGenWeb Project. 2019-07-02. Archived from the original on 2008-10-06. Retrieved 2020-02-20.
- ^ Penatzer, Daniel (2018-06-10). "VETERANS PARK OF CAMBRIA COUNTY" (PDF). Cambria Memory Project. Cambria Memory Project. Retrieved 2021-07-03.
- ^ "Profile for Ebensburg, Pennsylvania". ePodunk. Archived from the original on 2017-07-01. Retrieved 2010-06-12.
- ^ Federal Writers' Project (1940). Pennsylvania: A Guide to the Keystone State (1st ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. p. 393.
- ^ Swank, James Moore (1910). Cambria County Pioneers. Philadelphia: Alan, Lane & Scott. p. 87.
- ^ Swank, James Moore (1910). Cambria County Pioneers. Philadelphia: Alan, Lane & Scott. p. 89.
- ^ a b c d Huber, Dave (1996). Historic Ebensburg: The Pioneers. Mountaineer Herald. pp. 82–128.
- ^ "133rd Pennsylvania Volunteers, Company C Muster Roll". www.pa-roots.com. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
- ^ "Civil War Index - 133rd Pennsylvania Infantry". www.civilwarindex.com. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
- ^ Gibbs, Joseph. Three Years in the Bloody Eleventh: The Campaigns of a Pennsylvania Reserves Regiment.
- ^ Official Records of the War of Rebellion. 1891. pp. 118–119.
- ^ a b c Huber, Dave (1997). Historic Ebensburg. Mountaineer Herald. pp. 3, 45, 83–85, 142.
- ^ Beitler, Sue. "Ebensburg, PA Destructive Fire Throughout Town, Feb 1915". GenDisasters.com.
- ^ "Ebensburg has Costly Fire". The Indiana Weekly Messenger. 1915-02-24.
- ^ "EBENSBURG HAS $250,000 FIRE". The Indiana Progress. 1915-02-24.
- ^ "National Register Information System – Ebensburg Historic District (#100004163)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
- ^ "Ebensburg added to National Register of Historical Places". WJAC Staff. Retrieved 2020-12-09.
- ^ "Collection". The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera. The Winterthur Library. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
- ^ Miller, Eric. "The Country Home of Mega-Collector Duncan Phillips". Urban Antiques. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ "NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
- ^ "Station: Ebensburg Sewage PLT, PA". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
- ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "Incorporated Places and Minor Civil Divisions Datasets: Subcounty Resident Population Estimates: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012". Population Estimates. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 11 June 2013. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
- ^ "Alanbaylock.com". Gloria Douglas. 2019-08-23. Retrieved 2020-04-05.