Somerset County, Pennsylvania
Somerset County | |
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UTC−4 (EDT) | |
Congressional district | 14th |
Website | www |
Somerset County (Pennsylvania German: Somerset Kaundi) is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 74,129.[1] Its county seat is Somerset.[2] The county was created from part of Bedford County on April 17, 1795, and named after the county of Somerset in England.
Somerset County comprises the Somerset, PA micropolitan statistical area, which is included in the Johnstown–Somerset, PA combined statistical area.
The county is famous for being the crash site of
The Somerset County Amish community is the second oldest Amish community in the world that still exists, established in 1772. It is located in the South of the county around Meyersdale and Springs.
History
Founding
Southwestern Pennsylvania began as a huge area called Cumberland County. As population increased, the area was split into smaller counties. Bedford County was formed from part from Cumberland in 1771 and is referred to as "Old Bedford County" and contained what are now 20 smaller counties. In 1773 part of Bedford County was split off to form Westmoreland County. In 1787 Bedford County was split in half with the northern part becoming Huntingdon County and the southern part remained as a smaller Bedford County. Somerset County was split off from the western part of Bedford County on 17 April 1795, and the new county's name was taken from Somerset, England.[4] In 1804 the northern half of Somerset County was split off to form Cambria County. No further splits from Somerset County have occurred since 1804.[5]
Colonial era
George Washington passed through the area of Somerset County on a scouting expedition in late 1753, just before the outbreak of the French and Indian War.[6] The Forbes Road was cut through Somerset County several years later. This 200-mile stretch from Carlisle to what is now Pittsburgh was created by Brigadier General John Forbes in the British Expedition of 1758 to capture the French Fort Duquesne. Forbes Road was one of two great western land routes cut through the wilderness to create supply lines from the east.[7] It was later the primary route of pioneers travelling to the Ohio Country.
Fur trappers and hunters were first to stay in the region. The earliest permanent white settlement in what is now Somerset County is a region known as Turkeyfoot. People of "The Jersey Settlement" emigrated from Essex and Morris Counties, New Jersey, about 1770.[8]
United Airlines Flight 93
Somerset County gained worldwide attention in 2001 when a hijacked airliner,
In July 2002, Somerset County again made worldwide news when nine
Geography
According to the
Climate
Somerset County along with
The county has a warm-summer humid continental climate (Dfb) and average monthly temperatures in Somerset borough range from 24.5 °F in January to 67.1 °F in July.[12]
Major highways
Adjacent counties
- Cambria County (north)
- Bedford County (east)
- Allegany County, Maryland (southeast)
- Garrett County, Maryland (southwest)
- Fayette County (west)
- Westmoreland County (northwest)
National protected area
State protected areas
Geology
Somerset County is situated along the eastern border of the
The
The primary mountains within the county are (from west to east) Laurel Hill (which forms part of the western border), Negro Mountain, Meadow Mountain, Savage Mountain, and Allegheny Mountain. Negro Mountain also includes Mount Davis, the highest peak in Pennsylvania. Each mountain trends northeast.
All of Somerset County lies far to the south of the
The main drainages in southwestern Somerset county are the
There are many abandoned mines in the county, and acid mine drainage is an environmental problem in many areas. Fishless streams exist as a result of the discharge from the abandoned mines. These include parts of the Casselman River, Shade Creek, Stonycreek River, and Quemahoning Creek, as well as many of their tributaries.[16]
There are many small, deep natural gas fields in the northwestern part of the county.[17]
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1800 | 10,188 | — | |
1810 | 11,284 | 10.8% | |
1820 | 13,974 | 23.8% | |
1830 | 17,762 | 27.1% | |
1840 | 19,650 | 10.6% | |
1850 | 24,416 | 24.3% | |
1860 | 26,778 | 9.7% | |
1870 | 28,226 | 5.4% | |
1880 | 33,110 | 17.3% | |
1890 | 37,317 | 12.7% | |
1900 | 49,461 | 32.5% | |
1910 | 67,717 | 36.9% | |
1920 | 82,112 | 21.3% | |
1930 | 80,764 | −1.6% | |
1940 | 84,957 | 5.2% | |
1950 | 81,813 | −3.7% | |
1960 | 77,450 | −5.3% | |
1970 | 76,037 | −1.8% | |
1980 | 81,243 | 6.8% | |
1990 | 78,218 | −3.7% | |
2000 | 80,023 | 2.3% | |
2010 | 77,742 | −2.9% | |
2020 | 74,129 | −4.6% | |
U.S. Decennial Census[18] 1790–1960[19] 1900–1990[20] 1990–2000[21] 2010–2017[22] 2010-2020[23] |
As of the
ancestry.There were 31,222 households, out of which 29.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.30% were married couples living together, 8.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.40% were non-families. 26.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.30% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 27.80% from 25 to 44, 24.30% from 45 to 64, and 18.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 99.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.90 males.
2020 census
Race | Num. | Perc. |
---|---|---|
White (NH)
|
69,044 | 93.1% |
Black or African American (NH)
|
1,860 | 2.51% |
Native American (NH)
|
50 | 0.1% |
Asian (NH)
|
194 | 0.26% |
Pacific Islander (NH)
|
7 | 0.01% |
Other/Mixed (NH)
|
1,934 | 2.61% |
Latino
|
1,037 | 1.4% |
Micropolitan statistical area
The
Government and politics
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2020 | 31,466 | 77.45% | 8,654 | 21.30% | 506 | 1.25% |
2016 | 27,379 | 75.90% | 7,376 | 20.45% | 1,318 | 3.65% |
2012 | 23,984 | 70.38% | 9,436 | 27.69% | 658 | 1.93% |
2008 | 21,686 | 61.32% | 12,878 | 36.41% | 804 | 2.27% |
2004 | 23,802 | 64.72% | 12,842 | 34.92% | 134 | 0.36% |
2000 | 20,218 | 61.29% | 12,028 | 36.47% | 739 | 2.24% |
1996 | 14,735 | 46.64% | 12,719 | 40.26% | 4,137 | 13.10% |
1992 | 13,858 | 42.30% | 12,493 | 38.14% | 6,408 | 19.56% |
1988 | 16,809 | 54.63% | 13,815 | 44.90% | 144 | 0.47% |
1984 | 19,502 | 58.23% | 13,900 | 41.50% | 89 | 0.27% |
1980 | 17,729 | 58.21% | 11,695 | 38.40% | 1,031 | 3.39% |
1976 | 15,960 | 53.76% | 13,452 | 45.32% | 273 | 0.92% |
1972 | 19,739 | 68.44% | 8,743 | 30.31% | 359 | 1.24% |
1968 | 17,511 | 56.63% | 11,515 | 37.24% | 1,895 | 6.13% |
1964 | 14,817 | 45.15% | 17,934 | 54.65% | 63 | 0.19% |
1960 | 20,554 | 58.17% | 14,739 | 41.71% | 42 | 0.12% |
1956 | 20,568 | 60.95% | 13,163 | 39.00% | 17 | 0.05% |
1952 | 18,589 | 58.42% | 13,167 | 41.38% | 64 | 0.20% |
1948 | 13,910 | 60.54% | 8,727 | 37.98% | 341 | 1.48% |
1944 | 16,039 | 60.74% | 10,287 | 38.96% | 79 | 0.30% |
1940 | 17,369 | 55.12% | 14,085 | 44.70% | 58 | 0.18% |
1936 | 17,375 | 51.50% | 16,184 | 47.97% | 182 | 0.54% |
1932 | 11,857 | 58.56% | 7,919 | 39.11% | 473 | 2.34% |
1928 | 16,404 | 77.90% | 4,489 | 21.32% | 164 | 0.78% |
1924 | 12,389 | 72.74% | 2,315 | 13.59% | 2,328 | 13.67% |
1920 | 12,436 | 75.81% | 2,912 | 17.75% | 1,056 | 6.44% |
1916 | 6,008 | 61.31% | 2,957 | 30.17% | 835 | 8.52% |
1912 | 1,428 | 14.89% | 2,164 | 22.57% | 5,996 | 62.54% |
1908 | 6,478 | 68.23% | 2,246 | 23.65% | 771 | 8.12% |
1904 | 6,772 | 72.37% | 1,686 | 18.02% | 900 | 9.62% |
1900 | 6,677 | 73.30% | 2,151 | 23.61% | 281 | 3.08% |
1896 | 5,861 | 70.45% | 2,295 | 27.59% | 163 | 1.96% |
1892 | 4,670 | 65.00% | 2,262 | 31.48% | 253 | 3.52% |
1888 | 4,825 | 65.36% | 2,319 | 31.41% | 238 | 3.22% |
As of September 25, 2023, there are 47,835 registered voters in Somerset County.[29]
- Republican: 31,340 (65.52%)
- Democratic: 11,715 (24.49%)
- Independent: 3,920 (8.19%)
- Third Party: 860 (1.80%)
County commissioners
Commissioners | Party | First Elected |
---|---|---|
Gerald Walker, Chairman | Republican | 2015 |
Colleen R. Dawson, Vice-Chairman | Republican | 2019 |
Pamela Tokar-Ickes, Secretary | Democratic | 2019 |
Other county offices
Office | Official | Party | First Elected |
---|---|---|---|
Clerk of Courts | Rose Svonavec | Republican | 2011 |
Prothonotary | Brian Fochtman | Republican | 2021 |
Coroner | Cullen Swank | Republican | 2021 |
District Attorney | Jeffrey L. Thomas | Republican | 2019 |
Recorder of Deeds | Patricia Peifer | Republican | 2013 (appointed) |
Register of Wills | Sharon Ackerman | Republican | 2003 |
Sheriff | Dustin Wier (Acting) | ||
Treasurer | Tony DeLuca | Republican | 2021 |
Auditor | Jerry Lyons | Republican | 2003 (appointed) |
Auditor | JoAnne Walls | Republican | 2015 |
Auditor | Shelley Glessner | Democratic | 2015 |
State Representatives[30]
- Matthew D. Dowling, Republican, 51st district
- Mike Reese, Republican, 59th district
- Carl Walker Metzgar, Republican, 69th district
- James Rigby, Republican, 71st district
State Senator[30]
- Pat Stefano, Republican, 32nd district
United States Representative
- John Joyce, Republican, 13th district
United States Senate
- John Fetterman, Democrat
- Bob Casey, Democrat
Pennsylvania State Police
- Station Commander, Sergeant Stephen Adamczyk
Education
Public school districts
- Berlin Brothersvalley School District
- Conemaugh Township Area School District
- Meyersdale Area School District
- North Star School District
- Rockwood Area School District
- Salisbury-Elk Lick School District
- Shade-Central City School District
- Shanksville-Stonycreek School District
- Somerset Area School District
- Turkeyfoot Valley Area School District
- Windber Area School District (also in Cambria County)
Culture
The Mountain Playhouse in Jennerstown, Pennsylvania, was one of the nation's first "summer-stock" theaters. The Mountain Playhouse has maintained a full schedule of live theater productions nightly from May through October each year for the last sixty years.
Laurel Arts is one of the few, full-service arts centers in rural Pennsylvania. Centered in Somerset borough, it serves all of Somerset County through two locations: one at the Philip Dressler Center for the Arts, and the second, an Education and Dance Center located in the Georgian Place. Founded in 1976, Laurel Arts is a 501(c)(3) that offers art classes, music lessons and dance classes, as well as hosting exhibits by local and regional artists throughout the year.
The Rockwood Opera House is located in Rockwood, Pennsylvania. The building is a historic landmark restored to reflect original design from 1890. Since reopening, Rockwood Opera House has hosted dinner theater since 2000. Productions vary from Tribute Artists of classic performers to community theater.
Communities
Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, in at most two cases, towns. The following boroughs and townships are located in Somerset County:
Boroughs
Townships
- Addison
- Allegheny
- Black
- Brothersvalley
- Conemaugh
- Elk Lick
- Fairhope
- Greenville
- Jefferson
- Jenner
- Larimer
- Lincoln
- Lower Turkeyfoot
- Middlecreek
- Milford
- Northampton
- Ogle
- Paint
- Quemahoning
- Shade
- Somerset
- Southampton
- Stonycreek
- Summit
- Upper Turkeyfoot
Census-designated places
Census-designated places are geographical areas designated by the U.S. Census Bureau for the purposes of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law. Other unincorporated communities, such as villages, may be listed here as well.
Unincorporated communities
Population ranking
The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Somerset County.[27]
† county seat
Rank | City/Town/etc. | Municipal type | Population (2010 Census) |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Somerset | Township | 12,122 |
2 | Conemaugh | Township | 7,452 |
3 | † Somerset | Borough | 6,277 |
4 | Windber | Borough | 4,683 |
5 | Brothersvalley | Township | 4,184 |
6 | Jenner | Township | 4,054 |
7 | Paint | Township | 3,300 |
8 | Shade | Township | 2,886 |
9 | Summit | Township | 2,368 |
10 | Elk Lick | Township | 2,293 |
11 | Stonycreek | Township | 2,237 |
12 | Meyersdale | Borough | 2,184 |
13 | Quemahoning | Township | 2,180 |
14 | Berlin | Borough | 2,104 |
15 | Lincoln | Township | 1,669 |
16 | Milford Twp | Township | 1,561 |
17 | Friedens | CDP | 1,523 |
18 | Jefferson | Township | 1,375 |
19 | Boswell | Borough | 1,277 |
20 | Lower Turkeyfoot | Township | 1,232 |
21 | Davidsville | CDP | 1,130 |
22 | Central City | Borough | 1,124 |
23 | Paint | Borough | 1,023 |
24 | Addison | Township | 1,019 |
25 | Jerome | CDP | 1,017 |
26 | Black | Township | 980 |
27 | Rockwood | Borough | 890 |
28 | Middlecreek | Township | 797 |
29 | Confluence | Borough | 780 |
30 | Salisbury | Borough | 727 |
31 | Greenville | Township | 718 |
32 | Jennerstown | Borough | 695 |
33 | Lower Turkeyfoot | Township | 672 |
34 | Southampton | Township | 655 |
35 | Allegheny | Township | 654 |
36 | Hooversville | Borough | 645 |
37 | Larimer | Township | 590 |
38 | Ogle | Township | 588 |
39 | Cairnbrook | CDP | 520 |
40 | Garrett | Borough | 456 |
41 | Indian Lake | Borough | 394 |
42 | Northampton | Township | 366 |
43 | Stoystown | Borough | 355 |
44 | Shanksville | Borough | 237 |
45 | Ursina | Borough | 225 |
46 | Addison | Borough | 207 |
47 | Benson
|
Borough | 191 |
48 | Wellersburg | Borough | 181 |
49 | New Baltimore | Borough | 180 |
50 | Fairhope | Township | 137 |
51 | New Centerville | Borough | 133 |
52 | Casselman | Borough | 94 |
53 | Edie | CDP | 83 |
54 | Callimont | Borough | 41 |
55 | Seven Springs (partially in Fayette County) | Borough | 26 |
Notable people
- U.S. Secretary of State (1860–1861), under President James Buchanan;
- Transportation pioneer George Chorpenning.
- Alexander Hamilton Coffroth(1828–1906), 19th-century Democratic U.S. Representative and Abraham Lincoln's final pallbearer to die
- NFLplayer
- US Army sergeant who was the first soldier to take official action against suspected and later confirmed mistreatment of prisoners by other soldiers in Abu Ghraib
- Joseph F. Loy, Wisconsin state senator and lawyer
- Howard Shultz Miller, U.S. Representative from Kansas.[31]
- Comedian and podcasting pioneer Keith Malley, co-host of the Keith and The Girl podcast
- Edwin S. Porter, silent movie director most famous for The Great Train Robbery
- Joseph C. Pringey, U.S. Representative from Oklahoma
- Rip Engle, head football coach at Brown University (1944-1949) and Penn State University (1950-1965)
See also
- Cambria Somerset Authority – Water supply authority for Cambria County and Somerset County
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Somerset County, Pennsylvania
- Flight 93 National Memorial – unit of the National Park System that protects the crash site of Flight 93 which the final resting place of the passengers and crew.
References
- ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Somerset County, Pennsylvania". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ a b "Sources and detailed information", National Park Service website
- ^ Espenshade, A. Howry (1925). Pennsylvania Place Names. State College, PA: Pennsylvania State College. p. 52.
- ^ "State and County Maps of Pennsylvania". MapGeeks.org. Archived from the original on March 28, 2018. Retrieved October 23, 2016.
- ^ "Washington and the French & Indian War". George Washington's Mount Vernon. Retrieved October 23, 2016.
- ^ "Forbes Road Historical Marker". explorepahistory.com. Archived from the original on August 21, 2015.
- ^ "History of Bedford and Somerset Counties, Chapter 4, Volume 2". www.pagenweb.org. Retrieved October 23, 2016.
- ^ 9/11/01:The Today Show
- ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
- ^ "Why Does Garrett County Get So Much Snow? | Garrett County Weather". garrettcountyweather.com. Archived from the original on February 26, 2018. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
- ^ "PRISM Climate Group at Oregon State University".
- ^ "Geology, Map 13" (PDF). www.dcnr.state.pa.us. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 16, 2001. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
- ^ "Geology, Map 59" (PDF). Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 16, 2001. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
- ^ "Geology, Map 11" (PDF). www.dcnr.state.pa.us. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 18, 2000. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
- ^ [1][permanent dead link]
- ^ "Geology, Map 10" (PDF). www.dcnr.state.pa.us. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 18, 2000. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
- ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
- ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
- ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 24, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
- ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
- ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 11, 2011. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
- ^ "Census 2020".
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Somerset County, Pennsylvania".
- ^ "Office of Management and Budget | The White House". The White House. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
- ^ a b "Decennial Census by Decades". www.census.gov. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
- ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
- ^ "Voter registration statistics by county". www.dos.pa.gov.
- ^ a b Center, Legislativate Data Processing. "Find Your Legislator". The official website for the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
- ^ "MILLER, Howard Shultz, (1879–1970)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved October 14, 2012.
- Community Festivals
- Pennsylvania Maple Festival, Meyersdale, March
- Farmers and Threshermens Jubilee, Rockwood, September
- Springs Folk Festival, Springs, October
- Mountain Craft Days, Somerset, September