Wilkes-Barre Township, Pennsylvania
Wilkes-Barre Township | |
---|---|
home rule | |
UTC-4 (EDT) | |
FIPS code | 42-079-85160 |
Website | twp |
Wilkes-Barre Township is a
History
Founding
In 1753, the Susquehanna Company was formed in Connecticut for settling the Wyoming Valley in present-day Pennsylvania. Connecticut succeeded in purchasing the land from the Native Americans; however, Pennsylvania already claimed the valley through a purchase they made in 1736. In 1762, roughly two hundred Connecticut settlers (Yankees) established a settlement near Mill Creek. They planted wheat and constructed log cabins. They returned to New England for the winter.[4]
Massacre of 1763
The Connecticut settlers returned in the spring of 1763 with their families. A party of Iroquois also visited the area with the dual purpose of inciting the Lenape and killing Teedyuscung, a local Delaware chief. On April 19, 1763, the residence of the chief and twenty others around it were set ablaze. Teedyuscung, under the influence of liquor, perished in the inferno. This was revenge for the death of an Iroquois warrior in 1758. The Iroquois allowed for the Delaware to believe that this atrocity was committed by the settlers. As a result, the Delaware attacked the colonists on October 15, 1763. Thirty settlers were killed, and several others were taken prisoner. Those who managed to escape fled back to New England. The Delaware then burned what was left of the Yankee settlement.[4]
Pennamite–Yankee Wars
In 1769, during the
The Connecticut settlers established Fort Durkee, which was named in honor of their leader (Colonel Durkee). This was immediately followed by
Coal mining
James Sutton built the first gristmill in the township in 1782.[5] In 1806, a large portion of the territory broke away from the township to form the borough of Wilkes-Barre. Today, the township of Wilkes-Barre occupies a 1-by-3-mile (1.6 by 4.8 km) strip of land adjacent to the southeast border of what is now the city of Wilkes-Barre.
Coal mining was a prominent industry in and around Wilkes-Barre Township in the late 19th and early 20th century. The Laurel Run mine fire started near the village of Georgetown in 1915. The fire under Georgetown was controlled by blocking off the tunnels in the vicinity, robbing it of the necessary oxygen to continue burning.[6]
Expanding commerce
The township become a commercial destination in northeastern Pennsylvania, adding the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza and several major shopping hubs, including the Arena Hub Plaza, Wilkes-Barre Township Commons, Wilkes-Barre Township Marketplace, and Wyoming Valley Mall. Most of these shopping areas were developed in the early 2000s, although the Wyoming Valley Mall was constructed in the 1970s following the aftermath of Hurricane Agnes.
Tornadoes
The township underwent
Geography
Wilkes-Barre Township is located at 41°13′40″N 75°52′5″W / 41.22778°N 75.86806°W (41.227931, −75.868282).[10]
According to the
Climate
The township has a humid continental climate (Dfa/Dfb) and the hardiness zone is 6a. Average monthly temperatures in the vicinity of exit 168 of I-81 (connecting with Highland Park Boulevard) range from 25.6 °F (−3.6 °C) in January to 71.5 °F (21.9 °C) in July.[11]
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
2000 | 3,235 | — | |
2010 | 2,967 | −8.3% | |
2020 | 3,219 | 8.5% | |
2021 (est.) | 3,214 | [2] | −0.2% |
U.S. Decennial Census[12] |
As of the census of any race.
There were 1,455 households, out of which 22.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.4% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.8% were non-families. 37.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the township, the population was spread out, with 17.9% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 22.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.6 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $30,603, and the median income for a family was $37,188. Males had a median income of $30,806 versus $27,426 for females. The per capita income for the township was $20,055. About 7.2% of families and 9.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.2% of those under age 18 and 13.1% of those age 65 or over.
References
- ^ "2016 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
- ^ a b c d Bureau, US Census. "City and Town Population Totals: 2020—2021". Census.gov. US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
- ^ Lossing, Benson (1859). The Pictorial Field-Book of the Revolution. Harper & Brothers, Publishers. p. 353.
- ^ a b c d "Early Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne Co., Pa".
- ^ "Wilkes-Barre Township". Pagenweb.org. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
- ISBN 9780813741185, retrieved January 30, 2014
- ^ "EF2 tornado hit near Wilkes-Barre, National Weather Service confirms". Mcall.com. June 14, 2018. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
- ^ Jayne Ann Bugda (June 15, 2018). "List of Businesses Impacted in Wilkes-Barre Township by Tornado". Pahomepage. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
- ^ "EF2 tornado hits Wilkes-Barre Township". timesleader.com. Times Leader. June 14, 2018.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- ^ "PRISM Climate Group at Oregon State University".
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.