Kane, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Kane is a borough
in McKean County
, Pennsylvania
, 94 miles (151.3 km) east by south of Erie
. It was founded in 1863 by Civil War
general Thomas L. Kane
at an elevated site 2210 feet (674 m) above sea level. In the early part of the twentieth century, Kane had large glassworks, bottle works, lumber mills, and manufactures of brush handles, saws, cutlery, screen doors and windows, etc. In 1900, 5,296 people lived here; in 1910, 6,626; and in 1940, 6,133 people made Kane their home. According to the 2000 census, the borough population was 4,126.
It is the home of the Kane Area School District
, and they are known as the Kane Wolves.
Famous residents in the past include American Basketball coach Chuck Daly
and Amy Rudolph, an Olympic runner
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the borough has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²), all of it land.
The above photo is an aerial view of Kane (looking north) taken on May 4, 2008. Below is an aerial shot of Kane looking northwest. Click photo for a larger view.
of 2000, there were 4,126 people, 1,766 households, and 1,091 families residing in the borough. The population density
was 2,643.8 people per square mile (1,021.2/km²). There were 1,993 housing units at an average density of 1,277.0 per square mile (493.3/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 98.91% White, 0.12% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.24% from other races
, and 0.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.82% of the population.
There were 1,766 households out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% were married couples
living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.2% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the borough the population was spread out with 23.1% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 20.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 86.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.5 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $30,460, and the median income for a family was $38,672. Males had a median income of $32,318 versus $20,907 for females. The per capita income
for the borough was $16,167. About 11.1% of families and 13.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.7% of those under age 18 and 12.2% of those age 65 or over.
community which is rich with outdoor entertainment due to its location near the Allegheny National Forest
. Hunting
and fishing
are very popular forms of entertainment for some people. Other people enjoy visiting such scenic areas as the Kinzua Dam
, and the recently destroyed Kinzua Bridge
(this railroad bridge was destroyed by a tornado in 2003). In the long winters, people enjoy cross-country skiing
, sled riding, winter hiking, and snowmobiling.
For children, the local Evergreen Park has the Evergreen Enchanted Playland Creative Playground. People of all ages enjoy swimming at the high school public pool that is open various times of the year to give swimming lessons as well as holding recreational swim times.
Each summer, Kane is site of an outdoor drive-in theater
playing current movies. It is home to "Art in the Wilds", an outdoor, juried
fine arts show held each year in Evergreen Park on the fourth Saturday and Sunday of June, as well as "Kane Fest", an annual festival in July formerly known as the Black Cherry Festival, which is no longer being held.
Kane also holds Glennwood park, which is great for a nice outdoor family picnic, great time for the kids, playing catch at the baseball fields, or riding bicycles at the skatepark.
and his wife Elizabeth Denniston Wood Kane, M.D. Thomas L. Kane was the second son of Judge John Kintzing Kane of Philadelphia, a prominent associate of Presidents Jackson and Polk. In 1846, then Colonel Kane aided the Mormons on their flight west from Nauvoo, Illinois, to the Great Salt Lake; he arranged for them to winter on Indian lands near Council Bluffs, Iowa. In 1858, Colonel Kane prevented the "Mormon War" between 2500 US Army soldiers, under A.S. Johnston, and the Mormons, under Kane's personal friend, Brigham Young.
Thomas L. Kane was offered the Utah Territorial Governorship, but insisted that the position go to Brigham Young. Although never a religious convert to the Latter Day Saints, General Kane remained a personal, political, and legal adviser to Brigham Young until Young's death. General Kane's older brother was Elisha Kent Kane, America's most prominent Arctic explorer before the Civil War. The General's wife and three of their four children became physicians in Kane. Their oldest son, Evan O'Neil Kane, M.D., demonstrated the efficacy of local anesthesia on two occasions by performing surgery on himself—once repairing an inguinal hernia, and once removing his own appendix.
destroyed many homes in Kane and neighboring East Kane. The F4 tornado passed through the town at approximately 8:15 PM. There were 3 deaths as a result of this tornado. This is the worst natural disaster in Kane's history.
Trolley car, seen in every single episode of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
. The company has since relocated to Bradford, Pennsylvania
.
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
in McKean County
McKean County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 45,936 people, 18,024 households, and 12,094 families residing in the county. The population density was 47 people per square mile . There were 21,644 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, 94 miles (151.3 km) east by south of Erie
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
. It was founded in 1863 by Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
general Thomas L. Kane
Thomas L. Kane
Thomas Leiper Kane was an American attorney, abolitionist, and military officer who was influential in the western migration of the Latter-day Saint movement and served as a Union Army colonel and general of volunteers in the American Civil War...
at an elevated site 2210 feet (674 m) above sea level. In the early part of the twentieth century, Kane had large glassworks, bottle works, lumber mills, and manufactures of brush handles, saws, cutlery, screen doors and windows, etc. In 1900, 5,296 people lived here; in 1910, 6,626; and in 1940, 6,133 people made Kane their home. According to the 2000 census, the borough population was 4,126.
It is the home of the Kane Area School District
Kane Area School District
The Kane Area School District is a small, rural, public school district located in southwestern McKean County and parts of Elk County in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States, near the Allegheny National Forest. They are known as the Kane Wolves...
, and they are known as the Kane Wolves.
Famous residents in the past include American Basketball coach Chuck Daly
Chuck Daly
Charles Jerome "Chuck" Daly was an American basketball head coach. He led the Detroit Pistons to consecutive National Basketball Association Championships in 1989 and 1990, and the Dream Team to the men's basketball gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics. He had a 14-year NBA coaching...
and Amy Rudolph, an Olympic runner
Geography
Kane is located at 41°39′42"N 78°48′37"W (41.661712, -78.810328).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the borough has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²), all of it land.
The above photo is an aerial view of Kane (looking north) taken on May 4, 2008. Below is an aerial shot of Kane looking northwest. Click photo for a larger view.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 4,126 people, 1,766 households, and 1,091 families residing in the borough. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,643.8 people per square mile (1,021.2/km²). There were 1,993 housing units at an average density of 1,277.0 per square mile (493.3/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 98.91% White, 0.12% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.24% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.82% of the population.
There were 1,766 households out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.2% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the borough the population was spread out with 23.1% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 20.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 86.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.5 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $30,460, and the median income for a family was $38,672. Males had a median income of $32,318 versus $20,907 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the borough was $16,167. About 11.1% of families and 13.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.7% of those under age 18 and 12.2% of those age 65 or over.
Recreation
Kane is a ruralRural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
community which is rich with outdoor entertainment due to its location near the Allegheny National Forest
Allegheny National Forest
The Allegheny National Forest is a National Forest located in northwestern Pennsylvania. The forest covers of land. Within the forest is Kinzua Dam, which impounds the Allegheny River to form Allegheny Reservoir. The administrative headquarters for the Allegheny National Forest is located in Warren...
. Hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
and fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
are very popular forms of entertainment for some people. Other people enjoy visiting such scenic areas as the Kinzua Dam
Kinzua Dam
The Kinzua Dam, in the Allegheny National Forest in Warren County, Pennsylvania, is one of the largest dams in the United States east of the Mississippi River....
, and the recently destroyed Kinzua Bridge
Kinzua Bridge
The Kinzua Bridge or the Kinzua Viaduct was a railroad trestle that spanned Kinzua Creek in McKean County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania...
(this railroad bridge was destroyed by a tornado in 2003). In the long winters, people enjoy cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
, sled riding, winter hiking, and snowmobiling.
For children, the local Evergreen Park has the Evergreen Enchanted Playland Creative Playground. People of all ages enjoy swimming at the high school public pool that is open various times of the year to give swimming lessons as well as holding recreational swim times.
Each summer, Kane is site of an outdoor drive-in theater
Drive-in theater
A drive-in theater is a form of cinema structure consisting of a large outdoor screen, a projection booth, a concession stand and a large parking area for automobiles. Within this enclosed area, customers can view movies from the privacy and comfort of their cars.The screen can be as simple as a...
playing current movies. It is home to "Art in the Wilds", an outdoor, juried
Juried (competition)
A juried competition is a competition in which participants' work is judged by a person or panel of persons convened specifically to judge the participants' efforts, either by the competition's stated rubric or by a subjective set of criteria dependent upon the nature of the competition or the...
fine arts show held each year in Evergreen Park on the fourth Saturday and Sunday of June, as well as "Kane Fest", an annual festival in July formerly known as the Black Cherry Festival, which is no longer being held.
Kane also holds Glennwood park, which is great for a nice outdoor family picnic, great time for the kids, playing catch at the baseball fields, or riding bicycles at the skatepark.
Media
- The Kane Republican—One of two daily newspapers containing both local and national news in McKean County.
- WVTT — Kane's FM radio station which went under new ownership in August 2006 and switched formats from Country to Classic Rock in 2010.
- WQLEWQLEWQLE was the last official call sign of a now defunct radio station in Kane, Pennsylvania.-McKean County's First Full-Time Radio Station:...
-AM—McKean County's very first local radio station, first signing on the air as WADP at 960 AM back in 1954. The call letters were changed to WKZA in the 70's. The station fell silent in late 1992 and has not returned to the air since. Its tower and studio building, located south of Kane, were dismantled in the late 1990s. - WCOT -- The "Family Life NetworkFamily Life Network*WCIG - Dallas - 107.7 FM*WCIH - Elmira - 90.3 FM*WCII - Spencer - 88.5 FM*WCIK - Bath - 103.1 FM*WCIM - Shenandoah - 91.5 FM*WCIN - Tunkhannock - 91.3 FM*WCIT - Trout Run - 90.1 FM*WCIY - Canandaigua - 88.9 FM*WCOF - Arcade - 89.5 FM...
" has a radio translator in Kane found at 88.3 on the dial.
Nicknames
- Kane is known as the Black Cherry Capital of the World because of its thick forest cover and strong loggingLoggingLogging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
industry. - Kane has also been known for many years as the "Ice Box of Pennsylvania" because of extremely cold temperatures reported during winter months.
History
Kane was founded by Major General Thomas L. KaneThomas L. Kane
Thomas Leiper Kane was an American attorney, abolitionist, and military officer who was influential in the western migration of the Latter-day Saint movement and served as a Union Army colonel and general of volunteers in the American Civil War...
and his wife Elizabeth Denniston Wood Kane, M.D. Thomas L. Kane was the second son of Judge John Kintzing Kane of Philadelphia, a prominent associate of Presidents Jackson and Polk. In 1846, then Colonel Kane aided the Mormons on their flight west from Nauvoo, Illinois, to the Great Salt Lake; he arranged for them to winter on Indian lands near Council Bluffs, Iowa. In 1858, Colonel Kane prevented the "Mormon War" between 2500 US Army soldiers, under A.S. Johnston, and the Mormons, under Kane's personal friend, Brigham Young.
Thomas L. Kane was offered the Utah Territorial Governorship, but insisted that the position go to Brigham Young. Although never a religious convert to the Latter Day Saints, General Kane remained a personal, political, and legal adviser to Brigham Young until Young's death. General Kane's older brother was Elisha Kent Kane, America's most prominent Arctic explorer before the Civil War. The General's wife and three of their four children became physicians in Kane. Their oldest son, Evan O'Neil Kane, M.D., demonstrated the efficacy of local anesthesia on two occasions by performing surgery on himself—once repairing an inguinal hernia, and once removing his own appendix.
The Kane Tornado of 1985
On May 31, 1985 a tornadoTornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
destroyed many homes in Kane and neighboring East Kane. The F4 tornado passed through the town at approximately 8:15 PM. There were 3 deaths as a result of this tornado. This is the worst natural disaster in Kane's history.
Industry
The Holgate Toy Company was for many years based in Kane. One of the more famous toys they manufactured was Mister RogersMister Rogers
Fred McFeely Rogers was an American educator, Presbyterian minister, songwriter, and television host...
Trolley car, seen in every single episode of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, also known as Mister Rogers, is an American children's television series that was created and hosted by Fred Rogers. The series is aimed primarily at preschool ages, 2-5, but has been stated by Public Broadcasting Service as "appropriate for all ages"...
. The company has since relocated to Bradford, Pennsylvania
Bradford, Pennsylvania
Bradford is a small city located in rural McKean County, Pennsylvania, in the United States 78 miles south of Buffalo, New York. Settled in 1823, Bradford was chartered as a city in 1879 and emerged as a wild oil boomtown in the Pennsylvanian oil rush in the late 19th century...
.