North Huntingdon Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
North Huntingdon Township is a township in Westmoreland County
, Pennsylvania
, USA. The population was 30,609 at the 2010 census.
, Huntingdon Township was founded on April 6, 1772 in Pennsylvania
.
Huntingdon’s boundaries started at the mouth of Brush Run where it emptied into Brush Creek. The area is approximately 26 square miles (67 km2)with the Township maintaining about 125 miles (200 km)of roads. If these roads were placed end-to-end, they would stretch from North Huntingdon to Cleveland, Ohio
. The boundaries, following along Byerly’s Path to Braddock Road, continued to the lines that mark Mount Pleasant
, Tyrone
and Pitt Townships. Huntingdon Township was later divided into the townships North Huntingdon, East Huntingdon, South Huntingdon and Sewickley. Around this same time, Westmoreland County
, where North Huntingdon is located, became the townships of Fairfield
, Donegal
, Mount Pleasant, Hempfield
, Pitt, Tyrone, Springhill, Menallen, Rostraver and Armstrong.
Many Native American
tribes inhabited this area before the European settlers. The Alligewe Indians are believed to be the first people to live in this area. After this tribe, there were also the Shawnee
, Seneca
, Cornplanter
and Delaware, also known as Lenni Lenape, tribes. The first white man did not come along until 1662.
Arnold Viele, a Dutch trader from Albany, New York
was the first white man to enter this territory. Viele had wanted to establish Indian trading posts that were closer to other communities. In doing this, he persuaded the Shawnee tribe to move near the Potomac and Susquehanna Rivers. After Viele, James Letort, Andrew Montour
, Conrad Weiser
and George Croghan
were some of the other settlers to move to North Huntingdon.
Many different European groups settled in this area. Two of them were the German and Scottish-Irish immigrants. In the late 1670s, North Huntingdon Township was settled from both the eastern and western ends. This section is divided but what is now known as Irwin. The Germans settled in the east and to the west was the Scottish-Irish settlement. In the German settlement, the Lutheran church ran the schools, and they exclusively taught the German language. The Scottish-Irish settlement was Presbyterian. This group settled mostly in the areas of Circleville, Cavitt’s Mills and Robbin’s Station.
The settlers wanted to provide their children with some education in their new homes. Farmers donated land so they could have schools for their children that weren't far from home. The schools were made with logs and a clapboard roof. Established in 1782, Birch Spring School was the first school in the township. It was also called Master Jack’s school after its first teacher. Teachers did not have to meet many requirements to get the job. They had to pass an exam and have a basic knowledge of reading, writing and math. They also had to know how to mend quill pens and wield birch rods. Another school named Fairview was built in 1816. This school was used in the eastern end of the township, while Master Jack’s school was used in the western end.
Schools were not the only thing that these settlers built. They also made their homes. The homes were about 10 feet (3m) high with only one room and one window. They had to use mud for insulation against the cold winters. Chairs were made of logs and beds were stuffed with hay or straw. There was a hole in the roof, instead of a chimney, to let cooking smoke out of the house.
About a century after the German and Scottish-Irish settlers, the Township’s population was recorded as 3,000 in 1860. According to a census taken in 1980, North Huntingdon Township was the second largest municipality in Westmoreland County with 31,517 residents. Another census in 2000 recorded that the population was down to 29,123 people.
, the township has a total area of 27.4 square miles (70.9 km²), of which, 27.3 square miles (70.8 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.15%) is water.
It is transversed by the Pennsylvania Turnpike (Interstate 76) and by Lincoln Highway (US 30). The southwest corner of the township borders the Youghiogheny River for about 1½ Km.
of 2000, there were 29,123 people, 11,216 households, and 8,625 families residing in the township. The population density
was 1,065.7 people per square mile (411.4/km²). There were 11,578 housing units at an average density of 423.7/sq mi (163.6/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 98.82% White, 0.32% African American, 0.04% Native American, 0.39% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.05% from other races
, and 0.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.41% of the population.
There were 11,216 households out of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.3% were married couples
living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.1% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the township the population was spread out with 21.8% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 93.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $45,376, and the median income for a family was $51,933. Males had a median income of $39,693 versus $26,285 for females. The per capita income
for the township was $20,786. About 4.4% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.8% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.
Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 369,993 people, 149,813 households, and 104,569 families residing in the county. The population density was 361 people per square mile . There were 161,058 housing units at an average density of 157 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...
, USA. The population was 30,609 at the 2010 census.
History
Named after England’s Earl of HuntingdonEarl of Huntingdon
Earl of Huntingdon is a title which has been created several times in the Peerage of England. The title is associated with the ruling house of Scotland, and latterly with the Hastings family.-Early history:...
, Huntingdon Township was founded on April 6, 1772 in 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...
.
Huntingdon’s boundaries started at the mouth of Brush Run where it emptied into Brush Creek. The area is approximately 26 square miles (67 km2)with the Township maintaining about 125 miles (200 km)of roads. If these roads were placed end-to-end, they would stretch from North Huntingdon to Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
. The boundaries, following along Byerly’s Path to Braddock Road, continued to the lines that mark Mount Pleasant
Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania
Mount Pleasant is a borough in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It stands 45 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. Population in 1900, 4,745 people; in 1910, 5,812 people; and in 1940, 5,824 people...
, Tyrone
Tyrone, Pennsylvania
Tyrone is a borough in Blair County, Pennsylvania, northeast of Altoona, on the Little Juniata River. Tyrone was of considerable commercial importance in the twentieth century. It was an outlet for the Clearfield coal fields, and it was noted for the manufacture of paper products. There were...
and Pitt Townships. Huntingdon Township was later divided into the townships North Huntingdon, East Huntingdon, South Huntingdon and Sewickley. Around this same time, Westmoreland County
Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 369,993 people, 149,813 households, and 104,569 families residing in the county. The population density was 361 people per square mile . There were 161,058 housing units at an average density of 157 per square mile...
, where North Huntingdon is located, became the townships of Fairfield
Fairfield, Pennsylvania
Fairfield is a borough in Adams County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 486 at the 2000 census.-History:During the Gettysburg Campaign in the American Civil War, the Battle of Fairfield played an important role in securing the Fairfield pass and the Hagerstown Road, enabling Robert E...
, Donegal
Donegal, Pennsylvania
Donegal is a borough in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a distinct municipality from the adjacent Donegal Township. The population was 165 at the 2000 census...
, Mount Pleasant, Hempfield
Hempfield, Pennsylvania
Hempfield, Pennsylvania is an unincorporated community in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Hempfield is a tiny locale in West Hempfield Township a few miles west of Lancaster, Pennsylvania at 40°03'17" north latitude, 76°26'20" west longitude.-History:...
, Pitt, Tyrone, Springhill, Menallen, Rostraver and Armstrong.
Many Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
tribes inhabited this area before the European settlers. The Alligewe Indians are believed to be the first people to live in this area. After this tribe, there were also the Shawnee
Shawnee
The Shawnee, Shaawanwaki, Shaawanooki and Shaawanowi lenaweeki, are an Algonquian-speaking people native to North America. Historically they inhabited the areas of Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Western Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana, and Pennsylvania...
, Seneca
Seneca nation
The Seneca are a group of indigenous people native to North America. They were the nation located farthest to the west within the Six Nations or Iroquois League in New York before the American Revolution. While exact population figures are unknown, approximately 15,000 to 25,000 Seneca live in...
, Cornplanter
Cornplanter
Gaiänt'wakê was a Seneca war-chief. He was the son of a Seneca mother, Aliquipiso, and a Dutch father, Johannes Abeel. He also carried the name John Abeel after his fur trader father...
and Delaware, also known as Lenni Lenape, tribes. The first white man did not come along until 1662.
Arnold Viele, a Dutch trader from Albany, New York
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
was the first white man to enter this territory. Viele had wanted to establish Indian trading posts that were closer to other communities. In doing this, he persuaded the Shawnee tribe to move near the Potomac and Susquehanna Rivers. After Viele, James Letort, Andrew Montour
Andrew Montour
Andrew Montour , also known as Henry Montour, Sattelihu, and Eghnisara, was an important métis interpreter and negotiator in the Virginia and Pennsylvania backcountry in the 1750s and 1760s....
, Conrad Weiser
Conrad Weiser
Weiser's colonial service began in 1731. The Iroquois sent Shikellamy, an Oneida chief, as an emissary to other tribes and the British. Shikellamy lived on the Susquehanna River at Shamokin village, near present-day Sunbury, Pennsylvania. An oral tradition holds that Weiser met Shikellamy while...
and George Croghan
George Croghan
George Croghan was an Irish-born Pennsylvania fur trader, Onondaga Council sachem, land speculator, British Indian agent in colonial America and, until accused of treason in 1777, Pittsburgh's president judge and Committee of Safety Chairman keeping the Ohio Indians neutral...
were some of the other settlers to move to North Huntingdon.
Many different European groups settled in this area. Two of them were the German and Scottish-Irish immigrants. In the late 1670s, North Huntingdon Township was settled from both the eastern and western ends. This section is divided but what is now known as Irwin. The Germans settled in the east and to the west was the Scottish-Irish settlement. In the German settlement, the Lutheran church ran the schools, and they exclusively taught the German language. The Scottish-Irish settlement was Presbyterian. This group settled mostly in the areas of Circleville, Cavitt’s Mills and Robbin’s Station.
The settlers wanted to provide their children with some education in their new homes. Farmers donated land so they could have schools for their children that weren't far from home. The schools were made with logs and a clapboard roof. Established in 1782, Birch Spring School was the first school in the township. It was also called Master Jack’s school after its first teacher. Teachers did not have to meet many requirements to get the job. They had to pass an exam and have a basic knowledge of reading, writing and math. They also had to know how to mend quill pens and wield birch rods. Another school named Fairview was built in 1816. This school was used in the eastern end of the township, while Master Jack’s school was used in the western end.
Schools were not the only thing that these settlers built. They also made their homes. The homes were about 10 feet (3m) high with only one room and one window. They had to use mud for insulation against the cold winters. Chairs were made of logs and beds were stuffed with hay or straw. There was a hole in the roof, instead of a chimney, to let cooking smoke out of the house.
About a century after the German and Scottish-Irish settlers, the Township’s population was recorded as 3,000 in 1860. According to a census taken in 1980, North Huntingdon Township was the second largest municipality in Westmoreland County with 31,517 residents. Another census in 2000 recorded that the population was down to 29,123 people.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited 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 township has a total area of 27.4 square miles (70.9 km²), of which, 27.3 square miles (70.8 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.15%) is water.
It is transversed by the Pennsylvania Turnpike (Interstate 76) and by Lincoln Highway (US 30). The southwest corner of the township borders the Youghiogheny River for about 1½ Km.
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 29,123 people, 11,216 households, and 8,625 families residing in the township. 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 1,065.7 people per square mile (411.4/km²). There were 11,578 housing units at an average density of 423.7/sq mi (163.6/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 98.82% White, 0.32% African American, 0.04% Native American, 0.39% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.05% 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 0.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.41% of the population.
There were 11,216 households out of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.3% 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, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.1% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the township the population was spread out with 21.8% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 93.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $45,376, and the median income for a family was $51,933. Males had a median income of $39,693 versus $26,285 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 township was $20,786. About 4.4% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.8% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.
Works cited
- The Diamond: Official Publication Commemorating Irwin's 75th Anniversary Celebration. Irwin: Rodgers Printing Company, 1939.
- Roth, Bernard B. (Ed.) 10 Score: North Huntingdon Township. Norwin Community: 1973.
- Historian, A.L.; Irwin and the World Around It. Irwin: Key Art/Print Production and Laurel Quick Print, 1989.