Northern Cambria, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Northern Cambria is a borough in Cambria County, Pennsylvania
, USA
. It is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,199 at the 2000 census.
The Borough of Northern Cambria was incorporated on January 1, 2000. It was formed from the merger of two smaller municipalities, Barnesboro
and Spangler
. The area was first settled by Europeans in the early-to-middle 19th century. The presence of the West Branch of the Susquehanna River
allowed loggers to move their harvest down stream. Small farms developed, but the area changed in the 1890s when mining of the extensive bituminous coal fields in the area became the dominant industry. The mining companies required skilled workers and many came from Great Britain
and Eastern Europe
. Railroads were built to transport the coal out and the town flourished with the influx of money. In the 1980s, the coal industry began a decline and there has been a subsequent decline in the population of the area. In November 1922, the Reilly Shaft No. 1 Mine Explosion occurred, killing 78 coal miners
A pumpkin weighing 1,469 lb (666 kg) was grown by resident Larry Checkon in 2005 (a world record at that time).
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the borough has a total area of 3 square miles (7.8 km²), all of it land.
. The district has two schools located in the borough of Northern Cambria. The Northern Cambria Elementary/Middle School serves students in grades Pre-K to 8 while the Northern Cambria High School serves students in grades 9 to 12. Surrounding public school districts include:
Students in grades K-8 can also attend a private Northern Cambria Catholic School in Nicktown. Some students in grades 9-12 attend a private school Bishop Carroll High School
in Ebensburg
.
Nearby colleges include Mount Aloysius College
, Saint Francis University
, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
, University of Pittsburgh Johnstown, Penn State Altoona
, and Pennsylvania Highlands Community College
.
of 2000, there were 4,199 people, 1,763 households, and 1,191 families residing in the borough. The population density
was 1,401.9 people per square mile (540.4/km²). There were 1,954 housing units at an average density of 652.4 per square mile (251.5/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 99.31% White, 0.07% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.10% from other races
, and 0.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.31% of the population.
There were 1,763 households out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.3% were married couples
living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.4% were non-families. 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the borough the population was spread out with 22.0% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 21.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 89.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.0 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $24,655, and the median income for a family was $29,917. Males had a median income of $27,214 versus $17,546 for females. The per capita income
for the borough was $13,129. About 15.4% of families and 17.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.1% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.
, Tribune-Democrat, and Indiana Gazette
. In addition, The Star-Courier provides a weekly newspaper that is distributed each Thursday. 950 WNCC is the town's radio station since 1950. The local NBC
affiliate is WJAC-6, the local CBS
affiliate is WTAJ-10, the local ABC
affiliate is WATM-23, and the local Fox
affiliate is WWCP-8. Comcast
is the cable provider for the borough.
Cambria County, Pennsylvania
Cambria County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It comprises the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 143,679....
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Johnstown is a city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States, west-southwest of Altoona, Pennsylvania and east of Pittsburgh. The population was 20,978 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Cambria County...
Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,199 at the 2000 census.
The Borough of Northern Cambria was incorporated on January 1, 2000. It was formed from the merger of two smaller municipalities, Barnesboro
Barnesboro, Pennsylvania
Barnesboro, Pennsylvania was a borough located in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, USA. The area was first settled by Europeans in the early-to-middle 19th century. The presence of the West Branch of the Susquehanna River allowed loggers to move their harvest down stream...
and Spangler
Spangler, Pennsylvania
Spangler, Pennsylvania was a town, since merged, and former borough located in the northwest corner of Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is nestled in the valley of the West Branch of the Susquehanna River between hills of the Appalachian Mountains of the Eastern United States. The...
. The area was first settled by Europeans in the early-to-middle 19th century. The presence of the West Branch of the Susquehanna River
West Branch Susquehanna River
The West Branch Susquehanna River is one of the two principal branches, along with the North Branch, of the Susquehanna River in the northeastern United States. The North Branch, which rises in upstate New York, is generally regarded as the extension of the main branch, with the shorter West Branch...
allowed loggers to move their harvest down stream. Small farms developed, but the area changed in the 1890s when mining of the extensive bituminous coal fields in the area became the dominant industry. The mining companies required skilled workers and many came from Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
. Railroads were built to transport the coal out and the town flourished with the influx of money. In the 1980s, the coal industry began a decline and there has been a subsequent decline in the population of the area. In November 1922, the Reilly Shaft No. 1 Mine Explosion occurred, killing 78 coal miners
A pumpkin weighing 1,469 lb (666 kg) was grown by resident Larry Checkon in 2005 (a world record at that time).
Geography
Northern Cambria is located at 40°39′21"N 78°46′46"W (40.655813, -78.779472).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 3 square miles (7.8 km²), all of it land.
Education
The local public school district is the Northern Cambria School DistrictNorthern Cambria School District
The Northern Cambria School District is a public school district located in northwestern Cambria County in Pennsylvania. It geographically comprises the borough of Northern Cambria and the townships of Barr and Susquehanna....
. The district has two schools located in the borough of Northern Cambria. The Northern Cambria Elementary/Middle School serves students in grades Pre-K to 8 while the Northern Cambria High School serves students in grades 9 to 12. Surrounding public school districts include:
- Cambria Heights School DistrictCambria Heights School DistrictThe Cambria Heights School District covers the Boroughs of Carrolltown, Chest Springs, Hastings and Patton and Chest Township, Clearfield Township, East Carroll Township, Elder Township and West Carroll Township in Cambria County, Pennsylvania.-Schools:...
- Central Cambria School DistrictCentral Cambria School DistrictThe Central Cambria School District is a school district covering Ebensburg Boro, Cambria Township, and Jackson Township in Cambria County, Pennsylvania.- Elementary Schools :...
- Blacklick Valley School DistrictBlacklick Valley School DistrictThe Blacklick Valley School District covers the Boroughs of Nanty-Glo and Vintondale and Blacklick Township in Cambria County, Pennsylvania.-About BVSD:...
- Penns Manor School District
- Purchase Line School DistrictPurchase Line School DistrictPurchase Line School Districtis a public school district located in Indiana County, Pennsylvania and Clearfield County, Pennsylvania. It features three schools: North Elementary School, South Elementary School, and Purchase Line Jr-Sr High School. It serves a rural region, including the townships...
- Harmony Area School DistrictHarmony Area School DistrictHarmony Area School District is a public school district located in Indiana County, Pennsylvania and Clearfield County, Pennsylvania. The district is very small, serving approximately 400 students in grades K–12...
Students in grades K-8 can also attend a private Northern Cambria Catholic School in Nicktown. Some students in grades 9-12 attend a private school Bishop Carroll High School
Bishop Carroll High School (Ebensburg, Pennsylvania)
Bishop Carroll High School is a Catholic high school located in Ebensburg, PA. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown.-External links:* *...
in Ebensburg
Ebensburg, Pennsylvania
Ebensburg is a borough located in, and is the seat of, Cambria County, Pennsylvania, west of Altoona and surrounded by Cambria Township. It is situated in the Alleghenies about 2025 feet above sea level. Ebensburg is located in a rich bituminous coal region. In the past, saw mills, tanneries,...
.
Nearby colleges include Mount Aloysius College
Mount Aloysius College
Mount Aloysius College is a Catholic, private college in Cresson, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a liberal arts college that awards bachelor’s, associate’s, and master’s degrees in the arts and sciences fields...
, Saint Francis University
Saint Francis University
Saint Francis University is a four-year, coeducational Catholic liberal arts university in Loretto, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1847 and conducted under the tradition of the Franciscan Friars of the Third Order Regular...
, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana University of Pennsylvania is a public university in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, USA. The university is northeast of Pittsburgh. It is the largest university in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and is the commonwealth's fifth largest university...
, University of Pittsburgh Johnstown, Penn State Altoona
Penn State Altoona
Penn State Altoona is a commonwealth campus of The Pennsylvania State University. It is located in Logan Township, Pennsylvania, just outside of Altoona, Pennsylvania, although some of its buildings are located in the heart of Altoona's downtown.-History:...
, and Pennsylvania Highlands Community College
Pennsylvania Highlands Community College
Pennsylvania Highlands Community College is a two year educational institution that provides access to affordable education to residents of the Southern Alleghenies. The community college is centered in the Johnstown suburb of Richland Township in Cambria County, Pennsylvania...
.
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 4,199 people, 1,763 households, and 1,191 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 1,401.9 people per square mile (540.4/km²). There were 1,954 housing units at an average density of 652.4 per square mile (251.5/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 99.31% White, 0.07% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.10% 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 0.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.31% of the population.
There were 1,763 households out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.3% 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, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.4% were non-families. 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the borough the population was spread out with 22.0% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 21.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 89.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.0 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $24,655, and the median income for a family was $29,917. Males had a median income of $27,214 versus $17,546 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 $13,129. About 15.4% of families and 17.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.1% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.
Media
Three daily newspapers cover the Northern Cambria borough: Altoona MirrorAltoona Mirror
The Altoona Mirror is a daily newspaper located in Altoona, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is the hometown newspaper for the Altoona area.- External links :*...
, Tribune-Democrat, and Indiana Gazette
Indiana Gazette
The Indiana Gazette is a public newspaper printed for the Indiana County and surrounding areas. It has approximately 50,000 subscribers, as well as many newsstand editions. It is delivered daily except for holidays and special occasions...
. In addition, The Star-Courier provides a weekly newspaper that is distributed each Thursday. 950 WNCC is the town's radio station since 1950. The local NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
affiliate is WJAC-6, the local CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
affiliate is WTAJ-10, the local ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
affiliate is WATM-23, and the local Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
affiliate is WWCP-8. Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
is the cable provider for the borough.
Businesses
- Supermarkets: Giant EagleGiant EagleGiant Eagle, Inc., is a supermarket chain with stores in the U.S. states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, and Maryland. The company was founded in 1918 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Supermarket News ranked Giant Eagle No. 21 in the 2009 "Top 75 North American Food Retailers" based on 2008...
, Bi-Lo - Other Stores: Dollar GeneralDollar GeneralDollar General Corp. is a U.S. chain of variety stores headquartered in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. As of January 2011, Dollar General operated over 9,300 stores in 35 U.S. states....
, Family DollarFamily DollarFamily Dollar is a regional chain of variety stores in the United States. It opened in 1959 and operates approximately 6,617 stores in 44 states and the District of Columbia. It is headquartered in Matthews, North Carolina....
, Charlson's Furniture, Valeria's Market, Nic's Tobacco, Party Express, Wojcik's Jewelers, Sherry Appliance, etc. - Banks: AmeriServ Financial Bank, First National BankFNB CorporationFNB Corporation is a financial services corporation based in Hermitage, Pennsylvania, which operates banks under the name First National Bank in Ohio and Pennsylvania....
, First Commonwealth BankFirst Commonwealth BankFirst Commonwealth Financial Corporation is a financial services company based in Indiana, Pennsylvania, primarily serving the Western and the Central Pennsylvania regions....
, CNB Bank - Restaurants: SubwaySubway (restaurant)Subway is an American restaurant franchise that primarily sells submarine sandwiches and salads. It is owned and operated by Doctor's Associates, Inc. . Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with 35,519 restaurants in 98 countries and territories as of October 25th, 2011...
, Italian Village Pizza, Erma Jean's, Roland's Family Restaurant, Bonatesta's Pizza, Six-Pak Express, etc. - Gas Stations: SheetzSheetzSheetz, Inc. is a chain of gas stations/convenience stores owned by the Sheetz family. Stores are located in Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia....
, SunocoSunocoSunoco Inc. is an American petroleum and petrochemical manufacturer headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, formerly known as Sun Company Inc. and Sun Oil Co. .... - Car and truck tire and mechanical service: Al's Tire (offers tire, auto repairs), Glinsky's Auto, Lowe's Garage,