Catasauqua, Pennsylvania
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Catasauqua is a borough located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. As of the 2000 census, the borough had a total population of 6,588.
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Geography
Catasauqua is located at 40°39'11" North, 75°28'3" West (40.652995, -75.467627)Template:GR. Nearby large communities include Allentown and Bethlehem.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 3.4 km² (1.3 mi²). 3.3 km² (1.3 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 2.31% water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 6,588 people, 2,616 households, and 1,750 families residing in the borough. The population density is 2,002.9/km² (5,205.7/mi²). There are 2,747 housing units at an average density of 835.1/km² (2,170.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the borough is 95.60% White, 1.18% African American, 0.33% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.08% from other races, and 1.20% from two or more races. 3.54% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 2,616 households out of which 33.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% are married couples living together, 12.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 33.1% are non-families. 27.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.8% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.50 and the average family size is 3.04.
In the borough the population is spread out with 25.0% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 32.1% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 91.1 males.
The median income for a household in the borough is $42,432, and the median income for a family is $48,589. Males have a median income of $32,320 versus $45,730 for females. The per capita income for the borough is $18,906. 8.0% of the population and 5.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 11.7% of those under the age of 18 and 11.2% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
History
George Taylor, signer of the Declaration of Independence, owned a vacation home in what is now the borough of Catasauqua. The structure still stands today and is the showpiece of the community's rich historical heritage.
In 1840, the anthracite iron industry was founded in what is now known as Catasauqua, making it the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. Welsh immigrant David Thomas relocated to the area and opened the Crane Iron Works. Remembered as "the father of Catasauqua," Thomas initially named the community Craneville, after his former employer in Wales.
The wealthy, generous Thomases were responsible for many sweeping changes to the prosperity of the community. David Thomas founded the Presbyterian Church of Catasauqua, in which residents still worship today, and his wife Elizabeth donated money and land to found the Welsh Congregational Church, which no longer exists. Thomas organized Catasauqua's first fire company, installed its first public water system, and served as its first burgess.
In 1854, the town was formally titled Catasauqua (pronounced "Cat-eh-SEW-kweh"), from the Lenni Lenape language, meaning "dry ground" or "thirsty ground."
Catasauqua is home to two different neighborhoods listed on the National Register of Historic Places. One is Biery's Port, located along the Lehigh River and named for an early family of prominence; the other is known as "the mansion district," and is comprised of Victorian homes once owned by wealthy residents.
By 1900, Catasauqua boasted 5,000 residents, and had the highest percentage of self-made millionaires of any town in the United States.
In 1917, while many of the young men of the town served in World War I, Catasauqua became the first community in the United States to raise $1 million in war bonds, earning it the nickname "the Million Dollar Town."
Catasauqua observed its 150th anniversary of incorporation in 2004.
Sources/Reference Materials
Images of America: Catasauqua and North Catasauqua, by Martha Capwell Fox (Arcadia Publishing 2002)
External links
- Borough of Catasauqua (http://catasauquaborough.govoffice.com/)
- Amazon.Com: book Catasauqua and North Catasauqua (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/073851103X/qid=1104874393/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/102-0415498-5361713?v=glance&s=books&n=507846/)