Danville, Pennsylvania
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Danville is a borough located in Montour County, Pennsylvania, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2000 census, the borough had a total population of 4,897. Template:GR.
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History
Iroquois land until a 1768 treaty, Chester County native and American Revolutionary War figure William Montgomery purchased a plot in 1774 and established a trading post, Montgomery's Landing. In 1792 he constructed a house there, now a small museum. In the same year his son Daniel plotted the area between Mill Street and Church Street, the historic core of the town which now bears his name.
Danville became a transportation center, served by several railroads and the eastern branch of the Susquehanna River. Coal and iron mines in the surrounding hills and mountains fueled the economy, and by mid-century Danville was an important iron mill town. Many of the rails of the nation's expanding railroad system were made in Danville. It is claimed that the first T-rail was rolled here, on October 8, 1845 at the Montour Iron Company.
Montour and several other enormous iron mills dominated the town for most of the 19th century and the iron industry were the chief employer in the region. They fell into decline, however, as steel replaced iron in the 20th century. The city celebrates this era with an annual Iron Heritage Festival in July, and the main street is still named Mill Street.
In the late 19th century the Danville State Hospital was built as a state institution for the criminally insane.
Abigail Geisinger, widow of iron magnate George Geisinger, used his fortune to build a hospital and clinic, intended to be a regional medical center modeled on the Mayo Clinic. The Geisinger Hospital was completed in 1915, and has grown over the years. Today, the Geisinger Medical Center is the most important tertiary referral center in northern Pennsylvania, and it and its affiliated institutions are the major employer in the region.
Geography
Danville is located in northeastern Pennsylvania at 40°57'42" North, 76°36'43" West (40.961607, -76.611947)Template:GR. It is located on the north bank of the eastern branch of the Susquehanna River. The contiguous community south of the river is Riverside. The surrounding country is low mountain ridges of the Appalachian range. The town is bisected by U.S. Highway 11 and is an exit from Interstate 80 to the north.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 4.1 km² (1.6 mi²), all of which is land area.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 4,897 people, 2,277 households, and 1,238 families residing in the borough. The population density is 1,189.1/km² (3,087.2/mi²). There are 2,523 housing units at an average density of 612.7/km² (1,590.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the borough is 96.06% White, 0.78% African American, 0.12% Native American, 1.80% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.47% from other races, and 0.78% from two or more races. 1.14% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 2,277 households out of which 24.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.4% are married couples living together, 12.3% have a female householder with no husband present, and 45.6% are non-families. 40.3% of all households are made up of individuals and 16.6% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.10 and the average family size is 2.84.
In the borough the population is spread out with 21.7% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 19.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 38 years. For every 100 females there are 84.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 79.1 males.
The median income for a household in the borough is $30,498, and the median income for a family is $38,778. Males have a median income of $30,375 versus $24,313 for females. The per capita income for the borough is $16,693. 10.6% of the population and 6.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 16.1% of those under the age of 18 and 8.4% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
External links
- DanvillePA.com (http://www.danvillepa.com/), sponsored by the Press-Enterprise
- Iron Heritage Festival (http://www.ironheritagefestival.net/)