Laurel, Maryland
|
|
Template:US City infobox Laurel is a city about 14 miles northeast of Washington, D.C., reaching into three separate counties: Anne Arundel County, Maryland, Howard County, Maryland, and Prince George's County, Maryland. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 19,960. Laurel is home to a large racetrack, Laurel Racecourse.
| Contents |
History
Originally called "Laurel Factory" by its 18th- and early 19th-century settlers (due to the presence of an iron works along the local Patuxent River), the town's name was not shortened to "Laurel" until 1875. Laurel was incorperated as a town in 1870, and reincorperated in 1890 to coincide with a new electric power plant and paved streets.
In 1899, Laurel's seven-time mayor Edward Phelps succeeded in constructing the first high school in Prince George's County, despite several financial obstacles. The school building still stands on the corner of Montgomery and Eighth Streets.
On May 15, 1972, Governor George Wallace of Alabama, running for the presidential nomination of the Democratic Party, was shot and paralyzed by Arthur Bremer, a disturbed, out-of-work janitor, while he was campaigning at a rally at a shopping center in the city of Laurel. An Alabama state trooper and a Secret Service agent were also wounded, and so was a female campaign worker.
In 2001, Laurel had some small involvement in the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States. Quotes are excerpted from:
- STATEMENT FOR THE RECORD FBI DIRECTOR ROBERT S. MUELLER III JOINT INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE INQUIRY
- In the weeks immediately preceding September 11, the suicide hijackers of Flight 77 stayed in various motels in the area of Laurel, Maryland and used publicly available computers to gain Internet access from the local Kinko's. During this time period, numerous interactions occurred in the areas of Laurel and College Park, Maryland, among the Flight 77 hijackers and the hijackers of the other flights.
- That same day in Maryland, Flight 77 hijackers Majed Moqed and Hani Hanjour checked out of the Budget Host Valencia Hotel in Laurel, Maryland. Earlier that week, Hanjour, Moqed, Salem al-Hazmi, and Khalid al-Mihdhar had visited a Gold's Gym in Greenbelt, Maryland on a visitor's pass.
Geography
Laurel is located at 39°5'54" North, 76°51'33" West (39.098258, -76.859093)Template:GR. This positions it on the bank of the Patuxent River, which was the power source for the mills that were the early industry of the town. Laurel, proper, is at the northern tip of Prince George's County.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.9 km² (3.8 mi²). 9.8 km² (3.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.79% water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 19,960 people, 8,931 households, and 4,635 families residing in the city. The population density is 2,038.8/km² (5,280.2/mi²). There are 9,506 housing units at an average density of 971.0/km² (2,514.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 52.24% White, 34.50% African American, 0.38% Native American, 6.89% Asian, 0.21% Pacific Islander, 2.30% from other races, and 3.47% from two or more races. 6.24% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 8,931 households out of which 26.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.9% are married couples living together, 13.3% have a female householder with no husband present, and 48.1% are non-families. 37.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 5.2% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.22 and the average family size is 2.97.
In the city the population is spread out with 22.0% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 42.9% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 6.7% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 90.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $49,415, and the median income for a family is $58,552. Males have a median income of $37,966 versus $35,614 for females. The per capita income for the city is $26,717. 6.4% of the population and 4.3% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 7.8% of those under the age of 18 and 6.4% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Media
There are two newspapers serving Laurel: the Laurel Leader and the Laurel Gazette. In addition, there is one mediumwave AM radio station (Radio Novecientos, broadcasting at the frequency of 900 kilohertz) serving the Hispanic community.
Laurel in Popular Culture
There is a line in the novel The Dead Zone by Stephen King, consisting of "Laurel, Maryland" repeated over and over. Presumably this represents a psychic allusion to the attempted assassination of George Wallace in 1972.
External links
- Official Website: City of Laurel, Maryland (http://www.laurel.md.us/)
- History of the City of Laurel, Maryland (http://www.laurel.md.us/hist.htm)
|
State of Maryland |
|---|---|
| State Capital: | |
| Regions: |
Western | Southern | Eastern Shore | Baltimore-Washington Metro Area | Chesapeake | Delaware Valley |
| Notable Cities: | Baltimore | Bowie | College Park | Cumberland | Frederick | Gaithersburg | Greenbelt | Hagerstown | Laurel | Rockville | Salisbury | Takoma Park | Westminster |
| Counties: |
Allegany | Anne Arundel | Baltimore City | Baltimore County | Calvert | Caroline | Carroll | Cecil | Charles | Dorchester | Frederick | Garrett | Harford | Howard | Kent | Montgomery | Prince George's | Queen Anne's | St. Mary's | Somerset | Talbot | Washington | Wicomico | Worcester |