Connellsville, Pennsylvania
|
|
Connellsville is a city located in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 9,146.
| Contents |
Geography
Connellsville is located at 40°0'58" North, 79°35'24" West (40.016231, -79.589888)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.1 km² (2.4 mi²). 5.9 km² (2.3 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 4.66% water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 9,146 people, 3,963 households, and 2,377 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,562.5/km² (4,053.5/mi²). There are 4,434 housing units at an average density of 757.5/km² (1,965.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 94.54% White, 3.93% African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.17% from other races, and 0.90% from two or more races. 0.54% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 3,963 households out of which 28.2% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.3% are married couples living together, 15.5% have a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% are non-families. 35.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 19.0% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.28 and the average family size is 2.97.
In the city the population is spread out with 24.5% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 19.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 38 years. For every 100 females there are 86.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 80.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $21,070, and the median income for a family is $28,105. Males have a median income of $28,942 versus $23,016 for females. The per capita income for the city is $14,165. 28.2% of the population and 22.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 45.5% of those under the age of 18 and 16.4% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
History
During the French and Indian war, a British army commanded by General Edward Braddock approached fort Duquesne, crossing the Youghigheny river at Stewart's crossing, situated in the middle of modern Connellsville. Connellsville was officially founded in 1806 by Zachariah Connell, a militia captain during the American revolution. Connellsville became a city when in 1909 when it unified with the nearby town of Newhaven.
Coal mining became big business in Connellsville during the later half of the ninteenth century. Heavy industry brought such wealth to the Fayette county region that Connellsville once boasted the most millionaries per capita of any city in the United States. However, such prosperity remained restricted to a wealthy elite, and many immigrants of Italian and Slavic origins worked the coal mines and coke ovens in a state of poverty.
As the coal industry faltered in the ninteen-fifties, a wave of deindustrialization affected Connellsville, removing the sources of wealth that had sustained it in the past. The city remains a railroad junction, and new sources of revenue are becoming avaliable. Recently, modern sewage systems were extended beyond the city limits, providing a draw for large businesses. New retail oppurtunities are emerging, and tourism based on the beauty of the Youghigheny valley may mean economic recovery. However, major social and economic problems affect the city. High teen pregnancy rates, drug problems and signifigant unemployment all face the people of Connellsville.