Minersville, Pennsylvania

Minersville, Pennsylvania
Borough
Minersville Borough Office on Sunbury Street
Location of Minersville in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.
Minersville Location in Pennsylvania Show map of Pennsylvania Minersville Minersville (the United States) Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 40°41′26″N76°15′37″W / 40.69056°N 76.26028°W / 40.69056; -76.26028
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Schuylkill
Settled	1783
Incorporated	1831
Government
• Type	Borough Council
• Mayor	Sean Palmer [1]
Area [2]
• Total	0.66 sq mi (1.70 km2)
• Land	0.66 sq mi (1.70 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Population  (2020) [3]
• Total	4,370
• Density	6,651.45/sq mi (2,568.97/km2)
	420
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
Zip code	17954
Area code	570
FIPS code	42-50088
Website	https://minersvillepa.gov/

Minersville is a borough in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, United States. Anthracite coal deposits are plentiful in the region. The population was 4,388 at the 2020 census. ^[4]

Minersville is located 50.8 miles (81.8 km) west of Allentown, 100 miles (160 km) northwest of Philadelphia, and 138.4 miles (222.7 km) west of New York City.

History

In the year 1783, a settler by the name of Adolph Oliver Busch traveled through the valley between the Thomaston Mountains and the Gap Rocks. At this junction, several mountain streams converged where this settler built a log cabin and a sawmill on the west Branch of the Schuylkill River, just below the mouth of Wolf Creek. ^[5] Shortly thereafter, he built a tavern on the South Side of the Sunbury Trail on the present site of the Saint Michael the Archangel Church.

This tavern was referred to as the "Half Way House", because it was half-way between Reading and Sunbury. ^[6] The Sunbury Trail was the first road through Schuylkill County and was known as the Kings Highway which was authorized by the Crown of England, King George III in 1770. The early settlers engaged in timbering as their first livelihood, but experienced difficulty in transporting the heavy logs out of the valley. The rough timber was floated by raft to Schuylkill Haven to the Schuylkill Canal and on to Reading where it was sold or traded for other products. Necho Allen discovered coal in 1799, but it was not until 1814 that any actual mining took place. Dr. McFarland, a scientist, opened a vein at York Farm near Pottsville. Later, in 1818, Jacob Reed, son of the original founder, opened another vein in the Minersville Area. ^[7]

English Baptist Church.

The completion of the Schuylkill Haven and Mine Hill Railroad provided the means to transport the coal produced in the region. The development of the coal industry grew rapidly and attracted many immigrants. Experienced English and Welsh miners arrived first from their respective countries. The next arrivals were Germans and Irish immigrants, soon to be followed by many other ethnic groups that make up the community.

The influx of inhabitants to the community promoted the need to begin municipal planning. Titus Bennett laid out the town in 1830 on parts of two tracts of land patented to Lawrence Lewis and Robert M. Lewis on July 20, 1829, at that time part of Branch Township. On May 2, 1830, Minersville citizens held an election at the home of David Buckwater for the purpose of electing a Burgess. Samuel Richert was elected to this position, as well as the following men who served on the first Council: John Provst, John Patrick, Dr. Anthony Steinberger, John L. Swaine, John B. Hahn, David Buckwater and Daniel R. Bennet. The first president of the town council was Daniel R. Bennet; first treasurer, Thomas J. Harman, Clerk, and Milligan G. Gable, High Constable. Minersville was incorporated as a borough on April 1, 1831 by Act of the legislature approved by Governor George Wolf. Minersville School District was involved in a national court case gaining much attention; Minersville School District v. Gobitis, 1940. ^[8] This case dealt with a family whose children would not salute the flag or recite the Pledge of Allegiance because of their religious beliefs (they were Jehovah's Witnesses). This case would put Minersville "on the map," as it reached all the way to the Supreme Court. The final verdict was that the school district could, in fact, make students stand, salute, and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. This decision came under much scrutiny and would not stay long, as it would be overturned shortly thereafter by West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette.

Geography

Minersville is located at 40°41′26″N76°15′37″W / 40.69056°N 76.26028°W / 40.69056; -76.26028 (40.690455, -76.260242). ^[9]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²), all land.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1840	1,265		—
1850	2,951		133.3%
1860	4,024		36.4%
1870	3,699		−8.1%
1880	3,249		−12.2%
1890	3,504		7.8%
1900	4,815		37.4%
1910	7,240		50.4%
1920	7,845		8.4%
1930	9,392		19.7%
1940	8,686		−7.5%
1950	7,783		−10.4%
1960	6,606		−15.1%
1970	6,012		−9.0%
1980	5,635		−6.3%
1990	4,877		−13.5%
2000	4,552		−6.7%
2010	4,397		−3.4%
2020	4,388		−0.2%
2021 (est.)	4,393	[4]	0.1%
Sources: [10] [11] [12] [3]

As of the census ^[11] of 2000, there were 4,552 people, 2,041 households, and 1,226 families residing in the borough. The population density was 6,948.9 inhabitants per square mile (2,683.0/km²). There were 2,312 housing units at an average density of 3,529.4 per square mile (1,362.7/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 98.51% White, 0.44% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.07% from other races, and 0.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.57% of the population.

There were 2,041 households, out of which 23.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.1% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.9% were non-families. 35.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the borough the population was spread out, with 21.4% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 23.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.8 males. The borough was founded in 1831.

The median income for a household in the borough was $28,373, and the median income for a family was $36,759. Males had a median income of $32,073 versus $19,898 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $15,623. About 10.8% of families and 15.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.5% of those under age 18 and 19.9% of those age 65 or over.

Government and infrastructure

Schuylkill Federal Correctional Institute is in the Minersville area.

Miscellaneous

• Minersville celebrated its 175th anniversary in 2006. A commemoration parade was held in the borough on August 26.
• Minersville was the birthplace of pool champion Joe Balsis (1921–1995). ^[13]
• American Civil War Union general Benjamin C. Christ was a native of Minersville.
• Big Diamond Raceway is located in Minersville. It is home to seasonal weekly dirt track racing.
• The Pottsville Maroons played professional football at Minersville Park during the 1920s.
• Minersville is the setting of the 2010 film Bereavement .
• Minersville is also home to Railway Restoration Project 113, caretakers of both the Minersville Railway Station and the Central Railroad of New Jersey #113 steam locomotive. The locomotive has recently been restored to operational status and occasionally powers excursions in conjunction with the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway (a subsidiary of the Reading, Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad). ^{[14] [15]}

Gallery

• 
  Sunbury Street (PA 901) in Minersville.
• 
  Betty and Arthur DiNicola Residence.
• 
  Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church.
• 
  English Lutheran Church.
• 
  St. Nicholas School.

References

1. "Local Government". Minersville Borough. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
2. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
3. "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved Oct 12, 2022.
4. Bureau, US Census. "City and Town Population Totals: 2020—2021". Census.gov. US Census Bureau. Retrieved August 1, 2022.
5. Norwegian Township Administration, The History of Norwegian Township, 2016
6. W W Munsell, History of Schuylkill County, PA with illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of its Prominent Pioneers, New York 1881
7. Minersville Borough, Minersville Borough History web site, 2016
8. Minersville School District v. Gobitis
9. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
10. "Census of Population and Housing". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
11. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved 2008-01-31.
12. "Incorporated Places and Minor Civil Divisions Datasets: Subcounty Resident Population Estimates: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012". Population Estimates. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 11 June 2013. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
13. "Hall of Fame Inductees, 1977-84" Archived 2006-10-19 at the Wayback Machine , Billiard Congress of America, Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA; accessed February 2, 2007
14. Railway Restoration Project 113 (2016). "Railway Restoration Project 113".
15. "Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway". Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway. Retrieved 2019-02-19.

External links

• Minersville news
• A tribute to the anthracite miner