Harrisburg,

 

city (1990 pop. 52,376), state capital and seat of Dauphin co., SE Pa., on the Susquehanna River; settled c.1710 by John Harris, who established a trading post and operated a ferry there; inc. 1791. It is a commercial, wholesale, administrative, and transportation center. Manufactures include metal products, transportation equipment, processed foods, machinery, electrical and electronic equipment, building materials, and steel. Harrisburg became the state capital in 1812 and grew as an inland transportation center with the opening of the Pennsylvania Canal in 1827 and the arrival of the railroad in 1836.

The sprawling Italian Renaissance state capitol (completed 1906) has a 272-ft (83-m) dome modeled after St. Peter's in Rome. Other notable structures are the education building, which contains the state library; the State Museum of Pennsylvania; the National Civil War Museum; the William Penn Memorial Museum; the John Harris Mansion (1766), headquarters of the county historical society; and the Soldiers' and Sailors' Memorial Bridge. A medical center and the Pennsylvania State Univ. Center are in Harrisburg. The city has numerous parks. To the south is the large Three Mile Island facility, site of a nuclear accident in 1979. The New Cumberland Army Depot, the U.S. Army War College, and the U.S. Naval Supply Depot are also nearby.

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Downtown Harrisburg and the Pennsylvania State Capitol, as seen from the Susquehanna River
Seal
Location in Dauphin County and state of Pennsylvania
Coordinates: 40°16′11″N 76°52′32″W / 40.26972, -76.87556
Country	United States
Commonwealth	Pennsylvania
County	Dauphin
Incorporated	1791
Charter	1860
Government
- Mayor	Stephen R. Reed (D)
Area
- City	sq mi (km²)
- Land	sq mi ( km²)
- Water	sq mi ( km²)
- Urban	sq mi ( km²)
Elevation	ft ( m)
Population (2000, CSA 2005)
- City
- Density	/sq mi (/km²)
- Urban
- Metro
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Website: http://www.harrisburgpa.gov/

Harrisburg is the capital of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a state of the United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 48,950. The Harrisburg area population was 643,820, making it the fifth most populous metropolitan area in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, and Scranton-Wilkes-Barre. Harrisburg is the county seat of Dauphin County⁶ and lies on the east bank of the Susquehanna River, 105 miles (169 km) west-northwest of Philadelphia.

Harrisburg has played a critical role in American history during the Westward Migration, the American Civil War, and the Industrial Revolution. During part of the 19th century, the building of the Pennsylvania Canal and later the Pennsylvania Railroad, allowed Harrisburg to become one of the most industrialized cities in the Northeastern United States.

Contrasted with its 1981 status as the second most distressed city in the nation,^{[citation needed]} Harrisburg has undergone a dramatic economic change, with nearly $3 billion in new investment now realized.^[1] The U.S. Navy ship USS Harrisburg, which served from 1918-19 at the end of World War I, is named in honor of the city.

The Pennsylvania Farm Show, the largest indoor agriculture exposition in the United States, was first held in Harrisburg in 1917 and has been held there every January since then. Harrisburg also hosts the annual "Auto Show," a large static display of new as well as classic cars, which is renowned nation-wide. Harrisburg is also known for the infamous Three Mile Island incident, which occurred in nearby Middletown.

History

Main article: History of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

The site along the Susquehanna River where Harrisburg is located is thought to have been inhabited by Native Americans as early as 3000 BC. Known to the Native Americans as "Peixtin," or "Paxtang," the area was an important resting place and crossroads for Native American traders, as the trails leading from the Delaware to the Ohio rivers, and from the Potomac to the Upper Susquehanna intersected there. The first European contact with Native Americans in Pennsylvania was made by the Englishman, Captain John Smith, who journeyed from Virginia up the Susquehanna River in 1608 and visited with the Susquehanna tribe. In 1719, John Harris, Sr., an English trader, settled here and 14 years later secured grants of 800 acres (3.2 km²) in this vicinity. In 1785, John Harris, Jr. made plans to lay out a town on his father's land, which he named Harrisburg. In the spring of 1785, the town was formally surveyed by William Maclay, who was a son-in-law of John Harris, Sr. In 1791, Harrisburg became incorporated and was named the Pennsylvania state capital in October 1812.

During the first part of the 19th century, Harrisburg was a notable stopping place along the Underground Railroad, as escaped slaves would be transported across the Susquehanna River and were often fed and given supplies before heading north towards Canada.^[2] The assembling here of the Harrisburg Convention in 1827 led to the passage of the high protective-tariff bill of 1828. In 1839, Harrison and Tyler were nominated for President of the United States at Harrisburg. By the 1830s Harrisburg was part of the Pennsylvania canal system and an important railroad center as well. Steel and iron became dominant industries. Steel and other industries continued to play a major role in the local economy throughout the latter part of the nineteenth century. The city was the center of enormous railroad traffic and supported large furnaces, rolling mills, and machine shops. The Pennsylvania Steel Company plant, which opened in nearby Steelton in 1866, was the first in the country; later operated by Bethlehem Steel.^[3]

During the American Civil War, Harrisburg was a significant training center for the Union Army, with tens of thousands of troops passing through Camp Curtin. It was also a major rail center for the Union and a vital link between the Atlantic coast and the Midwest, with several railroads running through the city and spanning the Susquehanna River. As a result of this importance, it was a target of General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia during its two invasions. The first time during the 1862 Maryland Campaign, when Lee planned to capture the city after taking Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, but was prevented from doing so by the Battle of Antietam and his subsequent retreat back into Virginia. The second attempt was made during the Gettysburg Campaign in 1863 and was more substantial. A short skirmish took place in June 1863 at Sporting Hill, just 2 miles west of Harrisburg. This is considered by many to be the northern-most battle of the Civil War.

See also: Skirmish of Sporting Hill

Many important events have helped to shape Harrisburg over the years. The Pennsylvania Farm Show, a the largest indoor agriculture exposition in the United States, was first held in 1917 and has been held every January since then. The present location of the Show is the Pennsylvania State Farm Show Arena, located at the corner of Maclay and Cameron streets. In June 1972, Harrisburg was hit by a major flood from the remnants of hurricane Agnes. On March 28, 1979, the Three Mile Island nuclear plant, along the Susquehanna River located south of Harrisburg, suffered a partial meltdown. Although the meltdown was contained and radiation leakages were minimal, there were still worries that an evacuation would be necessary. Governor Richard Thornburgh did recommend an evacuation of pregnant women and preschool children who lived within a five mile radius of TMI. Although there were about 5,000 people covered by this recommendation, over 140,000 people fled the area.

See also: Three Mile Island accident

After Harrisburg suffered years of being in bad shape economically, Stephen R. Reed was elected mayor in 1981 and has been re-elected ever since, making him the longest serving mayor of Harrisburg. He immediately started projects which would attract both businesses and tourists. Several museums and hotels such as Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts, the National Civil War Museum and the Hilton Harrisburg and Towers were built during his term, along with many office buildings and residences. Several semi-professional sports franchises, including the Harrisburg Senators of the Eastern League, the defunct Harrisburg Heat indoor soccer club and the Harrisburg City Islanders of the USL Second Division began operations in the city during his tenure as mayor. While praised for the vast number of economic improvements, Reed has also been criticized for population loss and mounting debt. For example, during a budget crisis the city was forced to sell $8 million worth of Western and American-Indian artifacts collected by Mayor Reed for a never-realized museum celebrating the American West.^[4]

Geography and Climate

Harrisburg is located at 40°16′11″N, 76°52′32″W (40.269789, -76.875613).¹

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 29.6 km² (11.4 mi²). 21.0 km² (8.1 mi²) of it is land and 8.6 km² (3.3 mi²) of it (29.11%) is water.

Harrisburg is located in the Susquehanna Valley, a rich and fertile agricultural region in South Central Pennsylvania. The region is also situated at the extreme western fringe of the BosWash megalopolis, the name for a group of metropolitan areas in the northeastern United States. Directly to the north of Harrisburg lies the Blue Ridge chain of the Appalachian Mountains. The Cumberland Valley lies directly to the west of Harrisburg and the Susquehanna River, stretching into northern Maryland.

Harrisburg's western boundary is formed by the Susquehanna River, which also serves as the boundary between Dauphin and Cumberland counties. The city is divided into numerous neighborhoods and districts. Like many of Pennsylvania's cities and boroughs that are at "build-out" stage, there are several townships outside of Harrisburg city limits that, although autonomous, use the name Harrisburg for postal and name-place designation. They include the townships of: Lower Paxton, Middle Paxton, Susquehanna, Swatara and West Hanover in Dauphin County. The borough of Penbrook, located just east of Reservoir Park, was previously known as East Harrisburg. Penbrook, along with the borough of Paxtang, also located just outside of the city limits, maintain Harrisburg zip codes as well. The United States Postal Service designates 26 zip codes for Harrisburg, including 13 for official use by federal and state government agencies.^[5]

See also: List of Harrisburg neighborhoods

Monthly Average and Record High and Low Temperatures
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Rec High °F	73	75	86	93	97	100	107	101	102	97	84	75
Avg High °F	37.5	40.9	50.9	62.6	72.6	80.8	85.7	83.7	75.7	64.3	52.5	41.7
Avg Low °F	23.1	24.7	32.5	41.5	51.4	60.6	66	64.2	56.7	44.6	36.1	27.8
Rec Low °F	-9	-5	5	19	31	40	49	45	30	23	13	-8
Precip (in)	3.18	2.88	3.58	3.31	4.6	3.99	3.21	3.24	3.65	3.06	3.53	3.22
Source: USTravelWeather.com [1]

People and culture in Harrisburg

Culture

Downtown Harrisburg has two major performance centers. The Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts, which was completed in 1999, is the first center of its type in the United States where education, science and the performing arts take place under one roof. The Forum, a 1,763-seat concert and lecture hall built in 1930-31, is a state-owned and operated facility located within the State Capitol Complex. Since 1931, The Forum has been home to the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra.

Beginning in 2001, downtown Harrisburg saw a surge of commercial nightlife development. This has been credited with reversing the city's financial decline, and has made downtown Harrisburg a destination for events from jazz festivals to Top-40 nightclubs.

Harrisburg is also the home of the annual Pennsylvania Farm Show, the largest agricultural exhibition of its kind in the nation. In 2004, Harrisburg hosted CowParade, an international public art exhibit that has been featured in major cities all over the world. Fiberglass sculptures of cows are decorated by local artists, and distributed over the city centre, in public places such as train stations and parks. They often feature artwork and designs specific to local culture, as well as city life and other relevant themes.

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1790			—
1800			68.2%
1810			55.4%
1820			30.7%
1830			44.2%
1840			38.7%
1850			31.0%
1860			71.1%
1870			72.4%
1880			33.1%
1890			28.0%
1900			27.4%
1910			27.9%
1920			18.3%
1930			5.8%
1940			4.4%
1950			6.7%
1960			-11.0%
1970			-14.6%
1980			-21.7%
1990			-1.7%
2000			-6.5%

As of the census of 2005, there were an estimated 47,472 people living in Harrisburg. In the census² of 2000, there were 48,950 people, 20,561 households, and 10,917 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,330.4/km² (6,035.6/mi²). There were 24,314 housing units at an average density of 1,157.5/km² (2,997.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 31.72% White, 54.83% Black or African American, 0.37% Native American, 2.83% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 6.54% from other races, and 3.64% from two or more races. 11.69% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Harrisburg is the 6th most populous city in the eastern U.S. and 47th in the nation of Vietnamese population with 2,649 residents.^[6]

There were 20,561 households out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 23.4% were married couples living together, 24.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.9% were non-families. 39.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the city the population was spread out with 28.2% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 88.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,920, and the median income for a family was $29,556. Males had a median income of $27,670 versus $24,405 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,787. About 23.4% of families and 24.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.9% of those under age 18 and 16.6% of those age 65 or over.

The very first census taken in the United States occurred in 1790. At that time Harrisburg was a small, but substantial colonial town with a population of 875 residents.^[7] With the increase of the cities prominence as an industrial and transportation center, Harrisburg reached its peak population build up in 1950, topping out at nearly 90,000 residents. Since the 1950s, Harrisburg, along with other northeastern urban centers large and small, has experienced a declining population that is ultimately fueling the growth of its suburbs.^[8] Unlike Western and Southern states, Pennsylvania maintains a complex system of municipalities and has very little legislation on either the annexation/expansion of cities or the consolidating of municipal entities.

Media

The Harrisburg area has two daily newspapers. The Patriot-News is published in Harrisburg and has a daily circulation of over 100,000. The Sentinel, which is published in Carlisle, roughly 20 miles west of Harrisburg, serves many of Harrisburg's western suburbs in Cumberland County. The Press and Journal, published in Middletown, is one of many weekly, general information newspapers in the Harrisburg area. There are also numerous television and radio stations in the Harrisburg/Lancaster/York area, which makes up the 41st largest media market in the nation.

Newspapers

• Central Penn Business Journal
• Carlisle Sentinel, The
• The Patriot-News
• Press and Journal (Pennsylvania)

Television

• WGAL - (NBC)
• WLYH-TV - (The CW)
• WHBG - cable-only, public access
• WHP-TV - (CBS)
• WHTM-TV - (ABC)
• W35BT - (CTVN)
• WITF-TV - (PBS)
• WPMT - (FOX)
• WGCB-TV - independent, religious

Radio

According to Arbitron, Harrisburg's radio market is ranked #79.

Radio stations in the Harrisburg-Carlisle-Lebanon, Pennsylvania market (Arbitron #78)
By FM frequency	88.1  · 89.5  · 91.1  · 91.7  · 92.1  · 92.7  · 93.5  · 94.9  · 97.3  · 98.9  · 99.3  · 100.1  · 101.3  · 102.3  · 104.1  · 105.7  · 106.7
By AM frequency	580  · 720  · 960  · 1000  · 1230  · 1400  · 1460
By callsign	WCAT  · WGTY  · WHKF  · WHP  · WHYL  · WIOO  · WITF  · WKBO  · WMHX  · WNNK  · WQIC  · WQLV  · WQXA  · WRBT  · WROZ  · WJAZ  · WRVV  · WSJW  · WTCY  · WTKT  · WTPA  · W211AA  · WWIIWWKL  · WXPH
Pennsylvania Radio Markets: Allentown-Bethlehem • Altoona • Chambersburg-Waynesboro • Erie • Harrisburg-Carlisle-Lebanon • Lancaster • Philadelphia • Pittsburgh • Reading • State College • Sunbury-Selinsgrove-Lewisburg •  Wilkes Barre-Scranton • Williamsport • York Other Pennsylvania Radio Regions: Johnstown • Meadville-Franklin • Northern Pennsylvania • Stroudsburg • Warren See also: List of radio stations in Pennsylvania

This is a list of FM stations in the greater Harrisburg, Pennsylvania metropolitan area.

Callsign	MHz	Band	"Name" Format, Owner	City of license
WXPH	88.1	FM	WXPN relay, University of Pennsylvania	Harrisburg
WSYC	88.7	FM	Alternative, Shippensburg University	Shippensburg
WITF-FM	89.5	FM	NPR	Harrisburg
WVMM	90.7	FM	Indie/College Rock, Messiah College	Grantham
WJAZ	91.7	FM	WRTI relay, Classical/Jazz, Temple University	Harrisburg
WWKL	92.1	FM	"Hot 92", Rhythmic/CHR	Palmyra
WTPA	93.5	FM	Classic Rock	Mechanicsburg
WRBT	94.9	FM	"Bob" Country	Harrisburg
WLAN	96.9	FM	Top 40	Lancaster
WRVV	97.3	FM	"The River" Classic Hits and the Best of Today's Rock	Harrisburg
WYCR	98.5	FM	98.5 The Peak	York
WQLV	98.9	FM	"Love 99" Adult Contemporary	Millersburg
WHKF	99.3	FM	"Kiss-FM" CHR	Harrisburg
WROZ	101.3	FM	"The Rose" Adult Contemporary	Lancaster
WQIC	100.1	FM	Adult Contemporary	Lebanon
WARM	103.3	FM	"Warm 103" Adult Contemporary	York
WNNK	104.1	FM	"Wink 104" Hot AC	Harrisburg
WQXA	105.7	FM	"105.7 The X" Hard Rock	York
WMHX	106.7	FM	Adult Hits	Hershey

This is a list of AM stations in the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania metropolitan area:

Callsign	kHz	Band	Format	City of license
WHP (AM)	580	AM	Conservative News/Talk	Harrisburg
WWII (AM)	720	AM	Contemporary Christian	Shiremanstown
WSBA (AM)	910	AM	News/Talk	York
WADV	940	AM	Gospel	Lebanon
WHYL	960	AM	Adult Standards	Carlisle
WIOO	1000	AM	Classic Country	Carlisle
WKBO	1230	AM	Christian Contemporary	Harrisburg
WQXA	1250	AM	Country	York
WLBR	1270	AM	Talk	Lebanon
WTCY	1400	AM	Adult R&B: The Touch	Harrisburg
WTKT	1460	AM	sports: "The Ticket"	Harrisburg
WEEO (AM)	1480	AM	Oldies	Shippensburg
WLPA	1490	AM	sports	Lancaster
WWSM	1510	AM	Classic Country	Annville
WPDC	1600	AM	Spanish	Elizabethtown

Harrisburg in film

Several feature films and television series have been filmed or set in and around Harrisburg and the greater Susquehanna Valley.

See also: Harrisburg in film and television

Museums, art collections, and sites of interest

• Broad Street Market, one of the oldest continuously operating farmers markets in the country.^[9]
• Capital Area Greenbelt, a twenty mile long greenway linking city neighborhoods, parks and open spaces
• National Civil War Museum, located at Reservoir Park
• Pennsylvania National Fire Museum
• Pennsylvania State Farm Show Arena, one of the largest convention/exhibition centers on the east coast
• Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex
• Reservoir Park, the largest public park in the city
• State Museum of Pennsylvania
• Strawberry Square, across the street from the Capitol Complex, home of many state offices and a small shopping center
• Susquehanna art museum, located in downtown Harrisburg
• Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts, features an IMAX theater

Notable residents

Since the early 1700s, Harrisburg has been home to many people of note. Because it is the seat of government for the Commonwealth and lies relatively close to other urban centers, Harrisburg has played a significant role in the nation's political, cultural and industrial history. Harrisburgers have also taken a leading role in the development of Pennsylvania's history for over two centuries. Two former U.S. Secretaries of War, Simon Cameron and Alexander Ramsey and several other prominent political figures, such as former speaker of the house Newt Gingrich, hail from Harrisburg. Many notable individuals are interred at Harrisburg Cemetery and East Harrisburg Cemetery.

Further information: List of famous people from Harrisburg

Sports

Team	Sport	League	Championships	Venue
Harrisburg Senators	Baseball	Eastern League; Southern Division	6 (1987, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999)	Commerce Bank Park
Harrisburg City Islanders	Soccer	USL Second Division	1 (2007)	Skyline Sports Complex
Harrisburg AIFA team	Football	American Indoor Football Association	0	Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center
Harrisburg Horizon	Basketball	Eastern Basketball Alliance	5 (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006)	Manny Weaver Gym, Rowland Middle School

Semi-Pro

Team	Sport	League	Championships	Venue
Harrisburg RFC	Rugby union	EPRU Division III	1 (2006)	Cibort Park, in Bressler
Central Penn Piranha