Carbondale

City of Carbondale
Settlement
Carbondale, as depicted on an 1890 panoramic map
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Lackawanna
Elevation	1,076 ft (328 m)
Coordinates	41°34′19″N 75°30′03″W / 41.57194°N 75.50083°W / 41.57194; -75.50083
Area	3.2 sq mi (8.3 km2)
- land	3.2 sq mi (8 km2)
- water	0.0 sq mi (0 km2), 0%
Population	9,804 (2000)
Density	3,027.5 /sq mi (1,168.9 /km2)
Established	1824
Timezone	EST (UTC-5)
- summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Area code	570
Location of Carbondale in Pennsylvania
Location of Pennsylvania in the United States

Carbondale is a city in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, United States. Carbondale is located approximately 15 miles due NE of the city of Scranton in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The population was 9,804 at the 2000 census.

The land area that became Carbondale was developed by William and Maurice Wurts, the founders of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, during the rise of the anthracite coal mining industry in the early 1800s. Carbondale was the site of the first underground mine in the United States. It was also a major terminal of the Delaware and Hudson Railroad.

Like many other cities and towns in the region, Carbondale has struggled with the demise of the once-prominent coal mining industry that propelled the region into a haven for Eastern European immigrants seeking work during the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Geography

Carbondale is located at 41°34′19″N 75°30′3″W / 41.57194°N 75.50083°W / 41.57194; -75.50083 (41.572082, -75.500820)^[1].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.2 square miles (8.4 km²), all of it land.

Schools

Carbondale and the surrounding areas are home to many schools, including:

• Carbondale Area Elementary, Carbondale
• Carbondale Area High, Carbondale
• Fell Charter Elementary, Simpson
• Sacred Heart Elementary, Carbondale
• St. Rose Academy Jr/Sr High, Childs

There have been school closings and consolidations to accommodate the declining number of children; the Fell Elementary in Simpson was closed in 2001 which resulted in the formation of the Fell Charter Elementary by parents who did not wish to send their children to Carbondale Area. The school originally housed grades K-12, but a lawsuit with Carbondale Area resulted in the closure of grades 9-12 due to financial shortfalls. Fell Charter currently enrolls 187 students in grades K-8. In 2004, Sacred Heart High School closed due to fallen enrollment. During the last year of operation, Sacred Heart Jr/Sr High enrolled 96 students. The following year, faculty and parents of Sacred Heart Jr/Sr High School formed St. Rose Academy Jr/Sr High School for those who did not wish to attend Holy Cross High School in Dunmore, then Bishop O'Hara. As of the 2008-09 school year, St. Rose Academy enrolls 76 students in grades 7-12.

Demographics

As of the census^[2] of 2000, there were 9,804 people, 4,084 households, and 2,564 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,027.5 people per square mile (1,168.3/km²). There were 4,527 housing units at an average density of 1,398.0/sq mi (539.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.55% White, 0.23% African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.25% from other races, and 0.52% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.24% of the population.

There were 4,084 households out of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.4% were married couples living together, 15.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.2% were non-families. 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.1% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 22.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 83.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,574, and the median income for a family was $35,351. Males had a median income of $30,362 versus $21,922 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,914. About 9.2% of families and 14.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.6% of those under age 18 and 11.0% of those age 65 or over.

Recent history

Over the past few decades, Carbondale has seen its population plummet, due to several factors including urban sprawl with the advent of newer housing developments in neighboring Greenfield Township and Archbald.^{[citation needed]}

Transportation

Highway

U.S. Route 6 runs down Main Street, Carbondale, as the main highway through the city. Recently-completed after years of highly-visible construction, the four-lane Robert P. Casey Memorial Highway U.S. Route 6 runs from Interstate 81 near Scranton north past Carbondale with interchanges outside, but close to, the city limits.

Rail

As the city responsible for the importation of America's first steam locomotive, the Stourbridge Lion in 1829, Carbondale was once a main terminus of the Delaware and Hudson Railway. It was also served by the Erie Railroad and the New York, Ontario and Western Railway.

Today Carbondale is served by the Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Rail Authority and its designated-operator Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad on a single remaining D&H mainline track running to Scranton.

Notable natives

• Terence V. Powderly, a well-known national figure as leader of the Knights of Labor from 1879–1893. Twice elected Mayor of Scranton, PA.

• William J. Goebel, Democratic politician and 34th Governor of Kentucky serving for 3 days in 1900 before his death. He was the only sitting Governor to have been assassinated.

• Andy Seigle, Professional basketball player for the Philippine Basketball Association, is a Carbondale native and the all time leading scorer at Carbondale Area High School. He played for the University of New Orleans.

• Danny Seigle, Professional basketball player for the San Miguel Beermen of the Philippine Basketball Association. A standout at Wagner College, Danny led the Carbondale Area High School Chargers to 108-5 record in 4 years and a Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class AA Championship in 1993. Born in Scranton, Danny is a native of Carbondale.

Carbondale in popular culture

• Carbondale holds an annual festival every summer called Pioneer Days, in honor of Carbondale's nickname, "The Pioneer City". The festival features local bands, arts and crafts, carnival games, festival food, and a huge fireworks display.
• Carbondale was mentioned in "The Injury", an episode of NBC's television series The Office. "I got your pudding cups at a gas station in Carbondale", says the character Ryan Howard (played by actor B.J. Novak). It was also mentioned in the episode "Niagara, Part 2", when Dwight Schrute, played by Rainn Wilson, mentions that Pam's best friend Isabel makes love like "a dental hygienist from Carbondale."
• Carbondale was the basis for a fictional mining town called Carbon Creek in episode 027 of the science-fiction series Star Trek: Enterprise. The episode featured three Vulcans who crash-landed in "Carbon Creek" in 1957.^{[citation needed]}

The November 1974 UFO crash ?? that authorities later determined to be a prank by kids who threw a lantern in a pond?

References

1. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
2. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 

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