Youngstown is a borough in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania,
United States. One of the oldest boroughs in Unity Township, Youngstown was incorporated on 2 April
1831. The population was 400 at the 2000 census.
History
The opening of the Pennsylvania Government Land Office in the area in 1769, and the contract of the Pennsylvania Proprietaries
with the Indians opened up the Loyalhannah Valley for settlement for pioneers, many of whom were of German and Scotch-Irish
descent. Christopher Saxman in 1764, and Frederick Pershing in 1769 were the first recorded settlers in the area of present-day
Youngstown. As a community and village grew, it was often called Martinsburg, after Martin West, another nearby land owner.
Located along the Forbes road, a military road built under the command of Brigadier General John Forbes in 1758, the town became an important rest stop along the east-west
route that eventually stretched from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh. In 1794, Federal troops passed through and quartered at the town's Barrett Hotel on
the way to quell the Whiskey Insurrection.
Joseph Baldridge, another settler that built a mill in the area, was conveyed a deed for a 251-acre tract of land known as
"Hermitage" in 1797. Lots on the land began to be sold in 1800. Alexander Young recorded the lots sold in 1815, and after a
dispute between the names Martinsburg and Youngstown, the town received its name on April 3
1816. General Arthur St. Clair, who had retired near
Youngstown, died near his home there, “Heritage”, in 1818. The Greensburg-Stoystown Turnpike was constructed along the old Forbes
road in 1819, leading to more traffic and prosperity for the borough, which was now the largest town and served as a market
place, with taverns, blacksmiths, wagon makers, harness shops and a variety of other merchants, and a post office for the region.
The community continued to grow and on April 2, 1831, the citizens
formally formed the borough as a political government. J. G. Karns was the first Burgess of Youngstown.
The Pennsylvania Railroad introduced train service through neighboring Latrobe
in 1852, leading to a decline as merchants moved closer to the railway and the Greensburg-Stoystown Turnpike was less frequently
used. As the automobile became popular, the turnpike became the Lincoln Highway which brought traffic through Youngstown. U.S. Route
30, constructed in the 1930s, bypassed Youngstown, leading it to become a quiet residential community. The Kingston House,
a center for trade and commerce and hotel dating from 1800, was listed in the National Register of Historical Places on
June 30 1983.
Geography
Youngstown is located at 40°16′51″N, 79°21′56″W (40.280956,
-79.365529)1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total
area of 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²), all land.
Adjacent to Youngstown lie Solomon's Temple Ridge and Sugarbush Ridge, sometimes known collectively as Youngstown Ridge.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 400 people, 177 households, and 98 families residing in the
borough. The population density was 1,544.4/km² (3,909.7/mi²). There were 189 housing
units at an average density of 729.7/km² (1,847.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the borough was 99.50% White and 0.50% Native American. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.25% of the population.
There were 177 households out of which 24.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.7% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.6% were
non-families. 37.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or
older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the borough the population was spread out with 21.5% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 26.5%
from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 85.2
males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.0 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $31,029, and the median income for a family was $34,167. Males had a
median income of $26,964 versus $22,188 for females. The per capita income for the
borough was $14,677. About 16.1% of families and 20.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.5% of those under age 18 and 25.0% of those age 65 or over.
References
- Moranelli, Mandi L. (July 27 2000). "Town Marks 200th".
Latrobe Bulletin.
External links
Coordinates:
40.280956° N 79.365529°
W
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