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Uniontown, Pennsylvania

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Uniontown is a city in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, 50 miles (80 km) southeast of Pittsburgh and part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. Population in 1900, 7,344; in 1910, 13,344; in 1920, 15,692; and in 1940, 21,819. The population was 10,372 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat and largest city of Fayette County.Template:GR

History

Popularly known as Beesontown, "The Town of Union" was founded by Henry Beeson on July 4, 1776, only coincidentally the same date as the United States Declaration of Independence.[1] The National Road, also known as the Cumberland Road, was routed through Uniontown in the early 19th century and the town grew along with the road. Within 10 miles of Uniontown is Fort Necessity, built by George Washington during the French and Indian War.

Uniontown's role in the Underground Railroad is commemorated by a marker on the corner of East Main Street and Baker Alley.[2]

Uniontown was the site of violent clashes between striking coal miners and guards at the local coke works during the Bituminous Coal Miners' Strike of 1894. 15 guards armed with carbines and machine guns held off an attack by 1500 strikers, killing 5 and wounding 8.[3]

The Columbia Rolling Mill, an iron and steel works, was located in Uniontown from 1887 to 1895. The mill was the town's unquestioned top industry at that time. During the Coal Boom of the early part of the 20th century, Uniontown was home to at least 13 millionaires, the most (per capita) of any city in the United States. Coal Barons and the President of Universal Films (Carl Laemmle) sponsored the famous mile and a quarter Uniontown Speedway board track from 1916 to 1922. As with most of Western Pennsylvania, Uniontown's economy waned during the region's de-industrialization of the late 20th century.

Geography

Uniontown is located at 39°54'0" North, 79°43'28" West (39.900040, -79.724478).Template:GR

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.0 square miles (5.3 km²) The city is 999 feet (304 m) above mean sea level and rests at the base of Chestnut Ridge, the western-most ridge of the Appalachian mountains to the east. The National Pike or Cumberland Road crossed over the mountains and passed through the area which became the center of Uniontown. At this time, the route is now Business Route 40, as the mainline of US 40 bypasses the city center as a freeway loop, now called the George Marshall Parkway.

Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater is located less than five miles from Uniontown.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 12,422 people, 5,423 households, and 3,031 families residing in the city. The population density was 6,098.9 people per square mile (2,351.1/km²). There were 6,320 housing units at an average density of 3,103.0 per square mile (1,196.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 84.17% White, 13.57% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.28% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.55% of the population.

There were 5,423 households out of which 23.7% had children under the age of 18.2 living with them, 35.8% were married couples living together, 16.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.1% were non-families. 39.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.5% had someone living alone who was 75 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.791.

In the city the population was spread out with 20.9% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 22.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 86.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $19,477, and the median income for a family was $28,523. Males had a median income of $26,758 versus $20,110 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,720. About 16.0% of families and 16.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.1% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over.

Fayette Building

Fire services

The City of Uniontown is protected by a full-time career fire department, as well as volunteer fire fighters from three city companies.

The department operates out of two stations. Central station, located on North Beeson, houses 40 Truck 1, 40 Engine 1, 40 Engine 4 and 40 Rescue, 40 Squad, 40 Chief, 40 Assistant Chief and three medic units. The medic units housed at central station are 401, 402 and 404. The second station is the East End firehouse on Connellsville Street near Lincoln Street. The East End station houses 40 Engine 3 and 40 Truck 2. The Uniontown Fire Department also houses Medic 403 at the Hopwood Volunteer Fire Station in Hopwood, PA. Medic 403 serves North and South Union Townships and the City of Uniontown. The fire department houses a reserve engine, 40 Engine 5, at the Union Hose Company station on East Main Street in the city. Career fire fighters staff both stations.

Education

K-12

Catholic Elementary Schools


Higher Education

Services

  • Uniontown Hospital, the largest of three hospitals in the county, is the city's and Fayette County's largest employer.

Media

  • The Herald-Standard, a newspaper based in Uniontown, serves the city and much of the surrounding area.
  • Fayette TV[4] provides local programming on Atlantic Broadband Cable channel 77.
  • Two radio stations are licensed to the Uniontown area on 590 AM WMBS and 99.3 FM WPKL.

Transportation

Uniontown is an important crossroads in Fayette County. The main route around town is a stretch of freeway bypass, the George Marshall Parkway, which is composed of parts of US 40 and US 119. US 119 enters the area as a two-lane route from Morgantown, West Virginia, and provides the northern half of the bypass before becoming a 4 lane route to Connellsville. US 40 enters the region as a 2 lane route from Brownsville. It serves as the southern half of the freeway before becoming a mountainous route through rural parts of the county and enters Maryland and reaches Interstate 68. The old portions of US 40, now signed as Business 40, serve the downtown area.

PA 51, a main four-lane route to Pittsburgh, and PA 21, which connects Fayette County with Greene County and Waynesburg, both terminate in Uniontown. PA 43, part of the Mon-Fayette Expressway project to connect Pittsburgh with Morgantown, is complete around the Uniontown area.

Notable natives and residents

  • Henry Bidleman Bascom (1796-1850), religious circuit rider, U.S. Congressional Chaplain, Methodist Bishop, first President of Madison College.
  • John Dickson Carr, mystery writer, was born in Uniontown.
  • Ernie Davis, the first African American Heisman Trophy winner, lived in Uniontown for most of his early life.
  • Tory Epps, former NFL defensive lineman for the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints, was born and raised in Uniontown.
  • Ronne Froman (RADM, USN, Ret.) was born in Uniontown.
  • William James (American football), current NFL cornerback for the Detroit Lions, was born and raised in Uniontown.
  • Frederick Kail, noted sports sculptor who created two heroic-size statues of Hall of Fame quarterback Johnny Unitas (Baltimore Colts), was born in Uniontown.
  • General George Marshall, an American military leader, Secretary of State, and the third Secretary of Defense, was born in Uniontown.
  • Terry Mulholland, former Major League Baseball Player, was born and raised in Uniontown.
  • Chuck Muncie, former NFL star running back for the New Orleans Saints and San Diego Chargers, is originally from Uniontown.
  • Sandy Stephens, the first African American quarterback for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers, was born in Uniontown.

References

  1. ^ http://www.fayettechamber.com/cwt/external/wcpages/visitor/
  2. ^ http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=1115
  3. ^ G. E. Plumbe, The Great Coal Strike, The Daily News Almanac and Political Register for 1895, Chicago Daily News, 1895; pages 77-78.
  4. ^ http://www.fayettecountytv.org/
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