Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Bloomsburg is a town in Columbia County
Columbia County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 64,151 people, 24,915 households, and 16,568 families residing in the county. The population density was 132 people per square mile . There were 27,733 housing units at an average density of 57 per square mile...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, 40 miles (64 km) southwest of Wilkes Barre along the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
. In 1900, the population of Bloomsburg stood at 6,170; in 1910, 7,413; in 1940, 9,799, and in 1990, 12,439. The population was 14,855 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Columbia County
Columbia County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 64,151 people, 24,915 households, and 16,568 families residing in the county. The population density was 132 people per square mile . There were 27,733 housing units at an average density of 57 per square mile...
and the only incorporated town in Pennsylvania.
Bloomsburg is one of two principal communities of the Bloomsburg–Berwick
Berwick, Pennsylvania
Berwick is a borough in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, 22.6 miles southwest of Wilkes Barre. Berwick is one of two principal cities of the Bloomsburg–Berwick Micropolitan Statistical Area, a micropolitan area that covers Columbia and Montour counties and had a combined population of 82,387...
Micropolitan Statistical Area
Bloomsburg-Berwick micropolitan area
The Bloomsburg–Berwick Micropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of two counties in Pennsylvania, anchored by the town of Bloomsburg and the borough of Berwick...
, a micropolitan area
United States micropolitan area
United States Micropolitan Statistical Areas , as defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget, are urban areas in the United States based around a core city or town with a population of 10,000 to 49,999. The micropolitan area designation was created in 2003...
that covers Columbia and Montour
Montour County, Pennsylvania
Montour County is located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. In 2010, the county's population was 18,267. Its county seat is Danville. It is named for Andrew Montour, a prominent métis interpreter who served with George Washington during the French and Indian War. The county is part of the...
counties and had a combined population of 82,387 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
.
History
For more than a century, starting from its incorporation on March 4, 1870, Bloomsburg held the distinction of being the only incorporated town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. While other municipalities are often commonly referred to as towns, they were all officially classified as either cities, boroughs
Borough (Pennsylvania)
In the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a borough is a self-governing municipal entity that is usually smaller than a city. There are 958 boroughs in Pennsylvania. All municipalities in Pennsylvania are classified as either cities, boroughs, or townships...
, or townships
Township (Pennsylvania)
A township in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a state of the United States of America, is one of four types of municipalities in the state . Townships were established based on convenient geographical boundaries and vary in size from six to forty square miles...
. Bloomsburg still uses the slogan of "The only incorporated TOWN in Pennsylvania," and state government publications continue to describe Bloomsburg as "the only incorporated town" in Pennsylvania. However, in 1975, McCandless Township
McCandless, Pennsylvania
McCandless is a municipality in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 28,457 at the 2010 census. It was originally incorporated as a township; however, on January 1, 1975, McCandless Township adopted a new charter designating it a Home Rule Charter Municipality with the...
, in Allegheny County
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Allegheny County is a county in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,223,348; making it the second most populous county in Pennsylvania, following Philadelphia County. The county seat is Pittsburgh...
adopted a home rule charter
Home Rule Municipality (Pennsylvania)
A Home Rule Municipality in Pennsylvania is one incorporated under its own unique charter, created pursuant to the state's Home Rule and Optional Plans Law and approved by referendum. "Local governments without home rule can only act where specifically authorized by state law; home rule...
under the name "Town of McCandless".
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 4.6 square miles (11.9 km²), of which, 4.4 square miles (11.4 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) of it (4.98%) is water.
Neighboring Municipalities
- Mount Pleasant TownshipMount Pleasant Township, Columbia County, PennsylvaniaMount Pleasant Township is a township in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 1,459.-Geography:...
- Scott TownshipScott Township, Columbia County, PennsylvaniaScott Township is a township in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,768 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 7.4 square miles , of which, 7.1 square miles of it is land and...
- Catawissa Township (separated by the North Branch of the Susquehanna RiverSusquehanna RiverThe Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
) - Montour Township
- Hemlock Township
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 12,375 people, 4,080 households, and 1,791 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,818.1 people per square mile (1,088.4/km²). There were 4,399 housing units at an average density of 1,001.8 per square mile (386.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.42% White, 2.60% African American, 0.20% Native American, 1.11% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.72% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.74% of the population.
There were 4,080 households out of which 19.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.2% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 56.1% were non-families. 35.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.83.
In the town the population was spread out with 12.3% under the age of 18, 45.5% from 18 to 24, 18.6% from 25 to 44, 12.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females there were 77.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $24,868, and the median income for a family was $39,806. Males had a median income of $29,940 versus $19,961 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $12,819. About 10.5% of families and 31.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.8% of those under age 18 and 15.2% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Education
Bloomsburg is served by the Bloomsburg Area School DistrictBloomsburg Area School District
The Bloomsburg Area School District is one of the 500 school districts of Pennsylvania. The district covers the Town of Bloomsburg and Beaver Township, Hemlock Township, Main Township and Montour Township in Columbia County, Pennsylvania. The district encompasses approximately 81 square miles...
, which has about 1,800 students enrolled from the town itself, western, and south-eastern suburbs.
Columbia-Montour Area Vocational-Technical School
Columbia-Montour Area Vocational-Technical School
Columbia-Montour Area Vocational-Technical School is located in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, USA. It is a full-time area vocational-technical school that serves the youth of Columbia and Montour counties in Pennsylvania. CMAVTS offers 17 training areas to secondary students in grades 9 through 12...
in Bloomsburg has numerous secondary education trade programs.
The Central Columbia School District
Central Columbia School District
The Central Columbia School District is a small, rural, public school district that covers the Borough of Orangeville and Mifflin Township, Mount Pleasant Township, North Centre Township, Orange Township, Scott Township and South Centre Township in Columbia County, Pennsylvania. According to 2000...
, which feeds Central Columbia High School, has approximately 2,100 students and encompasses the eastern and northern suburbs of Bloomsburg.
Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, commonly referred to as Bloomsburg, BU or Bloom, is a public university in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, United States...
, one of the 14 institutions in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education
Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education
The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and a large public university system in the United States. It is the tenth-largest university system in the United States and 43rd largest in the world...
, had a 2009 enrollment of 8,877 full-time undergraduate and 846 graduate students.
There are additionally several private religious and non-denominational schools in and of the immediate vicinity of Bloomsburg.
Recreation
The one park in Bloomsburg is the 43 acres (174,015 m²) Town Park, established in 1927. The Norris E. Rock Memorial Swimming Pool and the Bloomsburg Skate Park immediately adjoin the park. The town has also purchased the former Streater Farm at the confluence of Fishing Creek and the Susquehanna River, with plans to convert it into athletic fields.Notable businesses
Notable businesses located in the Bloomsburg zip code include Mariano Construction Inc, R.R. Donnelly & Sons, Kawneer Inc (division of Alcoa), Del Monte Foods, Milco Industries, Bloomsburg Carpet, Windsor Foods, Rieter Automotive Systems (formerly Magee Carpet Company), MoonLite TelescopeTelescope
A telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...
Accessories and Anodizing, Dyco, and Bloomsburg Mills.
On April 7, 2009, 120-year-old company Bloomsburg Mills, Inc. announced they would go out of business on May 31, closing both a local plant here and a dye plant in Monroe, North Carolina. The closure affects over 200 employees in both locations.
Culture
Bloomsburg is home to the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble. The Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble was founded in 1978 to establish a resident professional ensemble for the production of quality entertainment and educational programs for the region, and to promote the arts.The city also has a public library, Bloomsburg Public Library, founded in 1899 and funded jointly by the taxpayers of Bloomsburg, Scott Township and Hemlock Township.
Bloomsburg is also home to the Bloomsburg Fair
Bloomsburg Fair
The Bloomsburg Fair has been held in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania since 1855 and continues to this day.-History:It was originally held as an agricultural exhibition located on the lower end of Second Street, which is now Main Street. Since then it has grown to be the largest fair in the Commonwealth of...
(the largest fair in the state of Pennsylvania) which, since 1855, is a traditional farm fair.
The David Stroup Fountain, erected in 1892, is a fountain located at Bloomsburg's Market Square. David Stroup was a local candy shop owner who left money in his will to the town's water works. The current fountain is a restored version of the original, which was dismantled in 1966 due to its deterioration but was put back together in 1982 by 2 local residents. The original crane sculpture, which was at the top of the fountain, was lost in storage until 2005, when it was cleaned, repaired and replaced on the fountain.
Local media
Bloomsburg is home to one daily newspaper, the Press EnterprisePress Enterprise (Pennsylvania)
The Press Enterprise is a daily newspaper published in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, USA. It is owned by the parent company Press Enterprise Inc. and run by the Eyerly family. The newspaper serves a wide area including Columbia County, Montour County and Luzerne County. This includes the...
. Bloomsburg has one online news site BloomUtoday.com covering Bloomsburg University News & Entertainment as well as local news. Several radio stations also serve the area, including WHLM
WHLM (AM)
WHLM is a radio station broadcasting an oldies format. Licensed to Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, USA, the station is currently owned by Columbia Broadcasting Company but still features national news from CBS Radio Network. The station plays the hits of 1964 to 1973 with an occasional late 70's and...
(formerly WCNR-AM), WHLM-FM
WHLM-FM
WHLM-FM is a radio station broadcasting a classic rock music format. Licensed to Berwick, Pennsylvania, USA, the station is currently owned by Columbia FM, Inc....
(formerly WKAB), and WFYY-FM (formerly WHLM-FM). The town is primarily served by Service Electric Cablevision
Service Electric
Service Electric Cable TV, Inc. is a cable television company serving eastern Pennsylvania and western New Jersey. Through three affiliates, the company operates systems in the Lehigh Valley and Wilkes-Barre , Kutztown, Hazleton, Sunbury, Mahanoy City and Bloomsburg , and Sparta, New Jersey...
cable TV and receives both the Wilkes-Barre
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Wilkes-Barre is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the county seat of Luzerne County. It is at the center of the Wyoming Valley area and is one of the principal cities in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area, which had a population of 563,631 as of the 2010 Census...
/Scranton
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
market television stations and Philadelphia stations.
Road
The main highways in Bloomsburg are U.S. Route 11U.S. Route 11
U.S. Route 11 is a north–south United States highway extending 1,645 miles across the eastern United States. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 90 in the Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge in eastern New Orleans, Louisiana. The northern terminus is at the United...
, Pennsylvania Route 42
Pennsylvania Route 42
Pennsylvania Route 42 is a long state route located in central Pennsylvania. The southern terminus of the route is at Pennsylvania Route 61 in Centralia. The northern terminus is at U.S. Route 220 in Laporte. In Beech Glen, Sullivan County, it concurs with U.S. 220, loops through Eagles Mere and...
(serves the Bloomsburg Fair
Bloomsburg Fair
The Bloomsburg Fair has been held in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania since 1855 and continues to this day.-History:It was originally held as an agricultural exhibition located on the lower end of Second Street, which is now Main Street. Since then it has grown to be the largest fair in the Commonwealth of...
grounds) and Pennsylvania Route 487
Pennsylvania Route 487
Pennsylvania Route 487 is a long, north–south state highway running from PA 61 in Shamokin Township, Northumberland County to PA 87 in Dushore, Sullivan County. In Bloomsburg, PA 487 and US 11 share a brief wrong-way concurrency...
. Also, Interstate 80
Interstate 80 in Pennsylvania
The transcontinental Interstate 80 is designated across northern Pennsylvania as the Keystone Shortway, officially the Z.H. Confair Memorial Highway. This route was built mainly along a completely new alignment, not paralleling any earlier U.S. Routes, as a shortcut to the tolled Pennsylvania...
has interchanges north of the town.
Utilities
- Electricity - PPLPPL (utility)PPL, formerly known as PP&L or Pennsylvania Power and Light, is an energy company headquartered in Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA. It currently controls about 19,000 megawatts of electrical generating capacity in the United States, primarily in Pennsylvania and Montana, and delivers electricity to...
Electric Utilities - Natural Gas - UGIUGI CorporationUGI Corporation is a public utility holding company with a variety of assets based in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.-History:UGI was incorporated in 1882 as United Gas Improvement Co. It encouraged the formation of United Electric Company of New Jersey in 1899...
Penn Natural Gas, Inc. - Cable Television - Service Electric Cable and CATV Service.
- Water - United WaterUnited WaterUnited Water Resources, founded as Hackensack Water Company in 1869, has grown into one of the United States's largest water services companies. It is headquartered in Harrington Park, New Jersey. The company owns and operates water and wastewater utilities and also has contracts to operate...
PA