Forest City, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Forest City is a borough in Susquehanna County
, Pennsylvania
. Forest City is situated at the corner of Susquehanna County
, Lackawanna County
and Wayne County, Pennsylvania
and is designated by a marker which is located in the Forest City Industrial Park.
Forest City is 4 avenues by 10 blocks as the 'main city' with a small surrounding suburb housing 1,855 in the 2000 census, with 87% of the population living 'in town'.
At its height in the early twentieth century, between the timber
, silk
, lumber
and coal
industries, the population was close to 6,000- a booming town with a busy Main Street.
Between 1866 and 1871, the Jefferson Branch, a railroad spur of the D & H Canal Company., was built in Forest Mills. It ran between Susquehanna Depot
and Carbondale
, transporting the harvested lumber
. Lumbering was the only industry of this area, with the exception of a small mining operation run by William Pentecost, which supplied only sufficient coal
to neighboring farmers for winter fuel.
In 1871, an outcropping of coal was discovered. The Hillside Coal and Iron Company bought large tracts of land in the area, and by 1872 the first commercially profitable coal mining enterprise was established at North Railroad Street. A small breaker erected on Railroad Street processed the 75 ton daily output from this operation until 1883.
In 1886, another shaft, Shaft No. 2, was opened. This brought an influx of miners, mostly Welsh, into the area. There were now 300 men and boys employed in the production of coal.
Coal mining continued until The Great Depression
hit this town hard, as primary sector of the economy products as lumber and coal were hardest hit. The population slowly dwindled as the coal mining came to a halt. Today, "The Coalminer's Inn" on Main Street, and Red Cross Pharmacy's anthracite souvenirs serve as a reminder of this once flourishing coal town.
There are important agricultural interests in the region. At the onset of the twentieth century, coal-mining and silk manufacturing were the chief industries, but they have declined to the vanishing point.
In 1879, the local post office adopted the name "Pentecost" which it later changed to "Forest City" in 1886. Forest City was incorporated in 1888.
.
Forest City is located at 41°39′3"N 75°28′5"W (41.650907, -75.468180).
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the borough has a total area of 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²), of which, 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (3.23%) is water.
Forest City's motto is "one mile of hospitality".
of 2000, there were 1,855 people, 790 households, and 454 families residing in the borough.
The entire village is only .9034 square miles or 2.33 km².
There are 790 households out of which 24.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.5% are married couples
living together, 13.9% have a female householder with no husband present, and 42.5% are non-families. 40.0% of all households are made up of individuals and 26.6% have someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.16 and the average family size is 2.87.
The median age is 46. For every 100 females there are 81.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 75.7 males.
The median income for a household in the borough is $26,766, and the median income for a family is $35,625. The per capita income
for the borough is $15,774. About 7.2% of families and 13.4% of the population live below the poverty line, including 25.9% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over.
Up until recent years, Forest City's overwhelmingly Roman Catholic population boasted five churches: St. Anthony, St. Michael, St. Agnes, St. Joseph, and Sacred Heart. Each of these churches were ethnic, St. Agnes being Irish
, St. Anthony's was Lithuania
n; St. Michael's was Slovakia
n; St. Joseph's was Slovenia
n; and Sacred Heart was Polish
. As of 2010, only St. Joseph remains open-all except Sacred Heart were closed.
Forest City is also home to an Episcopal, Methodist, Byzantine Catholic Church and a non-denominational church.
Forest City's Main Street features a number of businesses including a supermarket, two banks, a pharmacy, three insurance agencies, a Chinese takeout restaurant, bars and a convenience store.
Forest City is home to Pennsylvanias oldest family owned Chevrolet dealership, Allan Hornbeck Chevrolet.
Forest City has its own police force, which serves some surrounding municipalities on a contractual basis.
Forest City has two parks: Kennedy
Park and Babe Ruth
Park. Kennedy Park, located on Pennsylvania Route 247
five blocks from Main Street which has a lake, baseball fields, tennis and basketball courts, frisbee golf course, playground and nature trail. Babe Ruth Park is located on Railroad Street and features a playground, playing field and basketball court.
Forest City holds an annual festival every year called "Old Home Week
". The week-long festival features local bands, arts and crafts, carnival games, festival food, and a fireworks display. The event also includes two parades, various contests for children, and a pierogi
eating contest.
Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 42,238 people, 16,529 households, and 11,785 families residing in the county. The population density was 51 people per square mile . There were 21,829 housing units at an average density of 26 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...
. Forest City is situated at the corner of Susquehanna County
Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 42,238 people, 16,529 households, and 11,785 families residing in the county. The population density was 51 people per square mile . There were 21,829 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile...
, Lackawanna County
Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 213,295 people, 86,218 households, and 55,783 families residing in the county. The population density was 465 people per square mile . There were 95,362 housing units at an average density of 208 per square mile...
and Wayne County, Pennsylvania
Wayne County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 47,722 people, 18,350 households, and 12,936 families residing in the county. The population density was 65 people per square mile . There were 30,593 housing units at an average density of 42 per square mile...
and is designated by a marker which is located in the Forest City Industrial Park.
Forest City is 4 avenues by 10 blocks as the 'main city' with a small surrounding suburb housing 1,855 in the 2000 census, with 87% of the population living 'in town'.
At its height in the early twentieth century, between the timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
, silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
, lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
and coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
industries, the population was close to 6,000- a booming town with a busy Main Street.
History
The land that would become Forest City was settled in 1864 by William Pentecost and family and chosen for its dense forest, of which only a small portion of the original forest still remains today in the Industrial Park (where mine #1 was once located) and at the beginning of Delaware Street. Originally called "Forest Mills", it was settled by lumbermen and their families.Between 1866 and 1871, the Jefferson Branch, a railroad spur of the D & H Canal Company., was built in Forest Mills. It ran between Susquehanna Depot
Susquehanna Depot, Pennsylvania
Susquehanna Depot, often referred to simply as Susquehanna, is a borough in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, located on the Susquehanna River southeast of Binghamton, New York. In the past, railroad locomotives and railroad cars were made here. It is also known for its Pennsylvania Bluestone...
and Carbondale
Carbondale, Pennsylvania
Carbondale is a city in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, United States. Carbondale is located approximately 15 miles due northeast of the city of Scranton in Northeastern Pennsylvania...
, transporting the harvested lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
. Lumbering was the only industry of this area, with the exception of a small mining operation run by William Pentecost, which supplied only sufficient coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
to neighboring farmers for winter fuel.
In 1871, an outcropping of coal was discovered. The Hillside Coal and Iron Company bought large tracts of land in the area, and by 1872 the first commercially profitable coal mining enterprise was established at North Railroad Street. A small breaker erected on Railroad Street processed the 75 ton daily output from this operation until 1883.
In 1886, another shaft, Shaft No. 2, was opened. This brought an influx of miners, mostly Welsh, into the area. There were now 300 men and boys employed in the production of coal.
Coal mining continued until The Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
hit this town hard, as primary sector of the economy products as lumber and coal were hardest hit. The population slowly dwindled as the coal mining came to a halt. Today, "The Coalminer's Inn" on Main Street, and Red Cross Pharmacy's anthracite souvenirs serve as a reminder of this once flourishing coal town.
There are important agricultural interests in the region. At the onset of the twentieth century, coal-mining and silk manufacturing were the chief industries, but they have declined to the vanishing point.
In 1879, the local post office adopted the name "Pentecost" which it later changed to "Forest City" in 1886. Forest City was incorporated in 1888.
Geography
Forest City is 23 miles (37 km) north by east of ScrantonScranton, 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...
.
Forest City is located at 41°39′3"N 75°28′5"W (41.650907, -75.468180).
According to the United States Census Bureau
United 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 borough has a total area of 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²), of which, 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (3.23%) is water.
Forest City's motto is "one mile of hospitality".
Demographics
In 1900, the population was 4,279, and in 1910, 5,749. 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 1,855 people, 790 households, and 454 families residing in the borough.
The entire village is only .9034 square miles or 2.33 km².
There are 790 households out of which 24.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.5% are 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, 13.9% have a female householder with no husband present, and 42.5% are non-families. 40.0% of all households are made up of individuals and 26.6% have someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.16 and the average family size is 2.87.
The median age is 46. For every 100 females there are 81.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 75.7 males.
The median income for a household in the borough is $26,766, and the median income for a family is $35,625. 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 borough is $15,774. About 7.2% of families and 13.4% of the population live below the poverty line, including 25.9% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over.
Churches
At its height, Forest City, Pennsylvania was in the Guinness Book of World Records as "the town with the most churches in a town" due to the historical influx of immigrants settling in primary sector of the economy towns such as Forest City, as each successive ethnic minority would build their own church.Up until recent years, Forest City's overwhelmingly Roman Catholic population boasted five churches: St. Anthony, St. Michael, St. Agnes, St. Joseph, and Sacred Heart. Each of these churches were ethnic, St. Agnes being Irish
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
, St. Anthony's was Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
n; St. Michael's was Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
n; St. Joseph's was Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
n; and Sacred Heart was Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. As of 2010, only St. Joseph remains open-all except Sacred Heart were closed.
Forest City is also home to an Episcopal, Methodist, Byzantine Catholic Church and a non-denominational church.
Senior Care
The William Penn apartment complex for seniors is on Main Street and the Forest City Nursing and Rehab Center is on Delaware Street. This represents up to 7% of the population of Forest City.Life in Forest City
Forest City's Main Street serves the people in town, but as a quasi-city in its own right has undergone some tough times. Over the years businesses have closed their doors and new businesses have a hard time staying open, because of a lack of jobs per capita, because of the old age (non-working status) of many residents.Forest City's Main Street features a number of businesses including a supermarket, two banks, a pharmacy, three insurance agencies, a Chinese takeout restaurant, bars and a convenience store.
Forest City is home to Pennsylvanias oldest family owned Chevrolet dealership, Allan Hornbeck Chevrolet.
Forest City has its own police force, which serves some surrounding municipalities on a contractual basis.
Forest City has two parks: Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
Park and Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
Park. Kennedy Park, located on Pennsylvania Route 247
Pennsylvania Route 247
Pennsylvania Route 247 is an 50 mile long state highway located in Lackawanna, Susquehanna, and Wayne counties in Pennsylvania. The southern terminus is at I 84 in Mount Cobb. The northern terminus is at PA 370 in Preston Park, Pennsylvania....
five blocks from Main Street which has a lake, baseball fields, tennis and basketball courts, frisbee golf course, playground and nature trail. Babe Ruth Park is located on Railroad Street and features a playground, playing field and basketball court.
Forest City holds an annual festival every year called "Old Home Week
Old Home Week
Old Home Week is a practice that originated in the New England region of the United States similar to a holiday or festival. In its beginning in the 19th-20th century it involved a municipal effort to invite former residents of a village, town, or city - usually individuals who grew up in the...
". The week-long festival features local bands, arts and crafts, carnival games, festival food, and a fireworks display. The event also includes two parades, various contests for children, and a pierogi
Pierogi
Pierogi are dumplings of unleavened dough - first boiled, then they are baked or fried usually in butter with onions - traditionally stuffed with potato filling, sauerkraut, ground meat, cheese, or fruit...
eating contest.