Glen Lyon, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Glen Lyon is a census-designated place
(CDP) in Luzerne County
, Pennsylvania
, United States
. The population was 1,881 at the 2000 census. it is part of Newport Township, Pennsylvania
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP has a total area of 3.4 square miles (8.8 km²), of which, 3.3 square miles (8.5 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (2.05%) is water.
of 2000, there were 1,881 people, 828 households, and 494 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 563.5 people per square mile (217.4/km²). There were 1,089 housing units at an average density of 326.3/sq mi (125.9/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 97.98% White, 1.49% African American, 0.21% Asian, and 0.32% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.37% of the population.
There were 828 households out of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.9% were married couples
living together, 15.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.3% were non-families. 34.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 23.0% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.8 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $24,271, and the median income for a family was $36,250. Males had a median income of $28,576 versus $20,323 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $13,753. About 16.9% of families and 22.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.0% of those under age 18 and 16.2% of those age 65 or over.
property. The west side of the town was once called Morgantown; the east side, Williamstown. Later the railroad built Glen Lyon Station as its local terminus, and the town received that name. A part of the east side, separated from the rest by the railroad, became known as Canada. Roads and a streetcar line linked the town to Nanticoke, Pennsylvania
and Wilkes-Barre. The streetcar line was replaced eventually by buses and automobiles as the main means of transport.
The two parts of the town were divided by a knuckle of hill on which Sixth Shaft was dug into the earth. Coal hoisted from that mine was moved across a bridge to the breaker (coal processing plant) built in 1887. Gravity moved the coal through processes of washing, removing rocks and sizing for different uses. The coal came out at north end of the breaker for loading into railroad cars and trucks. The Seventh Shaft colliery operated for some years west of town, linked to the breaker by a narrow gauge
railroad. The town originally was developed by Welsh miners who were Protestants, usually members of the Methodist Church. There was a small Methodist church on Market Street. Later, immigrants from Eastern and Southern Europe became predominant. Two Polish Roman Catholic parishes, Saint Adalbert's and Saint Michael's were founded in the late nineteenth century. Their churches were built on the west side of the breaker. Other Eastern European miners and their families belonged to Ukrainian or "Byzantine Rite" parishes on the east side of the town. A company-operated store existed for a time, but it closed in the 1920s. Commercial structures grew up on Nanticoke Street, later Main Street, providing food and supplies. Several neighborhood taverns existed throughout the town. Glen Lyon's miners were involved in unionization activities, culminating in their representation by the United Mine Workers
.
Mining declined after the Second World War. The M. A. Hanna Company
closed Seventh Shaft but retained Sixth Shaft and the breaker into the 1960s. The breaker stood idle for 3 years after closing finally in 1971. It burned overnight in October 1974. The death of the deep mines after the Knox Mine Disaster
of 1959 also diminished the town. Some strip mining continued for years thereafter. Small dress factories provided employment, mostly for women, in the period when mining was in decline; but they too closed. Retirees formed a large portion of the population. The town was linked to markets for coal by truck even after rail shipments ceased. Many business closed as deep mining declined, and increasing numbers of houses stood vacant.
The 1948 film The Miracle of the Bells
is nominally set in Glen Lyon, and some scenes were shot there.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) in Luzerne County
Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
- Demographics :As of the 2010 census, the county was 90.7% White, 3.4% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 3.3% were of some other race, and 1.5% were two or more races. 6.7% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino ancestry...
, 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 1,881 at the 2000 census. it is part of Newport Township, Pennsylvania
Newport Township, Pennsylvania
Newport Township is a township in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 5,006 at the 2000 census.It consists of 6 towns: Alden Station, Sheatown, Newport Center, Glen Lyon, Wanamie and Lee.-Geography:...
.
Geography
Glen Lyon is located at 41°10′32"N 76°4′28"W (41.175582, -76.074556).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 CDP has a total area of 3.4 square miles (8.8 km²), of which, 3.3 square miles (8.5 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (2.05%) is water.
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 1,881 people, 828 households, and 494 families residing in the CDP. 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 563.5 people per square mile (217.4/km²). There were 1,089 housing units at an average density of 326.3/sq mi (125.9/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 97.98% White, 1.49% African American, 0.21% Asian, and 0.32% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.37% of the population.
There were 828 households out of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.9% 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, 15.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.3% were non-families. 34.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 23.0% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.8 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $24,271, and the median income for a family was $36,250. Males had a median income of $28,576 versus $20,323 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 CDP was $13,753. About 16.9% of families and 22.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.0% of those under age 18 and 16.2% of those age 65 or over.
History
The town of Glen Lyon was founded after Anthracite coal mining began in that section of Newport Township ca. 1869. The colliery was operated by the Susquehannah Coal Company, a Pennsylvania RailroadPennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
property. The west side of the town was once called Morgantown; the east side, Williamstown. Later the railroad built Glen Lyon Station as its local terminus, and the town received that name. A part of the east side, separated from the rest by the railroad, became known as Canada. Roads and a streetcar line linked the town to Nanticoke, Pennsylvania
Nanticoke, Pennsylvania
Nanticoke is a city in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 10,465 at the 2010 census.-History:The name Nanticoke was derived from Nantego, the Indian tidewater people who moved here when their Maryland lands were spoiled for hunting by the colonial settlement in...
and Wilkes-Barre. The streetcar line was replaced eventually by buses and automobiles as the main means of transport.
The two parts of the town were divided by a knuckle of hill on which Sixth Shaft was dug into the earth. Coal hoisted from that mine was moved across a bridge to the breaker (coal processing plant) built in 1887. Gravity moved the coal through processes of washing, removing rocks and sizing for different uses. The coal came out at north end of the breaker for loading into railroad cars and trucks. The Seventh Shaft colliery operated for some years west of town, linked to the breaker by a narrow gauge
Narrow gauge
A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...
railroad. The town originally was developed by Welsh miners who were Protestants, usually members of the Methodist Church. There was a small Methodist church on Market Street. Later, immigrants from Eastern and Southern Europe became predominant. Two Polish Roman Catholic parishes, Saint Adalbert's and Saint Michael's were founded in the late nineteenth century. Their churches were built on the west side of the breaker. Other Eastern European miners and their families belonged to Ukrainian or "Byzantine Rite" parishes on the east side of the town. A company-operated store existed for a time, but it closed in the 1920s. Commercial structures grew up on Nanticoke Street, later Main Street, providing food and supplies. Several neighborhood taverns existed throughout the town. Glen Lyon's miners were involved in unionization activities, culminating in their representation by the United Mine Workers
United Mine Workers
The United Mine Workers of America is a North American labor union best known for representing coal miners and coal technicians. Today, the Union also represents health care workers, truck drivers, manufacturing workers and public employees in the United States and Canada...
.
Mining declined after the Second World War. The M. A. Hanna Company
M. A. Hanna Company
M. A. Hanna Company was an iron ore processing company located in Cleveland, Ohio, United States.-Origin:The origins of the M. A. Hanna Co. are with Daniel F. Rhodes. In the 1840s Rhodes had founded Rhodes & Company which mined coal in the Mahoning Valley. Marcus Hanna, the national Republican...
closed Seventh Shaft but retained Sixth Shaft and the breaker into the 1960s. The breaker stood idle for 3 years after closing finally in 1971. It burned overnight in October 1974. The death of the deep mines after the Knox Mine Disaster
Knox Mine disaster
The Knox Mine disaster was a mining accident that took place in Port Griffith, a town in Jenkins Township, Pennsylvania, near Pittston, on January 22, 1959....
of 1959 also diminished the town. Some strip mining continued for years thereafter. Small dress factories provided employment, mostly for women, in the period when mining was in decline; but they too closed. Retirees formed a large portion of the population. The town was linked to markets for coal by truck even after rail shipments ceased. Many business closed as deep mining declined, and increasing numbers of houses stood vacant.
The 1948 film The Miracle of the Bells
The Miracle of the Bells
The Miracle of the Bells is a 1948 film produced by RKO. It stars Fred MacMurray, Alida Valli, Frank Sinatra, and Lee J. Cobb. Directed by Irving Pichel, with a script by Quentin Reynolds and Ben Hecht.The film is based on a novel by Russell Janney....
is nominally set in Glen Lyon, and some scenes were shot there.
Sources
- Ciesla, Charles C., History of Nanticoke City and Newport Township, Nanticoke: Nanticoke Historical Society, 2003. ISBN 0-9678514-7-5
- Bodnar, John E., Anthracite People: Families, Unions, and Work, 1900-1940 , Harrisburg: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, 1983. ISBN 0-8927102-3-3