Nanticoke, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Nanticoke is a city in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
, United States
. The population was 10,465 at the 2010 census.
Nanticoke was incorporated as a village in 1830; Nanticoke was chartered by the Pennsylvania Legislature as a borough on January 31, 1874.
Nanticoke experienced its greatest increase in population between 1917 and 1925 and qualified to become a Third Class City. The citizens voted in the fall of 1924 to form a city government, and elections were held the following year. The new city government consisted of a Mayor and four Councilmen who took office in January 1926, which was the official date of becoming a Third Class City.
Samuel H. Kress
opened his first store, which grew into the national S. H. Kress & Co.
chain, in Nanticoke.
The Concrete City
, built by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad's
coal division in 1911 to house its workers, is located near the Hanover section of Nanticoke. Abandoned since 1924, it was designated an historic site in 1998, and its remains still stand as a tourist attraction. The original road that used to run to the structures has been bulldozed, though it still remains on maps. There is an alternate entrance route that does not appear on maps. It can be found at the end of Bliss & Mosier St's - Hanover section of Nanticoke
Kosciuszko Street in Nanticoke is famous for being the only road in the United States to have located on it institutions covering all educational levels. The Nanticoke Elementary/Middle/High Schools and the Luzerne County Community College
are all located on Kosciuszko Street.
Nanticoke city officials voted unanimously to apply to the state for Act 47
, or economically distressed city status, which was granted in 2006. Nanticoke faced a projected $700,000 deficit that year, with revenues flat and falling far behind expenses.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 3.6 square miles (9.3 km²), of which 3.5 square miles (9.1 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²), or 3.05%, is water.
of 2000, there were 10,955 people, 4,850 households, and 2,905 families residing in the city. The population density
was 3,124.0 people per square mile (1,205.1/km²). There were 5,487 housing units at an average density of 1,564.7 per square mile (603.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.84% White, 0.27% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.16% from other races
, and 0.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.45% of the population.
There were 4,850 households out of which 23.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.6% were married couples living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.1% were non-families. 35.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the city the population was spread out with 19.7% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 23.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 87.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,169, and the median income for a family was $35,444. Males had a median income of $30,125 versus $20,265 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $15,348. About 11.5% of families and 15.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.1% of those under age 18 and 11.4% of those age 65 or over.
Ancestries: Polish
(49.7%), German
(13.0%), Irish
(10.8%), Italian
(8.4%), Welsh
(6.4%), Slovak (5.3%).
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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. 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 1608.Nanticoke was incorporated as a village in 1830; Nanticoke was chartered by the Pennsylvania Legislature as a borough on January 31, 1874.
Nanticoke experienced its greatest increase in population between 1917 and 1925 and qualified to become a Third Class City. The citizens voted in the fall of 1924 to form a city government, and elections were held the following year. The new city government consisted of a Mayor and four Councilmen who took office in January 1926, which was the official date of becoming a Third Class City.
Samuel H. Kress
Samuel H. Kress
Samuel Henry Kress was a businessman and philanthropist, founder of the S. H. Kress & Co. five and ten cent store chain. With his fortune, Kress amassed one of the most significant collections of Italian Renaissance and European artwork assembled in the 20th century...
opened his first store, which grew into the national S. H. Kress & Co.
S. H. Kress & Co.
S. H. Kress & Co. was the trading name of a chain of "five and dime" retail department stores in the United States, which operated from 1896 to 1981....
chain, in Nanticoke.
The Concrete City
Concrete City
The Concrete City was an early example of International Style architecture in the United States, built as company housing in 1911 for select employees of the Delaware, Lackawana and Western Railroad's coal division in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania...
, built by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad's
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Company was a railroad connecting Pennsylvania's Lackawanna Valley, rich in anthracite coal, to Hoboken, New Jersey, , Buffalo and Oswego, New York...
coal division in 1911 to house its workers, is located near the Hanover section of Nanticoke. Abandoned since 1924, it was designated an historic site in 1998, and its remains still stand as a tourist attraction. The original road that used to run to the structures has been bulldozed, though it still remains on maps. There is an alternate entrance route that does not appear on maps. It can be found at the end of Bliss & Mosier St's - Hanover section of Nanticoke
Kosciuszko Street in Nanticoke is famous for being the only road in the United States to have located on it institutions covering all educational levels. The Nanticoke Elementary/Middle/High Schools and the Luzerne County Community College
Luzerne County Community College
Luzerne County Community College, also known as LCCC, is a 2-year community college located in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania. LCCC offers over 100 academic, technical, and career programs. It has an open admissions policy for most programs and has over 25,000 graduates...
are all located on Kosciuszko Street.
Nanticoke city officials voted unanimously to apply to the state for Act 47
Financially Distressed Municipalities Act
The Financially Distressed Municipalities Act , also known as Act 47, empowers the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development to declare certain municipalities as financially distressed...
, or economically distressed city status, which was granted in 2006. Nanticoke faced a projected $700,000 deficit that year, with revenues flat and falling far behind expenses.
Government officials
- Mayor: Joseph Dougherty
- City Council
- Margaret Haydock
- Michael Borowski
- James Litchkofski
- Jon Metta
- City Administrator: Holly M. Quinn
- City Treasurer: Albert Wytoshek
- City Controller: Kevin Coughlin
- City Solicitor: William T. Finnegan, Jr
- City Clerk: Mary Beth Cheshinski
- Fiscal Manager: Holly M. Quinn
- Police Chief: James Cheshinski
- Fire Chief: Michael Bohan
- Building Inspector/Code Enforcement: Joseph Kordek
- Zoning Officer: Andrew Kratz
Geography
Nanticoke is located at 41°11′58"N 75°59′57"W (41.199514, -75.999119).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 city has a total area of 3.6 square miles (9.3 km²), of which 3.5 square miles (9.1 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²), or 3.05%, is water.
Demographics
At its height in the 1930s the city of Nanticoke was home to over 27,000 people. 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 10,955 people, 4,850 households, and 2,905 families residing in the city. 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 3,124.0 people per square mile (1,205.1/km²). There were 5,487 housing units at an average density of 1,564.7 per square mile (603.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.84% White, 0.27% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.16% 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 0.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.45% of the population.
There were 4,850 households out of which 23.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.6% were married couples living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.1% were non-families. 35.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the city the population was spread out with 19.7% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 23.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 87.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,169, and the median income for a family was $35,444. Males had a median income of $30,125 versus $20,265 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 city was $15,348. About 11.5% of families and 15.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.1% of those under age 18 and 11.4% of those age 65 or over.
Ancestries: Polish
Polish American
A Polish American , is a citizen of the United States of Polish descent. There are an estimated 10 million Polish Americans, representing about 3.2% of the population of the United States...
(49.7%), German
German American
German Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
(13.0%), 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...
(10.8%), Italian
Italian American
An Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
(8.4%), Welsh
Welsh American
Welsh Americans are citizens of the United States whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in Wales. In the 2008 U.S. Census community survey, an estimated 1.98 million Americans had Welsh ancestry, 0.6% of the total U.S. population. This compares with a population of 3 million in Wales. However,...
(6.4%), Slovak (5.3%).
Population trends
| 1900 | 12,116 |
| 1910 | 18,877 |
| 1920 | 22,614 |
| 1940 | 24,387 |
| 2010 | 10,465 |
Notable people
- Nick Adams, actor, (Mister Roberts, Rebel Without a CauseRebel Without a CauseRebel Without a Cause is a 1955 American drama film about emotionally confused suburban, middle-class teenagers. Directed by Nicholas Ray, it offered both social commentary and an alternative to previous films depicting delinquents in urban slum environments...
), best known to audiences as Johnny Yuma of the TV series The RebelThe Rebel (TV series)The Rebel is an American Western television series that ran originally on the ABC network from 1959 to 1961. The program was produced by Goodson-Todman Productions, marking one of their few non-game show ventures... - Steve BilkoSteve BilkoStephen Thomas Bilko , was an American professional baseball player known for his home run hitting as a minor league player during the 1950s. He was 20 years old when he broke into the big leagues on September 22, 1949, with the St. Louis Cardinals.Nat Hiken, creator of The Phil Silvers Show,...
, 20 years old when he broke into professional baseballProfessional baseballBaseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
on September 22, 1949, with the St. Louis CardinalsSt. Louis CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to... - Pete GrayPete GrayPete Gray was a professional baseball player best known for playing in the major leagues despite having lost his right arm in a childhood accident.-Early life:...
, the only one-armed man ever to play major league baseball, having lost his right arm in a childhood accident. His life is depicted in the 1986 television production A Winner Never QuitsA Winner Never Quits (TV film)A Winner Never Quits is a 1986 TV movie based on the true story of baseball player Pete Gray, the only one-armed man ever to play major league baseball, hired in 1943 as a "freak attraction" and wartime morale-booster by the Memphis Chicks, Class-A minor league ball club.Though a success, Gray...
. There is a historical marker in the Hanover section of Nanticoke at Front and Center St. denoting the place of his birth. - Paul E. KanjorskiPaul E. KanjorskiPaul E. Kanjorski is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1985 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party.The district includes the cities of Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, and Hazleton, as well as most of the Poconos....
, former U.S. Representative for Pennsylvania's 11th congressional districtPennsylvania's 11th congressional districtPennsylvania's 11th congressional district is in the northeastern part of the state and includes Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Hazleton and most of the Poconos. Republican Lou Barletta has represented the district since 2011, the first Republican to do so in almost 30 years...
(which includes Nanticoke) - Jerry OrbachJerry OrbachJerome Bernard "Jerry" Orbach was an American actor and singer. He was well known for his starring role as Detective Lennie Briscoe in the Law & Order television series and as the voice of Lumière in Disney's Beauty and the Beast. As well, Orbach was a noted musical theatre star...
, Tony-winning actor and former cast member of Law & OrderLaw & OrderLaw & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,... - Albert TannenbaumAlbert TannenbaumAlbert Tannenbaum , nicknamed Allie or Tick-Tock, was a Jewish-American hitman for Murder, Inc., the enforcement arm of the National Crime Syndicate, during the 1930s....
, member of Murder, Inc., born in Nanticoke