Pillow, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Pillow is a borough
in Dauphin County
, Pennsylvania
, United States
. The population was 304 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Harrisburg
–Carlisle
Metropolitan Statistical Area
.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Pillow had numerous industries, including a cotton mill, a burial vault manufacturer, a brickworks, and a potato chip factory. Today, the only major industry is the Codi case factory.
, and on the south by the Mahantango
Mountain.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the borough has a total area of 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²), all land.
of 2000, there were 304 people, 131 households, and 93 families residing in the borough. The population density
was 634.6 people per square mile (244.5/km²). There were 139 housing units at an average density of 290.1 per square mile (111.8/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 99.67% White, and 0.33% from two or more races.
There were 131 households out of which 26.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.1% were married couples
living together, 2.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.0% were non-families. 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.75.
In the borough the population was spread out with 21.1% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 109.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.7 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $39,464, and the median income for a family was $41,000. Males had a median income of $32,500 versus $23,250 for females. The per capita income
for the borough was $17,182. About 7.8% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.1% of those under the age of eighteen and 20.4% of those sixty five or over.
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
in Dauphin County
Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
Dauphin County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and is one of the three counties comprising the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 census, the population was 268,100. The county includes the city of Harrisburg, which has served as the state capital...
, 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 304 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Harrisburg
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
–Carlisle
Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Carlisle is a borough in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The name is traditionally pronounced with emphasis on the second syllable. Carlisle is located within the Cumberland Valley, a highly productive agricultural region. As of the 2010 census, the borough...
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Harrisburg metropolitan area
The Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area , as defined the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of three counties in Pennsylvania's Susquehanna Valley, anchored by the cities of Harrisburg and Carlisle...
.
History
Pillow was founded in 1818 by John Snyder, a land developer from Mercer County, as Snydertown (Schneiderstettle). The borough was incorporated as Uniontown on April 20, 1864. When the town got its first post office in 1847, a post office under the name Uniontown already existed. A postal official substituted the name "Pillow" after General Gideon Pillow, who was popular at the time for his victories in the Mexican-American War. Over the next hundred years, the new name slowly took hold, and on November 2, 1965, the residents voted to change the official name of the town to Pillow.During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Pillow had numerous industries, including a cotton mill, a burial vault manufacturer, a brickworks, and a potato chip factory. Today, the only major industry is the Codi case factory.
Geography
Pillow is the northernmost town in Dauphin County, located at 40°38′26"N 76°48′12"W (40.640430, -76.803464). It is bounded on the west, north, and east by the Mahantango CreekMahantango Creek
Mahantango Creek is a tributary of the Susquehanna River in Dauphin, Northumberland, and Schuylkill counties, in Pennsylvania in the United States....
, and on the south by the Mahantango
Mahantongo
"Mahantongo" is a Lenape word, translated "where we had plenty of meat to eat" or "good hunting grounds." The name is shared by a creek, a valley, and a mountain in central Pennsylvania, and is a common street name in the area...
Mountain.
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 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²), all land.
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 304 people, 131 households, and 93 families residing in the borough. 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 634.6 people per square mile (244.5/km²). There were 139 housing units at an average density of 290.1 per square mile (111.8/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 99.67% White, and 0.33% from two or more races.
There were 131 households out of which 26.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.1% 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, 2.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.0% were non-families. 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.75.
In the borough the population was spread out with 21.1% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 109.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.7 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $39,464, and the median income for a family was $41,000. Males had a median income of $32,500 versus $23,250 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 borough was $17,182. About 7.8% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.1% of those under the age of eighteen and 20.4% of those sixty five or over.
Further reading
- The Pillow Historical Society (2006). The History of Pillow, PA and the Surrounding Community.