Gourt Home::Gourt :: Tamaqua, Pennsylvania
Tamaqua is a town in eastern Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. The name Tamaqua is a Lenape word that means "beaver". It is the only community in the world to have this name.
Geography
Tamaqua is located at (40.798600, -75.966498).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 25.8 km² (10.0 mi²). 25.5 km² (9.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (1.31%) is water.
Tamaqua is situated within the Pennsylvania Coal Region section of the Appalachian Mountains. In the Tamaqua area, coal mining was an extremely vital economic activity throughout the 20th century but has since experiences a decline.
Two water bodies pass through Tamaqua. The Panther Creek cuts through Tamaqua from a northwest to southeast route. The Little Schuylkill River runs through as well, from a north to south route.
Tamaqua is located 5 miles southwest of Lansford and 16 miles northeast of Pottsville. Tamaqua's elevation is 870 feet above sea level
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,174 people, 3,179 households, and 1,901 families residing in the borough. The population density was 281.8/km² (729.9/mi²). There were 3,602 housing units at an average density of 141.5/km² (366.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the borough was 98.69% White, 0.18% African American, 0.08% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.25% from other races, and 0.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.30% of the population.
There were 3,179 households out of which 24.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.9% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.2% were non-families. 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the borough the population was spread out with 21.8% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 21.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $27,899, and the median income for a family was $36,406. Males had a median income of $29,970 versus $20,637 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $15,752. About 11.1% of families and 14.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.1% of those under age 18 and 11.3% of those age 65 or over.
History
Tamaqua was founded in 1799 by German immigrant Burkhardt Moser. Originally to be named Tuscarora, the name Tamaqua was chosen after it was realized that there already was a community named Tuscarora about five miles to the west. Roughly half of Moser's original log cabin is still intact and visible behind a house on the east side of Broad Street.
The discovery of anthracite coal in the region in the early 1800s led to the town's rise as a coal producing community. During the 1860s and 1870s, Tamaqua was reportedly a haven for Molly Maguires. One murder commonly attributed to the Mollies was that of town policeman Benjamin Yost, who was shot one evening while extinguishing a gas lamp at the corner of Broad and Lehigh Streets.
In 1881 the town's train station was constructed. Arguably Tamaqua's most famous landmark, it has remained standing despite standing idle from the mid 80s through the late 90s after passenger railroad service to the town was discontinued. Initially planned to be demolished in the late 1980s, the non-profit group Save Our Station (S.O.S.) eventually managed to raise enough money to have it refurnished. The station reopened in August 2004, now home to a restaurant and gift shop. Rail excursions leave from there during the town's annual Heritage Fest every October.
It was Tamaqua resident Chris Fulmer who, while playing for the minor league Baltimore Orioles in 1888, invented baseball's catcher's mitt.
Tamaqua remained a thriving community throughout the heyday of coal production in the United States in the laste 1800s and early 1900s. It began declining, along with many other anthracite communities, in the 1950s as coal mines began tapering off. Hurricane Diane caused tremendous damage to Tamaqua's railroad yards to the extent that they never fully recovered. In 1971 the borough annexed neighboring Owl Creek, home to the world's first fish hatchery.
Controversies
In the past, Tamaqua had two movie theaters and a bowling alley, spots where teenagers could hang out. Now, however, they have both closed down, and there is a drug issue in the borough. The struggle for another cinema to open, however, has just begun.
On May 2, 2006, a youth at a borough council meeting brought up these issues.
Another highly-debated issue is the public school uniform dress code, heavily opposed by students and parent but supported by school personnel.
External links
- List of officials and their contact information *
- Tamaqua area school district
"Tamaqua, Pennsylvania"