Dickson City, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Dickson City is a borough
in Lackawanna County
, Pennsylvania
, 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Scranton
. Coal mining
had been an important industry in the past. Some of the population totals follow: in 1900, 4,948; in 1910, 9,331; in 1920, 11,049; and in 1940, 11,548. Coal miners are much scarcer in Pennsylvania today than they had been, so populations have fallen in many places such as Dickson City; The population was 6,205 at the 2000 census.
In April 1875, Dickson City was incorporated as a Borough, including at the time all of the present Borough of Throop
. It received its name from the late Thomas
Dickson.
Once dominated by coal mines, this borough has in recent times become the center of a thriving retail
corridor focused along Business Route 6 and around the Viewmont Mall
. Many of the nation's "big-box" stores and chain restaurants are represented here.
Most of the newer retail complexes are located along Viewmont Drive and Commerce Boulevard, both built by developers to access the borough's vast dormant coal lands. Some of the centers that were built in the 1990s and early 2000s include Dickson City Crossings, Dickson City Commons, Park Center and Commerce Plaza. A Target
center, the largest gaming shop in Northeastern Pennsylvania,plans for a movie theater by 2011, and stores such as Dick's Sporting Goods
and the only Borders
book store in the area are located at these shopping centers. The borough also boasts northeastern Pennsylvania
's first Starbucks
location.
Recently, the borough did unexpectedly enter the pop culture scene. In a 2006 episode of NBC
's sitcom, The Office, entitled "Take Your Daughter to Work Day", Michael
(Steve Carell
) asks Ryan
(B.J. Novak) to get a particular video from his mom's house "in Dickson City." The show uses Scranton
as its setting.
After Route 6 (also named the Scranton/Carbondale Highway), Main Street serves as the borough's other major thoroughfare. It features a slightly older stock of stores, bars, professional offices and homes.
One recent point of major contention in the borough has been a 240 acre (0.9712464 km²) swath of reclaimed coal-mining land south of Commerce Boulevard that was deeded to the borough for public use after the state government cleaned it up. Plans to build a bond-financed municipal golf course on the land launched during the early 2000s were scuttled after some borough council members campaigned against that form of borrowing and won the majority of seats. The land was seized by a local bank after interim loans went unpaid, but because the state stipulated that it has to remain in the hands of a municipality, neighboring borough Dunmore
, snapped it up.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the borough has a total area of 4.8 square miles (12.4 km²), all of it land.
of 2010, there were 6,070 people, 2,703 households, and 1,636 families residing in the borough. The population density
was 1,264.6 people per square mile (488.3/km²). There were 2,921 housing units at an average density of 608.5 per square mile (237.7/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 95.9% White, 1% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 1.1% from other races
, and 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.8% of the population.
There were 2,703 households out of which 22.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.4% were married couples
living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.5% were non-families. 33.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the borough the population was spread out with 18.9% under the age of 18, 62% from 18 to 64, and 19.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.3 years.
The median income for a household in the borough was $31,422, and the median income for a family was $41,394. Males had a median income of $32,174 versus $23,766 for females. The per capita income
for the borough was $17,370. About 3.5% of families and 6.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.6% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.
. Johnson College
is located just over the border in nearby Scranton.
Borough (Pennsylvania)
In the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a borough is a self-governing municipal entity that is usually smaller than a city. There are 958 boroughs in Pennsylvania. All municipalities in Pennsylvania are classified as either cities, boroughs, or townships...
in 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...
, 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...
, 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Scranton
Scranton, 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...
. Coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
had been an important industry in the past. Some of the population totals follow: in 1900, 4,948; in 1910, 9,331; in 1920, 11,049; and in 1940, 11,548. Coal miners are much scarcer in Pennsylvania today than they had been, so populations have fallen in many places such as Dickson City; The population was 6,205 at the 2000 census.
History
Dickson City was once known as Priceburg. It was the newest village in the valley and one of the most progressive. German immigrants then founded the village of Priceville in 1863, in honor of Eli Price. This section of the town developed rapidly after 1880, when John Jermyn sank the shaft which is now known as the Johnson shaft. Here the population had grown from 329 to 841.In April 1875, Dickson City was incorporated as a Borough, including at the time all of the present Borough of Throop
Throop
-Locations :* Throop, Dorset* Throop, New York, Town in Cayuga County.* Throop, Pennsylvania, Borough in Lackawanna County.* Throop University - The original name of the California Institute of Technology -People:* Amos G. Throop, founder of Caltech....
. It received its name from the late Thomas
Dickson.
Once dominated by coal mines, this borough has in recent times become the center of a thriving retail
Retail
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
corridor focused along Business Route 6 and around the Viewmont Mall
Viewmont Mall
Viewmont Mall is a shopping mall located on the northern boundary of Scranton, Pennsylvania with Dickson City off Interstate 81. It is anchored by J.C. Penney, Macy's, and Sears, and Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust owns the mall, which has several chain restaurants in its parking lot and...
. Many of the nation's "big-box" stores and chain restaurants are represented here.
Most of the newer retail complexes are located along Viewmont Drive and Commerce Boulevard, both built by developers to access the borough's vast dormant coal lands. Some of the centers that were built in the 1990s and early 2000s include Dickson City Crossings, Dickson City Commons, Park Center and Commerce Plaza. A Target
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
center, the largest gaming shop in Northeastern Pennsylvania,plans for a movie theater by 2011, and stores such as Dick's Sporting Goods
Dick's Sporting Goods
Dick's Sporting Goods, Inc. , or Dick's, is a Fortune 500 American corporation in the sporting goods and retail industries.The company's headquarters are on the grounds of Pittsburgh International Airport in Findlay Township near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Dick's has 451 stores in 42 states as of...
and the only Borders
Borders Group
Borders Group, Inc. was an international book and music retailer based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The company employed approximately 19,500 throughout the U.S., primarily in its Borders and Waldenbooks stores....
book store in the area are located at these shopping centers. The borough also boasts northeastern Pennsylvania
Northeastern Pennsylvania
Northeastern Pennsylvania is a geographic region of Pennsylvania that includes the Pocono Mountains, the Endless Mountains and the industrial cities of Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Pittston, Hazleton and Carbondale....
's first Starbucks
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
location.
Recently, the borough did unexpectedly enter the pop culture scene. In a 2006 episode of NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's sitcom, The Office, entitled "Take Your Daughter to Work Day", Michael
Michael Scott (The Office)
Michael Gary Scott is a fictional character on NBC's The Office, portrayed by Steve Carell, and based on David Brent from the original British version. Michael, the central character of the series, was the manager of the Scranton branch of paper and printer distribution company Dunder Mifflin Inc...
(Steve Carell
Steve Carell
Steven John "Steve" Carell is an American comedian, actor, voice artist, producer, writer, and director. Although Carell is notable for his role on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, he found greater fame in the late 2000s for playing Michael Scott on The Office...
) asks Ryan
Ryan Howard (The Office)
Ryan Bailey Howard , played by B. J. Novak, is a fictional character on the US television sitcom The Office. He is based upon Ricky Howard from the original version of The Office , but his role is significantly expanded and he is a main character.-Character profile:Little is known about Ryan's...
(B.J. Novak) to get a particular video from his mom's house "in Dickson City." The show uses Scranton
Scranton, 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...
as its setting.
After Route 6 (also named the Scranton/Carbondale Highway), Main Street serves as the borough's other major thoroughfare. It features a slightly older stock of stores, bars, professional offices and homes.
One recent point of major contention in the borough has been a 240 acre (0.9712464 km²) swath of reclaimed coal-mining land south of Commerce Boulevard that was deeded to the borough for public use after the state government cleaned it up. Plans to build a bond-financed municipal golf course on the land launched during the early 2000s were scuttled after some borough council members campaigned against that form of borrowing and won the majority of seats. The land was seized by a local bank after interim loans went unpaid, but because the state stipulated that it has to remain in the hands of a municipality, neighboring borough Dunmore
Dunmore, Pennsylvania
Dunmore is a borough in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, adjoining Scranton. Dunmore was settled in 1835 and incorporated in 1862. Extensive anthracite coal, brick, stone, and silk interests had led to a rapid increase in the population to 8,315 in 1890, 12,583 in 1900, 17,615 in 1910, 20,250 in...
, snapped it up.
Geography
Dickson City is located at 41°27′58"N 75°37′31"W (41.465984, -75.625401).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 4.8 square miles (12.4 km²), all of it 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 2010, there were 6,070 people, 2,703 households, and 1,636 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 1,264.6 people per square mile (488.3/km²). There were 2,921 housing units at an average density of 608.5 per square mile (237.7/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 95.9% White, 1% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 1.1% 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 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.8% of the population.
There were 2,703 households out of which 22.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.4% 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, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.5% were non-families. 33.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the borough the population was spread out with 18.9% under the age of 18, 62% from 18 to 64, and 19.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.3 years.
The median income for a household in the borough was $31,422, and the median income for a family was $41,394. Males had a median income of $32,174 versus $23,766 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 $17,370. About 3.5% of families and 6.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.6% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Dickson City is part of the Mid Valley School DistrictMid Valley School District
Mid Valley School District is a small school district located in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, comprising the communities of Olyphant, Dickson City, and Throop. The district operates two schools: Mid Valley Elementary Center and Mid Valley Secondary Center . Mid Valley School District...
. Johnson College
Johnson College
Johnson College is a private, coeducational two-year college located in Scranton, Pennsylvania.Johnson College was founded in 1912 as a trade school by Orlando S. Johnson, a wealthy coal baron...
is located just over the border in nearby Scranton.