Duryea, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Duryea is a borough in the Greater Pittston area
of Luzerne County
, Pennsylvania
, USA, nine miles (14 km) south of Scranton
on the Lackawanna River
. Duryea was incorporated as a borough in 1891. Coal mining and the manufacture of silk were the chief industries in the early years of its existence. The population numbered 7,487 in 1910, and 8,275 in 1940. The population was 4,634 at the 2000 census.
In 2011, the borough received national notoriety for its role in the landmark Supreme Court case Borough of Duryea v. Guarnieri
in which the court stated that "a government employer's allegedly retaliatory actions against an employee do not give rise to liability under the Petition Clause unless the employee's petition relates to a matter of public concern."
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the borough has a total area of 5.7 square miles (14.8 km²), of which 5.5 square miles (14.2 km²) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) (3.84%) is water.
On the other side of the Lackawana River, sand and gravel quarry operations continue to spoil what was once a beautiful landscape and riverway. The Lackawana River is heavily polluted with the outflow from abandoned mine tunnels and is choked with orange sediment.
Population has been declining for years, with increased gentrification.
After the death of coal and the loss of the silk mill, the town encouraged the likes of Schott Optical and Topps Bubble Gum to establish medium-sized plants in the town. However, these would never replace the jobs and revenue provided by coal. Declining population added to the problem and resulted in the takeover of the town's schools by the Pittston Area School District. These were eventually phased out and shut down with Duryea Elementary being shut down in 1981. Parents now had no choice but to bus their children to the new elementary and middle schools in Pittston 10–15 minutes away.
, into a transloading terminal teeming with rail and trucking activity. The yard transloads sand from rail cars to trucks for use in Marcellus Shale gas drilling operations.
The Reading & Northern Railroad Co. invested in Pittston Yard in late 2009 and early 2010, laying track to accommodate 100 new rail cars and constructing a facility to store and hold up to 800 cars of sand to be used in hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” operations at Marcellus Shale drill sites throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania.
http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache:dWafLaiagy8J:www.timesleader.com/news/hottopics/shale/Old_Duryea_railroad_yard_taking_on_new_life_03-26-2010.html+Pittston+Yard+railroad&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
, there were 4,634 people, 1,984 households, and 1,297 families residing in the borough. The population density
was 841.0 per square mile (324.7/km²). There were 2,151 housing units at an average density of 390.4 per square mile (150.7/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 98.86% White, 0.26% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.09% from other races
, and 0.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.30% of the population.
There were 1,984 households, of which 24.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were married couples
living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.6% 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 2.94.
Age distribution was 19.1% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 26.5% from 45 to 64, and 20.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 88.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.4 males.
The median household income
was $32,207, and the median family income was $41,775. Males had a median income of $32,715 versus $25,786 for females. The per capita income
for the borough was $17,598. About 6.3% of families and 8.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.6% of those under age 18 and 15.9% of those age 65 or over.
Greater Pittston
Greater Pittston is a region in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, in reference to the area in and around Pittston. The total population of the Greater Pittston area is around 50,000 people...
of 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...
, USA, nine miles (14 km) south 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...
on the Lackawanna River
Lackawanna River
The Lackawanna River is a tributary of the Susquehanna River in northeastern Pennsylvania in the United States. It flows through a region of the northern Pocono Mountains that was once a center of anthracite coal mining in the United States...
. Duryea was incorporated as a borough in 1891. Coal mining and the manufacture of silk were the chief industries in the early years of its existence. The population numbered 7,487 in 1910, and 8,275 in 1940. The population was 4,634 at the 2000 census.
In 2011, the borough received national notoriety for its role in the landmark Supreme Court case Borough of Duryea v. Guarnieri
Borough of Duryea v. Guarnieri
Borough of Duryea v. Guarnieri, No. 09-1476 , was a recent case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held the public concern test limits Petition Clause claims by public employees.-Termination and Reinstatement :...
in which the court stated that "a government employer's allegedly retaliatory actions against an employee do not give rise to liability under the Petition Clause unless the employee's petition relates to a matter of public concern."
Geography
Duryea is located at 41°20′52"N 75°45′30"W (41.347729, -75.758302).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 5.7 square miles (14.8 km²), of which 5.5 square miles (14.2 km²) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) (3.84%) is water.
Mining and industry affecting environment and population (first half of 20th century)
Like many of the surrounding towns (Pittston, Hugestown, Old Forge), Duryea was abandoned when the need for deep-mined coal diminished. Three large colliers once operated there, processing the coal for transport. Like the other nearby towns the coal was often mined directly under the town itself. Remnants of strip mines and 'culm' banks that were never properly cleaned up and redeveloped litter the landscape.On the other side of the Lackawana River, sand and gravel quarry operations continue to spoil what was once a beautiful landscape and riverway. The Lackawana River is heavily polluted with the outflow from abandoned mine tunnels and is choked with orange sediment.
Population has been declining for years, with increased gentrification.
Loss of independence from surrounding towns (Pittston) (last half of 20th century)
Duryea was once fiercely independent. Primarily populated by Polish immigrants and their descendants, the town benefited from the coal industry and silk mills and was a self-contained community with its own Main Street and School District.After the death of coal and the loss of the silk mill, the town encouraged the likes of Schott Optical and Topps Bubble Gum to establish medium-sized plants in the town. However, these would never replace the jobs and revenue provided by coal. Declining population added to the problem and resulted in the takeover of the town's schools by the Pittston Area School District. These were eventually phased out and shut down with Duryea Elementary being shut down in 1981. Parents now had no choice but to bus their children to the new elementary and middle schools in Pittston 10–15 minutes away.
Industry in the 21st century
Investment spurred by Marcellus Shale natural gas exploration in the areas surrounding Duryea has transformed an antiquated, weed-ridden rail yard in Duryea, known as the Pittston YardPittston Yard
Pittston Yard, formerly Coxton Yard, was built in 1870 by the Lehigh Valley Railroad as a hub to move coal from the Pennsylvania coal mines to Eastern markets. The railyard is located in the Borough of Duryea, PA, which in the greater Pittston, PA area...
, into a transloading terminal teeming with rail and trucking activity. The yard transloads sand from rail cars to trucks for use in Marcellus Shale gas drilling operations.
The Reading & Northern Railroad Co. invested in Pittston Yard in late 2009 and early 2010, laying track to accommodate 100 new rail cars and constructing a facility to store and hold up to 800 cars of sand to be used in hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” operations at Marcellus Shale drill sites throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania.
http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache:dWafLaiagy8J:www.timesleader.com/news/hottopics/shale/Old_Duryea_railroad_yard_taking_on_new_life_03-26-2010.html+Pittston+Yard+railroad&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
Demographics
At the 2000 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...
, there were 4,634 people, 1,984 households, and 1,297 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 841.0 per square mile (324.7/km²). There were 2,151 housing units at an average density of 390.4 per square mile (150.7/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 98.86% White, 0.26% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.09% 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 0.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.30% of the population.
There were 1,984 households, of which 24.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% 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, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.6% 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 2.94.
Age distribution was 19.1% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 26.5% from 45 to 64, and 20.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 88.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.4 males.
The median household income
Median household income
The median household income is commonly used to generate data about geographic areas and divides households into two equal segments with the first half of households earning less than the median household income and the other half earning more...
was $32,207, and the median family income was $41,775. Males had a median income of $32,715 versus $25,786 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 $17,598. About 6.3% of families and 8.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.6% of those under age 18 and 15.9% of those age 65 or over.