Evans City, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Evans City is a borough in Butler County
, Pennsylvania
, United States
. The population was 2,009 at the 2000 census.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the borough has a total area of 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 2,009 people, 819 households, and 548 families residing in the borough. The population density
was 2,476.1 people per square mile (957.6/km²). There were 850 housing units at an average density of 1,047.6 per square mile (405.2/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 99.10% White, 0.15% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, and 0.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.05% of the population.
There were 819 households out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.1% were married couples
living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the borough the population was spread out with 24.3% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 97.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.0 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $41,128, and the median income for a family was $50,469. Males had a median income of $37,734 versus $24,306 for females. The per capita income
for the borough was $18,931. About 4.0% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.0% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.
of an old settlement. It is situated on Breakneck Creek
, on the township
line, and was formerly partly in Jackson and partly in Forward townships. Its site was for a long time a favorite camping ground for the Indians, who named the creek Big Beaver run; while the French knew it as Casse-cou-anse or Breakneck creek,--a name adopted by travelers between Fort Duquesne
and Fort Machault
, and by the English speaking pioneers of the original township of Connoquenessing, Pennsylvania
. From 1804 to 1836, the location was often called Boggs' Mill, and in later years Evansburg, after Thomas B. Evans, who purchased and rebuilt the original Bogg’s mill. In 1880 it was a little hamlet, credited with a population of 68 people. in 1890, there were 637 persons enumerated in the census, and at the beginning of 1894, it was generally credited with a population of approximately 1,000.
In October 1878, the railroad was completed to Evans City; a new boiler to replace that which exploded in the Sutton flouring mill, being the first freight received. The bank of J. Dambauch & Son was in existence. The residence for the pastor of the German Lutheran church, the Henry Young store and other houses were completed, and the new railroad town showed increased signs of business activity. A council appears to have had control of the place at that time, as mention is made of street improvements and of the appointment of Z. T. Weise as chief of police.
The burning question at the time was the location of the railroad depot. Once the location for the depot was chosen, it became a rather famous decision, creating the nations only railway depot that was built over water. Spanning the Breakneck Creek on iron beams for support, the picturesque railway station was an iconic landmark of breathtaking architecture. Due to its age and growing structural instability, and against much popular protest, the station was finally demolished in the early 1980s rather than restored.
Later the school question occupied the attention of the people. Ultimately the schools were placed under the control of the Jackson Township
board after a resolution by the Evans City school building committee was withdrawn.
In 1882 Evans City was incorporated as a borough
. At the charter election held September 22, of that year, Edward DAMBACH was chosen burgess.
The first churches of record in the area were as follows:
Amana Baptist
Church was organized March 22, 1820. Late in 1881 some 33 members withdrew to form an independent Baptist church.
The United Presbyterian Church
was founded about the year 1837. Services were held in the frame school-building in the old United Presbyterian cemetery, until about the year 1842, when a brick house of worship was erected. Owing to the age of the old building and its unsafe condition, a new house of worship was considered necessary and the present building was erected. This is a frame house forty-five by sixty feet, well furnished, with pastor's study, standing on the old church lot on Main street. It was dedicated in April, 1888.
St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran
is a contemporary of the "German Lutheran and Reformed Congregation." In 1849 it was known as the "Reformed Church," then united with the German Lutheran, and so continued until August 2, 1853, when fifteen of the thirty families forming the united congregation held distinct Reformed services in the church built in 1849-50.
The Presbyterian Church was founded in 1882 out of the Old Plains Church congregation.
St. John's United Christian Church
was organized in August, 1888.
The Methodist Episcopal Church was dedicated on October 27, 1889. The old class at Caleb Richmond's, in Forward Township
, later consolidated with the Brownsdale class, claimed some members from the Breakneck region, as well as did the Duthill class in Cranberry township to form the original members.
The Evans City Cemetery and the borough became popularly known as the place where the 1968 horror film Night of the Living Dead
was filmed. The film's director, George A. Romero
, also shot his 1973 film The Crazies in and around Evans City.
Currently Gary Foster serves as the Mayor of Evans City Borough.
The council currently has the following members: Bill Painter, Karl Kennedy, Harry Shaffer, Roy Long, Paul Foster, John Mckinney, and Cheri Deener.
Butler County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 174,083 people, 65,862 households, and 46,827 families residing in the county. The population density was 221 people per square mile . There were 69,868 housing units at an average density of 89 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 2,009 at the 2000 census.
Geography
Evans City is located at 40°46′10"N 80°3′41"W (40.769310, -80.061409).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 0.8 square miles (2.1 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 2000, there were 2,009 people, 819 households, and 548 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 2,476.1 people per square mile (957.6/km²). There were 850 housing units at an average density of 1,047.6 per square mile (405.2/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 99.10% White, 0.15% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, and 0.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.05% of the population.
There were 819 households out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.1% 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, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the borough the population was spread out with 24.3% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 97.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.0 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $41,128, and the median income for a family was $50,469. Males had a median income of $37,734 versus $24,306 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 $18,931. About 4.0% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.0% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.
History
Evans City is the name given in 1882 at the city’s incorporation of a boroughBorough
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....
of an old settlement. It is situated on Breakneck Creek
Breakneck Creek
Breakneck Creek is a tributary of Connoquenessing Creek that flows in a northwardly direction in Western Pennsylvania. It forms in the village of Bakerstown in Allegheny County then flows northwest through the borough of Valencia in Butler County....
, on the township
Township (Pennsylvania)
A township in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a state of the United States of America, is one of four types of municipalities in the state . Townships were established based on convenient geographical boundaries and vary in size from six to forty square miles...
line, and was formerly partly in Jackson and partly in Forward townships. Its site was for a long time a favorite camping ground for the Indians, who named the creek Big Beaver run; while the French knew it as Casse-cou-anse or Breakneck creek,--a name adopted by travelers between Fort Duquesne
Fort Duquesne
Fort Duquesne was a fort established by the French in 1754, at the junction of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers in what is now downtown Pittsburgh in the state of Pennsylvania....
and Fort Machault
Fort Machault
Fort Machault was a fort built by the French in 1754 near the confluence of French Creek with the Allegheny River, at present-day Franklin, in northwest Pennsylvania. The fort was part of a line that included Fort Presque Isle, Fort Le Boeuf, and Fort Duquesne.- Description:The fort was built on a...
, and by the English speaking pioneers of the original township of Connoquenessing, Pennsylvania
Connoquenessing, Pennsylvania
Connoquenessing is a borough in Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 564 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Connoquenessing is located at ....
. From 1804 to 1836, the location was often called Boggs' Mill, and in later years Evansburg, after Thomas B. Evans, who purchased and rebuilt the original Bogg’s mill. In 1880 it was a little hamlet, credited with a population of 68 people. in 1890, there were 637 persons enumerated in the census, and at the beginning of 1894, it was generally credited with a population of approximately 1,000.
In October 1878, the railroad was completed to Evans City; a new boiler to replace that which exploded in the Sutton flouring mill, being the first freight received. The bank of J. Dambauch & Son was in existence. The residence for the pastor of the German Lutheran church, the Henry Young store and other houses were completed, and the new railroad town showed increased signs of business activity. A council appears to have had control of the place at that time, as mention is made of street improvements and of the appointment of Z. T. Weise as chief of police.
The burning question at the time was the location of the railroad depot. Once the location for the depot was chosen, it became a rather famous decision, creating the nations only railway depot that was built over water. Spanning the Breakneck Creek on iron beams for support, the picturesque railway station was an iconic landmark of breathtaking architecture. Due to its age and growing structural instability, and against much popular protest, the station was finally demolished in the early 1980s rather than restored.
Later the school question occupied the attention of the people. Ultimately the schools were placed under the control of the Jackson Township
Jackson Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania
Jackson Township is a township in Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,645 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000,...
board after a resolution by the Evans City school building committee was withdrawn.
In 1882 Evans City was incorporated as a borough
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....
. At the charter election held September 22, of that year, Edward DAMBACH was chosen burgess.
The first churches of record in the area were as follows:
Amana Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
Church was organized March 22, 1820. Late in 1881 some 33 members withdrew to form an independent Baptist church.
The United Presbyterian Church
United Presbyterian Church
United Presbyterian Church was the name of multiple Christian denominations in the world, among which are the following:*The United Presbyterian Church of Scotland , a union of the United Secession Church and the Relief Church which joined the Free Church of Scotland to form the United Free Church...
was founded about the year 1837. Services were held in the frame school-building in the old United Presbyterian cemetery, until about the year 1842, when a brick house of worship was erected. Owing to the age of the old building and its unsafe condition, a new house of worship was considered necessary and the present building was erected. This is a frame house forty-five by sixty feet, well furnished, with pastor's study, standing on the old church lot on Main street. It was dedicated in April, 1888.
St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
is a contemporary of the "German Lutheran and Reformed Congregation." In 1849 it was known as the "Reformed Church," then united with the German Lutheran, and so continued until August 2, 1853, when fifteen of the thirty families forming the united congregation held distinct Reformed services in the church built in 1849-50.
The Presbyterian Church was founded in 1882 out of the Old Plains Church congregation.
St. John's United Christian Church
United Christian Church
The denomination known as the United Christian Church is a small evangelical body of Christians with roots in the pietistic movement of Martin Boehm and William Otterbein...
was organized in August, 1888.
The Methodist Episcopal Church was dedicated on October 27, 1889. The old class at Caleb Richmond's, in Forward Township
Forward Township, Pennsylvania
Forward Township is the name of some places in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania:*Forward Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania*Forward Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania...
, later consolidated with the Brownsdale class, claimed some members from the Breakneck region, as well as did the Duthill class in Cranberry township to form the original members.
The Evans City Cemetery and the borough became popularly known as the place where the 1968 horror film Night of the Living Dead
Night of the Living Dead
Night of the Living Dead is a 1968 American independent black-and-white zombie film and cult film directed by George A. Romero, starring Duane Jones, Judith O'Dea and Karl Hardman. It premiered on October 1, 1968, and was completed on a USD$114,000 budget. After decades of cinematic re-releases, it...
was filmed. The film's director, George A. Romero
George A. Romero
George Andrew Romero is a Canadian-American film director, screenwriter and editor, best known for his gruesome and satirical horror films about a hypothetical zombie apocalypse. He is nicknamed "Godfather of all Zombies." -Life and career:...
, also shot his 1973 film The Crazies in and around Evans City.
Government
Evans City Borough is represented by a municipal government of one Mayor and seven Council members.Currently Gary Foster serves as the Mayor of Evans City Borough.
The council currently has the following members: Bill Painter, Karl Kennedy, Harry Shaffer, Roy Long, Paul Foster, John Mckinney, and Cheri Deener.