Indiana, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Indiana is a borough
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 and the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....

 of Indiana County
Indiana County, Pennsylvania
-Government and politics:As of November 2008, there are 58,077 registered voters in Indiana County .* Democratic: 26,653 * Republican: 24,159 * Other Parties: 7,265 -County commissioners:*Rodney Ruddock, Chairman, Republican...

, 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 14,895 at the 2000 census.

The borough and the region as a whole promotes itself as the "Christmas Tree
Christmas tree
The Christmas tree is a decorated evergreen coniferous tree, real or artificial, and a tradition associated with the celebration of Christmas. The tradition of decorating an evergreen tree at Christmas started in Livonia and Germany in the 16th century...

 Capital of the World" because the national Christmas Tree Grower's Association was founded there. There are still a large number of Christmas tree farms in the area. The largest employer in the borough today is Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana University of Pennsylvania is a public university in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, USA. The university is northeast of Pittsburgh. It is the largest university in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and is the commonwealth's fifth largest university...

, the largest of 14 PASSHE
Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education
The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and a large public university system in the United States. It is the tenth-largest university system in the United States and 43rd largest in the world...

 schools in the state.

Industry

For decades the major industry of the town was coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...

 mining, but as mines closed throughout the latter half of the twentieth century the area has had ongoing economic difficulty. Natural gas surveying and production have picked up some of the slack, and Indiana serves as the home of the largest privately owned drilling company in the United States, S.W. Jack Drilling Company. It also counts a number of other production and service firms as members of the community, as well as three publicly traded companies: S&T Bancorp, Inc., First Commonwealth Financial Corporation, and Superior Well Services Inc.- unique considering the size of the community. In addition it holds one of the nation's largest independent insurance agencies: The Reschini Group - which was started by the nation's first female insurance agent Rose Reschini in 1938.

A large section of the southern part of the town, and bordering the university is occupied by Kovalchick Salvage Co. The land was recently purchased by the university and it plans to rejuvenate part of what is considered the largest eyesore in the community. Kovalchick holds large amounts of railroad salvage and aluminum.

As of December 2008, roughly fifty percent of the salvage materials held by Kovalchick Corporation have been cleared or otherwise removed from publicly viewable land.

Notable natives and residents

Arguably the most celebrated and notorious environmentalist author of the twentieth century, Edward Abbey
Edward Abbey
Edward Paul Abbey was an American author and essayist noted for his advocacy of environmental issues, criticism of public land policies, and anarchist political views. His best-known works include the novel The Monkey Wrench Gang, which has been cited as an inspiration by radical environmental...

 (1927–1989), was born at the Indiana hospital and raised in Indiana and near the Indiana County
Indiana County, Pennsylvania
-Government and politics:As of November 2008, there are 58,077 registered voters in Indiana County .* Democratic: 26,653 * Republican: 24,159 * Other Parties: 7,265 -County commissioners:*Rodney Ruddock, Chairman, Republican...

 towns and villages of Saltsburg, Pennsylvania
Saltsburg, Pennsylvania
Saltsburg is a borough in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 955 at the 2000 census. The town was based on the construction of salt wells and the canals and railroad tracks that passed through it.-Geography:...

, Tanoma, and Home, Pennsylvania
Home, Pennsylvania
Home is an unincorporated village located in Rayne Township, Indiana County, Pennsylvania. Although it is not tracked by the US Census Bureau, Home has been assigned the ZIP code 15747 and is a part of the telephone area code 724....

. Abbey's first novel, Jonathan Troy
Jonathan Troy
Jonathan Troy was Edward Abbey's first published novel, as detailed in James M. Cahalan's biography of Abbey. Only 5,000 copies were printed and almost immediately after it was released the author wanted to disown the work...

(1954), is set entirely in a thinly disguised Indiana, and his novel The Fool's Progress
The Fool's Progress
Edward Abbey's "fat masterpiece" and a classic of 20th-century Americana, the 1989 publication of The Fool's Progress heralded the final word of one of the country's finest prose artists and defenders of freedom and wilderness....

(1988), which he called his "fat masterpiece", is an autobiographical account of his growing up in this area and his imagined attempt to return home after a lifetime spent mostly in the desert Southwest. His nonfiction book Appalachian Wilderness (1970) lovingly describes Indiana and Home. There is a Pennsylvania state historical marker for Abbey at Home.

Indiana was the birthplace and hometown of actor Jimmy Stewart
James Stewart (actor)
James Maitland Stewart was an American film and stage actor, known for his distinctive voice and his everyman persona. Over the course of his career, he starred in many films widely considered classics and was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning one in competition and receiving one Lifetime...

 (1908–1997), who was born there and lived at 104 North 7th Street. Despite the fact that he left the area upon graduating from high school, the town always followed his career closely, with the local newspaper periodically publishing rumors in his later years that Stewart planned to return there to live. On May 20, 1983, Stewart was given a 75th birthday celebration by the town, after which he never made another public appearance in the area. Before Stewart's death, a museum to his memory was opened on the third floor of the local public library, and a bronze statue of Stewart was erected in his honor at the county courthouse during his 75th birthday. The town annually holds a Jimmy Stewart film festival as part of the town's "It's a Wonderful Life" holiday celebration.
  • Renée Fleming
    Renée Fleming
    Renée Fleming is an American soprano specializing in opera and lieder. Fleming has a full lyric soprano voice.Fleming has performed coloratura, lyric, and lighter spinto soprano repertoires. She has sung roles in Italian, German, French, Czech, and Russian, aside from her native English. She also...

    , a world famous Lyric Soprano who has sung in the world's most prestigious opera houses, and who was featured on the Lord of the Rings
    The Lord of the Rings film trilogy
    The Lord of the Rings is an epic film trilogy consisting of three fantasy adventure films based on the three-volume book of the same name by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. The films are The Fellowship of the Ring , The Two Towers and The Return of the King .The films were directed by Peter...

     soundtrack, was also born in Indiana.
  • Jim Nance
    Jim Nance
    James Solomon "Big Jim" Nance was an American collegiate and Professional Football fullback with the Boston Patriots during their days in the American Football League...

    , who was inducted into the New England Patriots Hall of Fame in 2009, was born and raised in Indiana and graduated from Indiana High School.
  • James H. Bronson
    James H. Bronson
    James H. Bronson was a Union Army soldier during the American Civil War and a recipient of America's highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor.-Biography:...

    , Medal of Honor
    Medal of Honor
    The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...

     recipient in the American Civil War
  • Michael Ryan
    Michael Ryan
    - Sports :* Mike Ryan , former New Zealand marathon and long-distance runner* Michael Ryan , America baseball outfielder* Mike Ryan , former Major League Baseball player...

    , a Major League Baseball player
  • Steve Wheatcroft
    Steve Wheatcroft
    Steve Wheatcroft is an American professional golfer.Wheatcroft was born in Indiana, Pennsylvania and attended Indiana University earning a degree in Sports Marketing and Management. He turned professional in 2001 and has played in several tours over the years. His first victory came at the...

    , a professional golfer

Geography

Indiana, Pennsylvania is located at 40°37′16"N 79°9′18"W (40.621084, -79.154903). The borough is an independent municipality surrounded by White Township
White Township, Indiana County, Pennsylvania
White Township is a township in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, USA. The population was 14,034 at the 2000 census.-Geography:White Township entirely surrounds, but does not include, the Borough of Indiana...

. For some time in the 1990s there was discussion of merging the borough and township, but the matter was never acted upon.

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 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the census
Census
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 14,895 people, 4,804 households, and 1,666 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 8,440.0 people per square mile (3,267.6/km²). There were 5,096 housing units at an average density of 2,887.6 per square mile (1,117.9/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 91.51% White, 5.19% African American, 0.07% Native American, 1.89% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.44% 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 0.89% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.20% of the population.

There were 4,804 households out of which 14.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 26.5% were married couples living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 65.3% were non-families. 34.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.81.

In the borough the population was spread out with 8.2% under the age of 18, 59.4% from 18 to 24, 13.7% from 25 to 44, 10.5% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females there were 83.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.3 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $21,279, and the median income for a family was $47,192. Males had a median income of $26,506 versus $22,471 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 $12,317. About 11.2% of families and 44.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.3% of those under age 18 and 11.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana University of Pennsylvania is a public university in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, USA. The university is northeast of Pittsburgh. It is the largest university in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and is the commonwealth's fifth largest university...

 (or IUP) is a public university founded in 1875. It offers over 100 undergraduate majors and is the only doctoral degree-granting institution in the system.

For public K-12 education, the Indiana Area School District
Indiana Area School District
Indiana Area School District is a public school district in Indiana County, Pennsylvania. It is composed of White Township and Armstrong Township, along with Indiana and Shelocta boroughs.- Elementary schools :...

 supports four neighborhood elementary schools (Eisenhower Elementary, Horace Mann, East Pike, Ben Franklin), a junior high school (Indiana Area Junior High School) and high school (Indiana Area Senior High School), which are accredited and recognized for quality. A Catholic affiliated Pre-K through grade 6 program is offered at the St. Bernard School http://www.saintbernardschool.net, in addition to other various parochial schools for different denominations.

Early care and education programs for pre-k children are available. The non-profit IndiKids http://www.indikids.org or (Indiana County Child Day Care Centers) offers NAEYC-accredited care for children of students and community members on the campus of IUP and throughout the community.

Local media

FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...

 stations
call letters frequency format location Owner
WFRJ 88.9 Religious Johnstown Family Stations, Inc.
WQEJ 89.7 Classical Johnstown WQED Multimedia
WIUP 90.1 College Indiana Indiana University of Pennsylvania
WQMU 92.5 Hot AC Indiana St. Pier Group, LLC
WFGI 95.5 Country Johnstown Forever Broadcasting
WKYE 96.5 Adult Contemporary Johnstown Forever Broadcasting
WFGY 98.1 Country Altoona Forever Broadcasting
WRKW 99.1 Rock Ebensburg Forever Broadcasting
WDVE 102.5 Classic Rock Pittsburgh Clear Channel
WFSJ 103.7 Christian Contemporary Indiana Godstock Ministries, Inc.
WMUG 105.1 Religious Indiana The Christian Witness, Inc.
WLCY 106.3 Country Blairsville St. Pier Group, LLC
WDSY 107.9 Country Pittsburgh CBS Radio

AM
AM broadcasting
AM broadcasting is the process of radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation. AM was the first method of impressing sound on a radio signal and is still widely used today. Commercial and public AM broadcasting is carried out in the medium wave band world wide, and on long wave and short wave...

 stations
call letters frequency format location Owner
WKHB 620 Oldies Irwin Broadcast Communications, Inc.
KDKA 1020 News/Talk Pittsburgh CBS Radio
WCCS 1160 News/Talk Homer City St. Pier Group, LLC
WDAD 1450 Oldies Indiana Renda Broadcasting Corporation


Indiana, Pennsylvania Is also home to the Indiana Gazette
Indiana Gazette
The Indiana Gazette is a public newspaper printed for the Indiana County and surrounding areas. It has approximately 50,000 subscribers, as well as many newsstand editions. It is delivered daily except for holidays and special occasions...

, formerly the Indiana Evening Gazette, a seven-day-a-week publication. Although Indiana County is considered to be part of the Pittsburgh DMA
Media market
A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area , Television Market Area , or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same television and radio station offerings, and may also include other types of media including newspapers and Internet content...

 by Nielsen, many area residents view the Johnstown TV stations.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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