Olyphant, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Olyphant is a borough in Lackawanna County
, Pennsylvania
, approximately five miles (8 km) northeast of Scranton
on the Lackawanna River
in the heart of the anthracite
region of the State. Once engaged in the shipping of coal as its main source of employment, Olyphant experienced a severe downturn in the twentieth century. Other industries of the past were the manufacturing of blasting powder, iron and steel goods, cigars, silks, etc. In 1900, the population stood at 6,180 people; in 1910, 8,305; in 1920, 10,326; and in 1940, 9,252. The population was 5,151 at the 2010 census.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the borough has a total area of 5.5 square miles (14.2 km²), of which, 5.4 square miles (14 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (1.82%) is water.
of 2010, there were 5,151 people, 2,324 households, and 1,357 families residing in the borough. The population density
was 953.9 people per square mile (368.3/km²). There were 2,521 housing units at an average density of 466.9 per square mile (182.4/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 96.2% White, 1.6% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.7% from other races
, and 1.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.4% of the population.
There were 2,324 households out of which 23.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.9% were married couples
living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.6% were non-families. 36.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the borough the population was spread out with 19.3% under the age of 18, 63.7% from 18 to 64, and 17% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.6 years.
The median income for a household in the borough was $32,721, and the median income for a family was $45,091. Males had a median income of $30,647 versus $24,825 for females. The per capita income
for the borough was $17,049. About 7.4% of families and 11.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.2% of those under age 18 and 24.2% of those age 65 or over.
. Prior to the district's founding, the town had a series of public schools. Most of the Catholic churches in town also at one point had their own school as well as St. Cyril's Ukrainian Catholic church. Private schools in other towns though receive Olyphant students, among them La Salle Academy
in Jessup (K-8), Bishop O'Hara High School
in Dunmore and Scranton Preparatory School
in Scranton.
Broadway actress Judy McLane (played Tania in Mama Mia!) was born in Olyphant, PA, though she proudly states in interviews that she was "raised near Scranton, Pennsylvania." http://wb-scranton-movies.blogspot.com/2006_07_01_wb-scranton-movies_archive.html
Mike Gazella
was a utility infielder for the 1926-28 New York Yankees. He brought Babe Ruth for a visit to Olyphant during the Babe’s prime. http://www.baseball-reference.com/g/gazelmi01.shtml
Nestor Chylak
, American League umpire, and only the eighth umpire in the Baseball Hall of Fame. http://chylak.maslar-online.com/
Actress Patricia Crowley. http://www.glamourgirlsofthesilverscreen.com/show.php?id=55
http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/filmography.html?p_id=15973
Michael J. Metrinko, taken hostage in Tehran, Iran in 1979, held 444 days. http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200412/bowden Metrinko also was the hero (and dedicatee) of the book Razi Crossing, by Tom Burchill, when he saved a number of westerners' lives during a revolutionary uprising in Tabriz, Iran in 1978. http://www.bublos.com/isbn/1412072697.html
mystery, is hidden within Olyphant. Hints are said to be encoded in the location of the town's many downtown churches, the positions of which, if plotted on a map, form roughly the same pattern as the stars in the constellation Orion
. http://www.xradiograph.com/xradiograph//OlyphantUniverseMap-2002-11-12b.jpg Others have made speculative hay of the town's elevation, which is supposedly twice the height of the Great Pyramid of Giza
. A thorough discussion of this can be found here: http://www.burlingtonnews.net/olyphant.html
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...
, approximately five miles (8 km) northeast 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...
in the heart of the anthracite
Anthracite coal
Anthracite is a hard, compact variety of mineral coal that has a high luster...
region of the State. Once engaged in the shipping of coal as its main source of employment, Olyphant experienced a severe downturn in the twentieth century. Other industries of the past were the manufacturing of blasting powder, iron and steel goods, cigars, silks, etc. In 1900, the population stood at 6,180 people; in 1910, 8,305; in 1920, 10,326; and in 1940, 9,252. The population was 5,151 at the 2010 census.
Geography
Olyphant is located at 41°27′45"N 75°35′44"W (41.462630, -75.595617).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 5.5 square miles (14.2 km²), of which, 5.4 square miles (14 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (1.82%) is water.
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 5,151 people, 2,324 households, and 1,357 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 953.9 people per square mile (368.3/km²). There were 2,521 housing units at an average density of 466.9 per square mile (182.4/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 96.2% White, 1.6% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.7% 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 1.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.4% of the population.
There were 2,324 households out of which 23.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.9% 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, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.6% were non-families. 36.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the borough the population was spread out with 19.3% under the age of 18, 63.7% from 18 to 64, and 17% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.6 years.
The median income for a household in the borough was $32,721, and the median income for a family was $45,091. Males had a median income of $30,647 versus $24,825 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 $17,049. About 7.4% of families and 11.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.2% of those under age 18 and 24.2% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Olyphant 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...
. Prior to the district's founding, the town had a series of public schools. Most of the Catholic churches in town also at one point had their own school as well as St. Cyril's Ukrainian Catholic church. Private schools in other towns though receive Olyphant students, among them La Salle Academy
La Salle Academy
La Salle Academy is a private, all boys high school in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is a part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York....
in Jessup (K-8), Bishop O'Hara High School
Bishop O'Hara High School
Bishop O'Hara High School was a high school located in Dunmore, Pennsylvania. It opened in 1964 with the name Dunmore Central Catholic. It closed in June 2007 and merged with Bishop Hannan High School to form Holy Cross High School....
in Dunmore and Scranton Preparatory School
Scranton Preparatory School
Scranton Preparatory School is a Catholic and Jesuit college preparatory day school for boys and girls. The current enrollment is 860 students. Prep is fully accredited by the Pennsylvania State Department of Public Instruction and by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools...
in Scranton.
Notable people
The borough was originally named Queen City but later the community was named after George Talbot Olyphant, president of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company.Broadway actress Judy McLane (played Tania in Mama Mia!) was born in Olyphant, PA, though she proudly states in interviews that she was "raised near Scranton, Pennsylvania." http://wb-scranton-movies.blogspot.com/2006_07_01_wb-scranton-movies_archive.html
Mike Gazella
Mike Gazella
Michael Gazella was an American major league baseball player who played for the New York Yankees on several championship teams in the 1920s....
was a utility infielder for the 1926-28 New York Yankees. He brought Babe Ruth for a visit to Olyphant during the Babe’s prime. http://www.baseball-reference.com/g/gazelmi01.shtml
Nestor Chylak
Nestor Chylak
Nestor George Chylak, Jr. was an American umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the American League from 1954 to 1978.He was born in Olyphant, Pennsylvania of Ukrainian descent, and attended the University of Scranton, where he studied engineering...
, American League umpire, and only the eighth umpire in the Baseball Hall of Fame. http://chylak.maslar-online.com/
Actress Patricia Crowley. http://www.glamourgirlsofthesilverscreen.com/show.php?id=55
http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/filmography.html?p_id=15973
Michael J. Metrinko, taken hostage in Tehran, Iran in 1979, held 444 days. http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200412/bowden Metrinko also was the hero (and dedicatee) of the book Razi Crossing, by Tom Burchill, when he saved a number of westerners' lives during a revolutionary uprising in Tabriz, Iran in 1978. http://www.bublos.com/isbn/1412072697.html
Legend
According to certain occult theorists, a hidden treasure, or alternatively, some form of occultOccult
The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...
mystery, is hidden within Olyphant. Hints are said to be encoded in the location of the town's many downtown churches, the positions of which, if plotted on a map, form roughly the same pattern as the stars in the constellation Orion
Orion (constellation)
Orion, often referred to as The Hunter, is a prominent constellation located on the celestial equator and visible throughout the world. It is one of the most conspicuous, and most recognizable constellations in the night sky...
. http://www.xradiograph.com/xradiograph//OlyphantUniverseMap-2002-11-12b.jpg Others have made speculative hay of the town's elevation, which is supposedly twice the height of the Great Pyramid of Giza
Great Pyramid of Giza
The Great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis bordering what is now El Giza, Egypt. It is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only one to remain largely intact...
. A thorough discussion of this can be found here: http://www.burlingtonnews.net/olyphant.html
External links
- Pointon, Terri. Rootsweb.com. St. Patrick's Cemetery, Olyphant, Pennsylvania.