Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania

History

Settlement and conflict

The first non-Indigenous settlers began to move into the area from Philadelphia and Connecticut in the mid-1700s. At the time, the area was part of Luzerne County. As more and more people from Connecticut moved in, there began to be some conflict. Connecticut's original land grant gave it control of land within the northern and southern boundaries from present-day Connecticut to the Pacific Ocean. Their land grant overlapped with that of Pennsylvania. Soon fighting began between migrants from each state, resulting in the 1769–1799 Pennamite–Yankee Wars. In the end, the government of Connecticut surrendered its claim on the area.

Formation

In 1810, Susquehanna County was formed out of Luzerne County and later in 1812, Montrose was made the county seat.

Coal and early prosperity

After the Civil War, coal started to be mined. Following this, railways and roads were built into the county allowing for more people to come. At one point the county had nearly 50,000 people. Coal became, as with neighboring counties, the backbone of the economy. This boom in coal would allow for an age of prosperity in the county.

Great Depression

When the Great Depression hit, the coal industry suffered horribly. Within months, the coal industry was struggling. During World War II, the coal industry picked up again, but only for a short time. Soon after, the economy in the county failed. Many mines were closed, railways were torn apart, and the economy took a turn for the worse. Unemployment rose and population decline increased.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 832 sqmi, of which 823 sqmi is land and 8.7 sqmi (1.0%) is water.

Susquehanna County is very mountainous, with large concentrations of mountains in the east and smaller, more hill-like mountains in the west. The highest mountain in the county is North Knob just west of Union Dale. Most people live in one of the several long and mostly narrow valleys. These valleys are good farming land.

The county has a warm-summer humid continental climate (Dfb) and average monthly temperatures in Montrose range from 21.2 °F in January to 67.7 °F in July.

Adjacent counties

• Broome County, New York (north)
• Wayne County (east)
• Lackawanna County (southeast)
• Wyoming County (southwest)
• Bradford County (west)
• Tioga County, New York (northwest)

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2017

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 38,434. The median age was 48.2 years, 19.5% of residents were under the age of 18, and 23.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older; for every 100 females there were 100.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 99.6 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 93.8% White, 0.4% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% Asian,

There were 16,297 households in the county, of which 24.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 49.7% were married-couple households, 19.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 22.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 21,259 housing units, of which 23.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 77.0% were owner-occupied and 23.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.3%.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 42,238 people, 16,529 households, and 11,785 families residing in the county. The population density was 51 /mi2. There were 21,829 housing units at an average density of 26 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 98.54% White, 0.30% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.17% from other races, and 0.60% from two or more races. 0.67% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 26% were of English, 16.1% were of German, 15.1% Irish, 8.6% Italian and 7.7% Polish ancestry.

There were 16,529 households, out of which 31.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.70% were married couples living together, 8.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.70% were non-families. 24.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.50% under the age of 18, 6.70% from 18 to 24, 27.10% from 25 to 44, 25.20% from 45 to 64, and 15.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.80 males.

Politics

|} As of January 9, 2023, there are 27,049 registered voters in Susquehanna County.

• Republican: 16,538 (61.1%)
• Democratic: 6,856 (25.4%)
• Independent: 2,385 (8.8%)
• Third Party: 1,270 (4.7%)

County commissioners

• Alan M. Hall, Chairman
• David Darrow, Vice-Chair
• Robert G. McNamara, Commissioner

https://www.susqco.com/departments/county-commissioners

Law enforcement

all areas in the county use the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) in a law enforcement capacity, either with part-time police departments or with no other police departments.

Row offices

• Clerk of Courts and Prothonotary, Jan Krupinski, Republican
• Coroner, Tony Conarton, Republican
• District Attorney, Marion O'Malley, Republican
• Recorder of Deeds and Register of Wills, Michelle Estabrook, Republican
• Sheriff, Lance Benedict, Republican
• Treasurer, Jason Miller, Republican
• Auditor, George Starzec, Republican
• Auditor, Susan Jennings, Democrat

State Representatives

• Tina Pickett, Republican (110th district) - Apolacon, Auburn, Dimock, Forest Lake, Jessup, Middletown, and Rush Townships, and Little Meadows Borough
• Jonathan Fritz, Republican (111th district) - Ararat, Bridgewater, Brooklyn, Choconut, Clifford, Franklin, Gibson, Great Bend, Harford, Harmony, Herrick, Jackson, Lathrop, Lenox, Liberty, New Milford, Oakland, Silver Lake, Springville, and Thompson Townships, and Friendsville, Great Bend, Hallstead, Hop Bottom, Lanesboro, Montrose, New Milford, Oakland, Susquehanna Depot, Thompson, and Union Dale Boroughs.

State Senators

• Lisa Baker, Republican (20th district) - Ararat, Auburn, Brooklyn, Clifford, Gibson, Great Bend, Harford, Harmony, Herrick, Jackson, Lathrop, Lenox, New Milford, Oakland, Springville, and Thompson Townships, and Forest City, Great Bend, Hallstead, Hop Bottom, Lanesboro, New Milford, Oakland, Susquehanna Depot, Thompson, and Union Dale Boroughs.
• Gene Yaw, Republican (23rd district) - Apolacon, Bridgewater, Choconut, Dimock, Forest Lake, Franklin, Jessup, Liberty, Middletown, Rush and Silver Lake Townships, and Friendsville, Little Meadows, and Montrose Boroughs.

U.S. Representative

• Dan Meuser, Republican (PA-09)

United States Senate

• John Fetterman, Democrat
• David McCormick, Republican

Economy

The economy in the county is mainly made up of retail, health care industry, public school employment, small businesses, and government officials.

Major employers

;2018 Listed in order of number of employees at the end of 2018, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry May 2019 monthly report:

• Montrose Area School District
• Barnes-Kasson County Hospital
• Pennsylvania State Government
• Endless Mountains Health Systems
• Susquehanna County government
• Mountain View School District
• Elk Lake School District
• Gassearch Drilling Services Corp
• Blue Ridge School District
• Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation

;2015

• Barnes-Kasson County Hospital
• Montrose Area School District
• Endless Mountains Health Systems
• C & G Construction Inc
• Elk Lake School District
• Susquehanna County government
• Mountain View School District
• Pennsylvania State Government
• Gassearch Drilling Services Corp
• Blue Ridge School District

;2014

• Montrose Area School District
• Barnes-Kasson County Hospital
• Gassearch Drilling Services Corp
• Endless Mountains Health Systems
• Elk Lake School District
• Blue Ridge School District
• Susquehanna County government
• Mountain View School District
• Elk Mountain Ski Resort INC
• Forest City Regional School District

Natural gas

Since unconventional drilling for natural gas began in 2008. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate in Susquehanna County was 6.1 percent in January 2008. It has since fluctuated between a high of 11.1 percent and a low of 3.1 percent. As of January 2018, the unemployment rate was 5.7 percent. After decades of population growth since the 1950s, the population in Susquehanna County has since begun to decline, concurrent with the expansion of natural gas drilling and accompanying infrastructure. Between 2010 and 2016, there was an estimated population decline of 5.8 percent. As of 2011, there were 1,079 active natural gas wells in the county which had collectively been issued 795 notices of violations by the Department of Environmental Protection of Pennsylvania.

Tourism

Susquehanna County's natural environment, skiing, and small villages make it a growing tourist destination.

Education

Public school districts

School districts include:

• Blue Ridge School District (New Milford)
• Elk Lake School District (Dimock) (also in Wyoming County)
• Forest City Regional School District (Forest City) (also in Lackawanna and Wayne Counties)
• Montrose Area School District (Montrose)
• Mountain View School District (Kingsley)
• Susquehanna Community School District (also in Wayne County)

Public libraries

• Susquehanna County Historical Society & Free Library Association
• Pratt Memorial Library
• Forest City Library
• Hallstead Public Library
• Hallstead-Great Bend Library
• Susquehanna Free Library

Vocational schools

• Susquehanna County Career and Technology Center (Dimock Township)

Intermediate unit

• Luzerne Intermediate Unit 18 Northeast Intermediate Unit 19 (NEIU 19)

Private schools

• Faith Mountain Christian Academy (New Milford)

Transportation

Major highways

Rail

Susquehanna County's last mainline passenger train services, through New Milford and Hallstead, ended in January 1970. Since then, freight trains (presently Norfolk Southern) use the railroad line.

Air

Although Susquehanna County boasts several airstrips, they are strictly recreational. The closest main airports are in Binghamton, New York and Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Recreation

There is one Pennsylvania state park in Susquehanna County:

• Salt Springs State Park is 7 mi north of Montrose, just off Pennsylvania Route 29.

The Nature Conservancy manages two protected wildlife areas:

• The Woodbourne Forest and Wildlife Preserve is a 648 acre area located along Route 29 south of Montrose.
• The Florence Shelly Preserve is a 380 acre area located along Route 171 in Thompson Township.

There are nine properties/districts listed on National Register of Historic Places in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania

Communities

Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, in two cases at most, towns. The following boroughs and townships are located in Susquehanna County:

Boroughs

• Forest City
• Friendsville
• Great Bend
• Hallstead
• Hop Bottom
• Lanesboro
• Little Meadows
• Montrose (county seat)
• New Milford
• Oakland
• Susquehanna Depot
• Thompson
• Union Dale

Townships

• Apolacon
• Ararat
• Auburn
• Bridgewater
• Brooklyn
• Choconut
• Clifford
• Dimock
• Forest Lake
• Franklin
• Gibson
• Great Bend
• Harford
• Harmony
• Herrick
• Jackson
• Jessup
• Lathrop
• Lenox
• Liberty
• Middletown
• New Milford
• Oakland
• Rush
• Silver Lake
• Springville
• Thompson

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Susquehanna County.

† county seat

References

References

1. "Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania".
2. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau.
3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
4. "Township Incorporations, 1790 to 1853". Susquehanna County Historical Society.
5. (2008). "Pennsylvania: Individual County Chronologies". The Newberry Library.
6. (August 22, 2012). "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
7. [http://prism.oregonstate.edu/explorer/ Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model]
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10. (March 24, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau.
11. (April 2, 2001). "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau.
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13. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania".
14. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania".
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16. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
17. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
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19. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
20. The leading "other" candidate, [[Progressive Party (United States, 1912). Progressive]] [[Theodore Roosevelt]], received 2,498 votes, while Socialist candidate [[Eugene V. Debs. Eugene Debs]] received 298 votes, [[Prohibition Party. Prohibition]] candidate [[Eugene W. Chafin. Eugene Chafin]] received 25 votes, and [[Socialist Labor Party of America. Socialist Labor]] candidate [[Arthur Reimer]] received 1 vote.
21. (November 5, 2024). "2024 Senate Election (Official Returns)".
22. "Voter registration statistics by county".
23. Klibanoff, Eleanor. (2016-05-04). "Half of Pa. municipalities rely fully on state police". [[WHYY-TV]].
24. Bugda, Jayne Ann. (February 5, 2018). "Marion O'Malley Sworn in as Susquehanna County D.A.". PAHOMEPAGE.
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29. PA Department of Labor and Industries - Center for Workforce Information & Analysis, Susquehanna County Profile 2014, October 2015
30. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2018). "Unemployment Rate in Susquehanna County, PA".
31. NPR State Impact. (2018). "Shale Play Susquehanna County Natural Gas Wells Map showing active wells and violations".
32. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Susquehanna County, PA". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].
33. Woodbourne Forest and Wildlife Preserve}}, {{cite web. "Woodbourne Forest Preserve". The Nature Conservancy.
34. "Florence Shelly Preserve". Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
35. Promotions, Center for New Media and. "US Census Bureau 2010 Census".