Everything about Allegheny County totally explained
Allegheny County is a
county in the southwestern part of the
U.S. state of
Pennsylvania. As of the
2000 census, the population was 1,281,666. The
county seat is
Pittsburgh. The county forms the nucleus of the
Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area,
Pittsburgh DMA and
Pittsburgh Tri-State Area.
History
Allegheny County was the first in Pennsylvania to be given a
Native American name, being named after the
Allegheny River. The word "Allegheny" is of
Lenape origin, with uncertain meaning. It is usually said to mean "fine river", but sometimes said to refer to an ancient mythical tribe called "Allegewi" who live along the river long ago before being destroyed by the Lenape.
Not a great deal is known about the native inhabitants of the region prior to European contact. During the colonial era various native groups claimed or settled in the area, resulting in a multi-ethnic mix that included
Iroquois,
Lenape,
Shawnee, and
Mingo.
The first
Europeans to enter the area were the
French in 1749. Captain
Pierre Joseph de Celeron, sieur de Blainville claimed the
Ohio Valley and all of Western Pennsylvania for
Louis XV of France. The captain traveled along the
Ohio and Allegheny Rivers inserting lead plates in the ground to mark the land for
France.
Since most of the towns during that era were developed along
waterways, both the French and the British desired control over the local rivers. Therefore, the British sent Major
George Washington to try to compel the French to leave their posts, with no success. Having failed in his mission, he returned and nearly drowned crossing the ice-filled Allegheny River. In 1754, the English tried again to enter the area. This time, they sent 41 Virginians to build
Fort Prince George. The French got news of the plan and sent an army to take over the fort, which they then resumed building with increased fortification, renaming it
Fort Duquesne.
The loss of the fort cost the English dearly because
Fort Duquesne became one of the focal points of the
French and Indian War. The first attempt to retake the fort, by General
Edward Braddock, failed miserably. It wasn't until General
John Forbes attacked in 1758, four years after they'd lost the original fort, that they recaptured and destroyed it. They subsequently built a new fort on the site, including a moat, and named it
Fort Pitt. The site is now Pittsburgh's
Point State Park.
Both Pennsylvania and
Virginia claimed the region that's now Allegheny County. Pennsylvania administered most of the region as part
Westmoreland County. Virginia considered everything south of the
Ohio River and east of the
Allegheny River to be part of its
Yohogania County and governed it from
Fort Dunmore. In addition, parts of the county were located in the proposed British colony of
Vandalia and the proposed U.S. state of
Westsylvania. The overlapping boundaries, multiple governments, and confused deed claims soon proved unworkable. In 1780 Pennsylvania and Virginia agreed to extend the
Mason-Dixon line westward and the region became part of Pennsylvania. From 1781 until 1788, much of what had been claimed as part of Yohogania County, Virginia, was administered as a part of the newly created
Washington County, Pennsylvania.
Allegheny County was officially created on
September 24,
1788 from parts of
Washington and
Westmoreland counties. It was formed due to pressure from settlers living in the area around
Pittsburgh, which became the
county seat in 1791. The county originally extended all the way north to the shores of
Lake Erie and became the "mother county" for most of what is now northwestern Pennsylvania. By 1800, the county's current borders were set.
In the 1790s, a
whiskey excise tax was imposed by the
United States Federal Government. This started the so-called
Whiskey Rebellion when the farmers who depended on whiskey income refused to pay and drove off a local town's marshal. After a series of demonstrations by farmers, President
George Washington arrived with troops to stop the rebellion.
The area developed rapidly throughout the
19th century to become the center of steel production in the nation.
Pittsburgh would later be labeled as the "Steel Capital of the World."
Law and government
For most of the
20th century, until 1999, Allegheny County was governed exclusively under the state's Second Class County Code. Under this code, the county handled everything: elections, prisons, airports, public health and city planning. Unlike the rest of the state, where certain public offices are combined and held by one person, in Allegheny County all public offices are held by elected individuals.
Before
January 1,
2000, there were three county
commissioners. These were replaced with an elected chief officer (the county executive), a county council with 15 members (13 elected by district, two elected county-wide), and an appointed county manager. The changes were intended to maintain a separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches while providing the citizens with greater control over the government.
The county has 130 municipalities, each with its own governmental setup; no other county in Pennsylvania has nearly as many, with Luzerne County's 76 being second. The county has one
Second Class City (
Pittsburgh) and three
Third Class Cities (
Clairton,
Duquesne, and
McKeesport).
A 2004 study by the
University of Pittsburgh stated that Allegheny County would be better served by consolidating the southeastern portion of the county (which includes many small, poor communities) into one large municipality, called "
Rivers City," which would have a combined population of approximately 250,000.
(External Link
)
Politics
Presidential Election Results 1960-2004>
| Year |
Democrat |
Republican |
| 2004 |
57.15% 368,912 |
42.13% 271,925 |
| 2000 |
56.65% 329,963 |
40.41% 235,361 |
| 1996 |
52.82% 284,480 |
37.89% 204,067 |
| 1992 |
52.75% 324,004 |
29.80% 183,035 |
| 1988 |
59.51% 348,814 |
39.43% 231,137 |
| 1984 |
55.96% 372,576 |
42.76% 284,692 |
| 1980 |
47.87% 297,464 |
43.75% 271,850 |
| 1976 |
50.68% 328,343 |
46.79% 303,127 |
| 1972 |
42.26% 282,496 |
55.60% 371,737 |
| 1968 |
51.12% 364,906 |
37.09% 264,790 |
| 1964 |
66.03% 475,207 |
33.58% 241,707 |
| 1960 |
57.07% 428,455 |
42.76% 320,970 |
Geography
Allegheny County is known for the three major rivers that flow through it: the
Allegheny and the
Monongahela converge at
Pittsburgh to form the
Ohio river. An additional river, the
Youghiogheny, meets the Monongahela at
McKeesport, 10 miles south. Despite its industrial growth, much of Allegheny County is covered with forests.
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 745
square miles (1,929
km²); 730 square miles (1,891 km²) of it's land and 15 square miles (38 km²) of it (1.95%) is water.
Adjacent counties
Demographics
As of the
census of 2000, there were 1,281,666 people, 537,150 households, and 332,495 families residing in the county. The
population density was 1,755 people per square mile (678/km²). There were 583,646 housing units at an average density of 799 per square mile (309/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 84.33%
White, 12.41%
Black or
African American, 0.12%
Native American, 1.69%
Asian, 0.03%
Pacific Islander, 0.34% from
other races, and 1.07% from two or more races. About 0.87% of the population were
Hispanic or
Latino of any race. 20.0% were of
German, 15.0%
Italian, 12.7%
Irish, 7.5%
Polish and 5.1%
English ancestry according to
Census 2000. 93.5% spoke
English and 1.3%
Spanish as their first language.
There were 537,150 households out of which 26.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.10% were
married couples living together, 12.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.10% were non-families. Some 32.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.96.
The population was spread out with 21.90% under the age of 18, 8.50% from 18 to 24, 28.30% from 25 to 44, 23.40% from 45 to 64, and 17.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40. For every 100 females, there were 90.00 males; for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.20 males.
Economy
In the late
1700s farming played a critical role in the growth of the area. There was a surplus of grain due to transportation difficulties in linking with the eastern portion of the state. As a result, the farmers distilled the grain into
whiskey, which significantly helped the farmers financially.
The area quickly became one of the key manufacturing areas in the young nation.
Pittsburgh quickly became the largest inland port in the nation, which it remains today. Coupled with deposits of iron and coal, and the easy access to waterways for barge traffic, the city quickly became one of the most important steel producing areas in the world.
With the decline of the steel industry in the U.S., the area shifted to other industries. Today, it's known for its hospitals, universities, and industrial centers. Despite the decline of heavy industry, Pittsburgh is home to a number of major companies and is ranked in the
top ten among U.S. cities hosting headquarters of Fortune 500 corporations. These include
U.S. Steel Corporation,
PNC Financial Services Group,
PPG Industries, and
H J Heinz Corporation.
Municipalities
Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities:
cities,
boroughs,, and, in at most two cases,
towns. The following cities, boroughs and townships are in Allegheny County:
Cities
Clairton
Duquesne
McKeesport
Pittsburgh
Boroughs
Townships
Census-designated places
Census-designated places are geographical areas designated by the U.S. Census Bureau for the purposes of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law. Other unincorporated communities, such as villages, may be listed here as well.
Carnot-Moon
Curtisville
Imperial-Enlow
Russellton
Sturgeon-Noblestown
Former Municipalities and Political Subdivisions
Many political subdivisions of Allegheny County have come and gone through subdivision or annexation through the years. These include:
Allegheny City - the area that's now the North Shore (or North Side) of the City of Pittsburgh, north of the Allegheny River.
Allentown Borough - now the neighborhood of Allentown in Pittsburgh.
Birmingham Borough - what is now Pittsburgh's South Side.
Carrick Borough - now the neighborhood of Carrick. Formed out of Baldwin Township in 1904, this borough existed until it was annexed by Pittsburgh in 1927. It was named for Carrick-on-Suir, Ireland. To this day, some of the manhole covers bear the Carrick Borough name.
Collins Township - in what is now the Strip District and Lawrenceville of the City of Pittsburgh.
McClure Township - McClure was formed in 1858 from the section of Ross Township adjacent to Allegheny City. In 1867 McClure, along with sections of Reserve Township, was incorporated into Allegheny City. The McClure section of this
annexation became Wards 9 (Woods Run Area) and 11 (present day Brighton Heights) in the City of Pittsburgh.
St. Clair Township - stretched from the Monongahela River south to the Washington County line. It divided into Lower St. Clair, which eventually became part of the City of Pittsburgh, and Upper St. Clair.
Snowden - now known as South Park Township.
Temperanceville - what is now Pittsburgh's West End.
Union Borough - the area surrounding Temperanceville.
The welcome signs of these cities, boroughs and townships are chronicled on the popular website Allegheny County Quest
Education
Colleges and universities
The Art Institute of Pittsburgh
Byzantine Catholic Seminary
Carlow University
Carnegie Mellon University
Chatham College
DeVry University
Duquesne University
La Roche College
Penn State Greater Allegheny
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
Point Park University
Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary
Robert Morris University
University of Pittsburgh
Community, Junior and Technical Colleges
Bidwell Training Center
Bradford School
Career Training Academy
Community College of Allegheny County
Dean Institute of Technology
Duff's Business Institute
ICM School of Business and Medical Careers
International Academy of Design and Technology
ITT Technical Institute
Median School of Allied Health Careers
Pennsylvania Culinary Institute
Pittsburgh Beauty Academy
Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics
Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science
Pittsburgh Technical Institute
Rosedale Technical Institute
Triangle Tech
Western School of Health and Business Careers
Public School Districts
Transportation
Allegheny County's public transportation provider is the Port Authority of Allegheny County.
For information about roads, see list of State Routes in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh/Allegheny County Belt System.
Recreation
There are two Pennsylvania state parks in Allegheny County:
Allegheny Islands State Park is in the Allegheny River in Harmar Township and is undeveloped.
Point State Park at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers in downtown Pittsburgh.
Notable Natives and Residents
James Mitchell Ashley, born in Allegheny County, member of United States Congress from Ohio, railroad president, and governor of Montana territory
James Bowman (1793-1842), born in Allegheny County, noted portrait artist Major League Sports Teams
Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team
Pittsburgh Steelers football team
Pittsburgh Penguins ice hockey teamFurther Information
Get more info on 'Allegheny County'.
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