Aliquippa
| Aliquippa | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 City center, 2014 |
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| Location in Pennsylvania | |||
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| Basic data | |||
| Foundation : | 1928 | ||
| State : | United States | ||
| State : | Pennsylvania | ||
| County : | Beaver County | ||
| Coordinates : | 40 ° 37 ′ N , 80 ° 16 ′ W | ||
| Time zone : | Eastern ( UTC − 5 / −4 ) | ||
| Residents : | 9,438 (as of 2010) | ||
| Height : | 281 m | ||
| Website : | aliquippapa.gov | ||
Aliquippa is a city in Beaver County in the US state of Pennsylvania on the Ohio River , about 30 km northwest of Pittsburgh . The present place was created in 1928 by the union of the two parishes of Aliquippa and Woodlawn (with the village of New Sheffield). Aliquippa experienced a first development spurt with the railway and an amusement park , from which the name of the city comes. The history of the city is strongly linked to the local steel mill , the Aliquippa Works . The town, like many others in the Rust Belt , flourished in the mid-20th century. Since the departure of the steel industry there have been major economic problems. At the 2010 census , 9,438 people lived in Aliquippa.
geography
Geographical location
Aliquippa is located on the steep south bank of the Ohio , which at this point runs more in a south-north direction. Much of the city lies in the valley of the Logstown Run and its side valleys.
Neighboring communities
Aliquippa is completely enclosed on the land side by Hopewell Township , on the east side the Ohio forms the border. On the other bank of the river from north to south are the communities Economy , Baden , Harmony Township and Ambridge .
City structure
The city emerged from three districts that have grown together today:
- West Aliquippa in the northeast, the original place Aliquippa
- Woodlawn, today's center of the city - corresponds roughly to the historic Logstown Bottom
- New Sheffield to the west
history
City history
The area of today's city of Aliquippa was first reclaimed by the peasant population of the nearby American village of Logstown . The area was then called Logstown Bottom. From the 1770s, white colonists settled there. In 1793, for example, Aliquippa's oldest church, the former White Oak Flats Presbyterian Church , was built in the New Sheffield settlement. Over time, New Sheffield grew into a small village.
Beginning of industrialization and the Aliquippa Park
In 1879 the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad opened its route from Beaver to Pittsburgh, Logstown Bottom received a train station . Around the same time, a post office called Woodlawn was also built nearby . This name was transferred to the settlement and the train station. Woodlawn also grew into its own village due to the train station and natural gas discoveries .
In 1880, the railroad company established an amusement park north of Woodlawn to attract more travelers. The Aliquippa Park quickly evolved into a popular tourist destination, including a were there in the late 1880s roller coaster , a restaurant and a dance club opened. In order to do justice to the thousands of guests, the railway company set up its own station for the park. For example, a local newspaper reported in August 1892 about a big picnic in Aliquippa hosted by a charity:
“Aliquippa on the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad was a busy place yesterday. (...) The wonderful weather, coupled with the natural beauty of the magnificent old park, gave the 15,000 people who came, perhaps the best time they have ever had. It was probably the biggest picnic ever in the district, and the organizers have to give credit to the organizers for the details. (...)
It was a good-humored casserole that gathered as the day progressed. Every single person smiled, forgot their gloomy thoughts and let themselves in for the pleasure. There were all kinds of games that didn't have to be paid for, and the fakirs showed the latest inventions of their craft. There were three music groups present to liven up the day with music. Such a large audience gave themselves up to the dance that the two large dance floors were not enough. The sporting competitions, attended by thousands of people, began around four o'clock. (...)
Boating seemed to be the most popular attraction. The ferryman was only able to offer the crowd 30 rowing boats, which were in use all day, while hundreds waited on the bank for their turn. When evening came, the crowd began to dissolve, all with the thought that they had had a great and beautiful picnic. "
Near the park and train station, the railroad established a new settlement, which was registered as the Aliquippa Borough in 1894 . The name is reminiscent of the Seneca queen Aliquippa. The railway company chose the name for the place rather by chance, as they named all new train stations after well-known indigenous personalities.
Prime time with the steel industry
In 1905 the Jones and Laughlin Steel Company began to build a large steel mill , the Aliquippa Works , in Woodlawn on the banks of the Ohio . In 1908/1909 the amusement park, which was now run down, also had to give way to the steelworks. Due to the plant, the place grew rapidly, in 1908 Woodlawn became its own borough. In 1912 an electric tram was opened. New Sheffield was incorporated into Woodlawn in 1926 , and in 1928 the boroughs Woodlawn and Aliquippa were combined. Although the place now called West Aliquippa was much smaller than Woodlawn, the name Aliquippa was chosen for the new parish because the steel mill was also known by this name.
The steel mill operators developed the Woodlawn as a company town from the start . Were targeted immigrants recruited from different countries and to ethnic groups separated into their own blocks of houses , the numbered plans, housed. The steel company influenced almost everything in the city. Because of this and its remote location, the city was popularly known as "Little Siberia". It wasn't until the mid-1930s that unions began to question this supremacy. The development culminated in a strike in 1937 , and over the next few years urban society emancipated itself.
City center with the steel mill in the background, 1938 (Photo by Arthur Rothstein )
Street scene in the center, 1938 (Photo by Arthur Rothstein )
Houses in a stream valley in Aliquippa, 1941 (Photo by Jack Delano )
Greek restaurant in Aliquippa, 1941 (Photo by Jack Delano )
Children in a poor apartment, 1941 (Photo by John Vachon)
Steel workers on their way home, unionists handing out newspapers, 1941 (Photo by Jack Delano ). The bus goes to plan 12 .
Decline
The collapse of the steel industry in the 1980s hit the city hard. The Aliquippa Works , now under the direction of the LTV Corporation , were almost completely shut down in 1984. In one fell swoop, 8,000 people became unemployed. The closure set in motion , after the urban escape that had already occurred , a de-urbanization process that has not yet been completed. In 1985, the last passenger train that had connected Aliquippa to Beaver and Pittsburgh was also discontinued. Many stores have moved since the plant closed. The crime rate increased dramatically over time. Aliquippa was transformed into a city in 1987 .
Population development
| year | Aliquippa | Woodlawn |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 620 | - |
| 1910 | 1 743 | 1 396 |
| 1920 | 2,931 | 12 459 |
| 1930 | 27 117 * | |
| 1940 | 27 023 | |
| 1950 | 26 132 | |
| 1960 | 26 369 | |
| 1970 | 22 277 | |
| 1980 | 17 094 | |
| 1990 | 13 374 | |
| 2000 | 11 734 | |
| 2010 | 9 438 | |
Local politics and social affairs
The Aliquippa City Council has four members (as of 2020). Mayor since November 2011 is Dwan B. Walker, the first African American in this office.
The city has been in dire financial straits since 1987, receiving grants from the Pennsylvania state government. In 2019, 34% of the population had an income that was below the poverty line .
Economy and Infrastructure
economy
The largest companies in the city are now in the business and commercial park to the west of the city, the former New Sheffield. The Aliquippa Industrial Park was created on the site of the former steel mill .
Public facilities
The listed library was donated by the industrialist daughter Elisabeth Horne, it was opened in 1929 and has been in operation ever since. The building has only changed slightly to this day.
There are two public schools in Aliquippa , the Aliquippa Elementary School and the Aliquippa Junior / Senior High School . There are also several private schools in the city.
Aliquippa has a local police department , a fire station , a building authority and several municipal parks and sports facilities.
traffic
Pennsylvania Route 51 runs through Aliquippa , west of the city there is a junction with Interstate 376 . The city of Ambridge on the opposite bank of the river can be reached via the Ambridge-Aliquippa Bridge near West Economy . Aliquippa is now served by Beaver County Transport Authority's bus route 2 , which connects the city with Beaver's administrative center .
The railway line of the former Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad is now operated by CSX Transportation , there is only freight traffic . The industrial area is served by the Aliquippa and Ohio River Railroad .
The nearest airport is Pittsburgh International Airport , about 15 minutes by car from Aliquippa.
The Ohio is navigable in Aliquippa, and cargo ships can dock at the Aliquippa Terminals in the south of the city.
Personalities
- Gust Avrakotos (1938-2005), officer
- Kenny Easterday (1973-2016), film actor
- Ty Law (born 1974), American football player
- Henry Mancini (1924–1994), composer, spent his youth in Aliquippa
- Pete Maravich (1947–1988), basketball player
literature
- Cindy Murphy, Ed Murphy: Aliquippa . Arcadia Publishing, Charleston, South Carolina 2013, ISBN 978-0-7385-9930-4 .
Web links
- Aliquippa city website
- Photo documentation from Aliquippa, made in July 1938 (Arthur Rothstein) and January 1941 (Delano, Vachon) for the Farm Security Administration , online in the archive of the Library of Congress
- private website about the history of Aliquippa and the Aliquippa Works with many old pictures
Individual evidence
- ↑ City of Aliquippa (Ed.): Zoning and Overlay Zoning Districts Map . 2008 ( aliquippapa.gov [PDF; accessed May 15, 2020]).
- ↑ a b c d e f g ALIQUIPPA. (No longer available online.) In: Beaver County Bicentennial Atlas. Archived from the original on May 2, 2015 ; accessed on May 13, 2020 (English).
- ↑ Jeffrey Snedden: Histories & Mysteries: President McKinley and the Logstown question. In: Beaver County Times. February 6, 2018, accessed May 14, 2020 .
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i Gabriel Ireton: History - City of Aliquippa. Retrieved May 14, 2020 (American English).
- ^ Clifford J. Smith: Early History of Hopewell Township. Hopewell Township PA, accessed May 16, 2020 .
- ↑ a b Jeffrey Snedden: Histories & Mysteries: The Legacy of The Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad. In: Beaver County Times. April 24, 2018, accessed May 14, 2020 .
- ^ History of Beaver County, Pennsylvania . A. Warner & Co., Philadelphia, Chicago 1888, p. 577 (English, archive.org [accessed on May 16, 2020]).
- ↑ a b Jeffrey Snedden: History in a Minute: Aliquippa Park. In: Beaver County Times. on Youtube , October 13, 2017, accessed on May 14, 2020 .
- ↑ Translated from: Pittsburgh Dispatch (Ed.): Out In The Woods . August 2, 1892, p. 5 ( psu.edu [accessed May 15, 2020]).
- ↑ GNIS Detail - Aliquippa. In: United States Geological Survey . Retrieved May 13, 2020 (English).
- ^ A b David Pacchioli: Forged in Steel. Penn State University , 1999, accessed May 15, 2020 .
- ↑ Figures 1900–2010 according to census results
- ^ Aliquippa City Council - City of Aliquippa. Retrieved May 15, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ Mayor Dwan B. Walker - City of Aliquippa. Retrieved May 15, 2020 (American English).
- ^ Dwan B. Walker: Aliquippa: Powered by Passionate People | #PAProud blog. In: PA Department of Community & Economic Development. December 24, 2018, accessed May 15, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ US Census Bureau QuickFacts: Aliquippa city, Pennsylvania. Retrieved on May 16, 2020 (English).
- ^ About - BF Jones Memorial Library. Retrieved May 15, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ Albert Tannler: Architecture Feature: BF Jones Memorial Library, Aliquippa, Pa. Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation, August 2, 2017, accessed May 15, 2020 .
- ^ Aliquippa School District Home. Retrieved May 15, 2020 .
- ^ Aliquippa Police Department - City of Aliquippa. Retrieved May 15, 2020 (American English).
- ^ Aliquippa Fire Department - City of Aliquippa. Retrieved May 15, 2020 (American English).
- ^ Public Works Department - City of Aliquippa. Retrieved May 15, 2020 (American English).
- ^ Recreation - City of Aliquippa. Retrieved May 15, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ Beaver County Transport Authority: Route 2 Map | BCTA. Retrieved May 14, 2020 (English).
- ^ Aliquippa & Ohio River Railroad. Retrieved May 15, 2020 .
- ^ Aliquippa Terminals Inc .: Home. Retrieved May 15, 2020 .
- ↑ Port of Pittsburgh Commission: Aliquippa Terminals, Inc. Retrieved May 15, 2020 .