Asylum Township is a township in
Bradford County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of
Northeastern Pennsylvania. The population was 999 at the 2020 census.
The town contains the historic site of
French Azilum.
Geography
Asylum Township is located in southeastern Bradford County along the southwest side of the
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River (; Lenape: Siskëwahane) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, overlapping between the lower Northeast and the Upland South. At long, it is the longest river on the East Coast of the ...
. It is bordered by
Terry Township to the southeast,
Albany Township to the south,
Monroe Township to the west, and
Towanda Township to the northwest. Across the Susquehanna River are
Wysox Township to the north,
Standing Stone Township to the northeast, and
Wyalusing Township to the east. There is a crossing of the Susquehanna at Asylum Township's northern end, where
Pennsylvania Route 187
Pennsylvania Route 187 (PA 187) is a state highway located in Wyoming and Bradford counties in Pennsylvania. The southern terminus is at PA 87 in Lovelton. The northern terminus is at the New York state line, north of Windham Center. The route ...
crosses from the unincorporated community of Macedonia into the unincorporated community of Wysox.
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, Asylum Township has a total area of , of which is land and , or 4.12%, is water.
History
After the
Haitian revolution
The Haitian Revolution (french: révolution haïtienne ; ht, revolisyon ayisyen) was a successful insurrection by slave revolt, self-liberated slaves against French colonial rule in Saint-Domingue, now the sovereign state of Haiti. The revolt ...
in 1791, French aristocrats moved from Haiti to the town, and stayed there until
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
let them back in France in the early 1800s.
Demographics
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 1,097 people, 417 households, and 319 families residing in the township. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 42.8 people per square mile (16.5/km). There were 501 housing units at an average density of 19.6/sq mi (7.6/km). The racial makeup of the township was 98.09%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 0.18%
Native American, 0.55%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.55% from
other races, and 0.64% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 0.55% of the population.
There were 417 households, out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.3% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.5% were non-families. 18.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the township the population was spread out, with 25.6% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.6 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $35,714, and the median income for a family was $40,000. Males had a median income of $30,658 versus $25,455 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the township was $17,102. About 7.1% of families and 8.2% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 10.1% of those under age 18 and 11.1% of those age 65 or over.
Notable people
*
John Laporte (1798–1862), born in Asylum,
congressman
A Member of Congress (MOC) is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The term member of parliament (MP) is an equivalen ...
from Pennsylvania
*
Ada Matilda (Cole) Bittenbender, born 1848 in Asylum, and by 1888 she was the first woman admitted to practice before the
Supreme Court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
and the third woman admitted to the bar in
Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...
. She authored a chapter on 'Women in Law' in the book, 'Woman's Work in America' and was devoted to women's rights and protections.
References
External links
Asylum Townshipat Bradford County official website
{{authority control
Populated places established in 1793
Townships in Bradford County, Pennsylvania
Townships in Pennsylvania
1793 establishments in Pennsylvania