Beale Township is a

township A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Ca ...

in Juniata County,

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, United States. The population was 773 at the 2020 census, a decline from the figure of 830 tabulated in 2010.

History

Beale Township is the location of the Book site, an

archaeological site An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology an ...

dating from the

Woodland period In the classification of :category:Archaeological cultures of North America, archaeological cultures of North America, the Woodland period of North American pre-Columbian cultures spanned a period from roughly 1000 Common Era, BCE to European con ...

. It is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

.Beckerman, Ira. "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Book Site (36 Jul)".

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...

, 1980-08-08. The

Academia Pomeroy Covered Bridge The Academia Pomeroy Covered Bridge at (portal to portal) is the longest remaining covered bridge in Pennsylvania. Built in 1902, this single-lane, double-span wooden covered bridge crosses Tuscarora Creek between Spruce Hill and Beale Townsh ...

and Tuscarora Academy are also listed. The Academia Pomeroy Covered Bridge at (portal to portal) is the longest remaining covered bridge in Pennsylvania, crossing Tuscarora Creek between Spruce Hill and Beale Townships. It has been owned by the Juniata County Historical Society of

Mifflintown Mifflintown is a borough (Pennsylvania), borough in and the county seat of Juniata County, Pennsylvania, Juniata County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 842 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Geography Mifflintown is ...

since 1962.

Geography

The township is in west-central Juniata County, in the

Ridge and Valley The Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, also called the Ridge and Valley Province or the Valley and Ridge Appalachians, are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division and are also a belt within the Appalachian Mountains extending ...

province of the

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They ...

. It is bounded by Shade Mountain to the north and Tuscarora Creek to the south. The Herringbone Ridges form a set of low parallel ridges crossing the center of the township. Unincorporated communities in the township include Walnut, Nook, Doyles Mills, and Academia.

Pennsylvania Route 35 Pennsylvania Route 35 (PA 35) is a state highway located in central Pennsylvania. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 522 (US 522) near Shade Gap. The northern terminus is at US 11/US 15 in Selinsgrove. Route de ...

crosses the northern side of the township, following the valley between Shade Mountain and Herringbone Ridges. According to the

United States 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 ...

, the township has a total area of , all land. The township is drained by Tuscarora Creek and its tributaries and is part of the

Juniata River The Juniata River () is a tributary of the Susquehanna River, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed August 8, 2011 in central Pennsylvania. The river is ...

watershed, flowing to 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 ...

. Beale Township is the only township in Juniata County that does not border one of the counties surrounding Juniata. It is bordered by Milford Township to the north and east, Spruce Hill Township to the south and Tuscarora Township to the west.

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 726 people, 254 households, and 205 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 328 housing units at an average density of 15.0/sq mi (5.8/km). The racial makeup of the township was 97.66%

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 ...

, 0.69%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 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 ...

, 0.41% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.69% 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 ...

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 1.38% of the population. There were 254 households, out of which 36.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.1% 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, 5.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.9% were non-families. 15.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.17. In the township the population was spread out, with 28.0% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 108.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.5 males. The median income for a household in the township was $41,458, and the median income for a family was $43,625. Males had a median income of $31,087 versus $21,818 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 $16,988. About 6.4% of families and 7.4% 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 10.6% of those under age 18 and 1.1% of those age 65 or over.

References

{{authority control Populated places established in 1775 Townships in Juniata County, Pennsylvania Townships in Pennsylvania