Cherry Tree is a borough in Indiana 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 276 at the 2020 census.

History

Cherry Tree was originally known as "Canoe Place" because its location marked the spot where the West Branch of the Susquehanna River was no longer navigable and canoes would have to portage. The latter settlement was known as "Newman's Mills" and later "Grant Post Office". The current name was officially adopted in 1907 but had been in use informally by local residents for many years before that time. Cherry Tree was named for a large cherry tree that stood at the confluence of Cush Cushion Creek and the West Branch of the Susquehanna River. The tree marked the eastern boundary of the territory acquired by the Penn family from the Six Nations of the

Iroquois The Iroquois ( or ), officially the Haudenosaunee ( meaning "people of the longhouse"), are an Iroquoian-speaking confederacy of First Nations peoples in northeast North America/ Turtle Island. They were known during the colonial years to ...

at the

Treaty of Fort Stanwix The Treaty of Fort Stanwix was a treaty signed between representatives from the Iroquois and Great Britain (accompanied by negotiators from New Jersey, Virginia and Pennsylvania) in 1768 at Fort Stanwix. It was negotiated between Sir William J ...

on November 5, 1768. The boundary, called the " purchase line", extended from the cherry tree westward to the current site of Kittanning on the Allegheny River. Cherry Tree was a center of the

lumber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, wi ...

industry in the later 19th century.

Geography

Cherry Tree is situated mostly in a valley near the headwaters of West Branch of the Susquehanna River where the river is fed by Cush Cushion Creek. The borough is located at (40.726420, -78.807558) in the eastern corner of Indiana County where it intersects with Clearfield and Cambria Counties. 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 t ...

, the borough has a total area of , all land.

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 in ...

of 2000, there were 443 people, 142 households, and 111 families residing in the borough. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...

was 833.4 people per square mile (322.7/km²). There were 157 housing units at an average density of 295.3 per square mile (114.4/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 99.32%

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 o ...

and 0.68%

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 ...

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties forme ...

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 0.68% of the population. There were 142 households, out of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.8% were married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.8% were non-families. 16.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% 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 3.24. In the borough the population was spread out, with 23.7% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 18.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 100.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.4 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $26,607, and the median income for a family was $31,625. Males had a median income of $23,667 versus $17,344 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 borough was $11,742. About 17.8% of families and 20.3% 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 26.3% of those under age 18 and 24.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The borough is governed by a seven-member council and a mayor. The police department consists of three part-time officers and a police chief. The council's annual budget is approximately $85,000. Fire protection is provided by the Cherry Tree Volunteer Fire Co. The borough maintains a playground, softball fields, the Purchase Line Monument, and Canoe Place Park, which is a canoe access point along the river. Cherry Tree is served by the Harmony Area School District.

References

{{authority control Portages in the United States Populated places established in 1800 Boroughs in Indiana County, Pennsylvania 1800 establishments in Pennsylvania