Gilberton is a
borough
A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
In the Middle A ...
in
Schuylkill 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, four miles (7 km) west by south of
Mahanoy City. Its population was 583 at the 2020 census,
a decline from the figure of 769 tabulated in 2010.
Extensive deposits of
anthracite coal are in the region, and
coal-mining
Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from ...
had been practiced by many of the 4,373 people who lived there in 1900. The coal-mining industry was thriving in 1910, and 5,401 people lived in Gilberton.
Etymology
Gilberton is named for John Gilbert, a coal mine owner.
Geography
Gilberton is located at (40.797496, -76.225781).
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 , of which is land and (2.74%) is water.
The borough is made up of three small villages,
Mahanoy Plane, Maizeville and Gilberton proper.
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 867 people, 385 households, and 219 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 608.3 people per square mile (234.1/km
2). There were 474 housing units at an average density of 332.6 per square mile (128.0/km
2). The racial makeup of the borough was 97.92%
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 ...
, 0.35%
Native American, 1.61%
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 ...
, and 0.12% from two or more races.
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 ...
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 0.35% of the population.
There were 385 households, out of which 23.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.3% were
married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.1% were non-families. 40.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the borough the population was spread out, with 21.8% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 19.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.2 males. For every 100 women age 18 and over, there were 98.2 men.
The median income for a household in the borough was $24,792, and the median income for a family was $34,500. Males had a median income of $27,875 versus $21,000 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 $14,785. About 9.5% of families and 10.6% 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 12.4% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.
Gilberton Coal Company
Gilberton Coal Company was founded in 1940 by John B. Rich. It is located on the eastern edge of the borough on Gilberton Road and is still in operation.
Gallery
File:United Methodist Church, Gilberton PA 01.JPG, United Methodist Church in Gilberton.
File:Main St, Maizeville PA 01.JPG, Main Street of Maizeville ( PA 54).
File:Naspinsky's Bar, Mahanoy Plane PA.JPG, Naspinsky's Bar in Mahanoy Plane.
File:Mahanoy Creek in Mahanoy Plane, PA.JPG, Mahanoy Creek
Mahanoy Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed August 8, 2011 tributary of the Susquehanna River in Northumberland and Schuylkill counties, Pennsylvania. There are ...
in Mahanoy Plane.
References
{{authority control
Populated places established in 1873
Municipalities of the Anthracite Coal Region of Pennsylvania
Boroughs in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania
Coal towns in Pennsylvania
1873 establishments in Pennsylvania
Ukrainian communities in the United States