Midland 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 Ag ...
located along the
Ohio River
The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illino ...
in western
Beaver 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. As of the
2020 census, the borough population was 2,430.
It is part of the
Pittsburgh metropolitan area
Greater Pittsburgh is a populous region centered around its largest city and economic hub, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The region encompasses Pittsburgh's urban core county, Allegheny, and six adjacent Pennsylvania counties: Armstrong, Beaver, ...
. Founded in 1906, it was initially a
company town
A company town is a place where practically all stores and housing are owned by the one company that is also the main employer. Company towns are often planned with a suite of amenities such as stores, houses of worship, schools, markets and re ...
surrounding the
Crucible Steel Company's Midland Works.
History
Native American petroglyphs
A petroglyph is an image created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, or abrading, as a form of rock art. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions ...
exist in the area surrounding Midland, including on
Babbs Island, the
Little Beaver Creek
Little Beaver Creek is a wild and scenic area in Ohio. The Little Beaver Creek watershed is located primarily in Columbiana County in eastern Ohio, and in portions of Carroll County, Mahoning County, and western Pennsylvania, draining approxi ...
, and
Shippingport Bridge
The Shippingport Bridge is a cantilevered through truss bridge carrying Pennsylvania Route 168 across the Ohio River[Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...]
agent T.K. Miller purchased land on behalf of a group of industrialists who would form the Midland Steel Company and with it, the borough of Midland as a
company town
A company town is a place where practically all stores and housing are owned by the one company that is also the main employer. Company towns are often planned with a suite of amenities such as stores, houses of worship, schools, markets and re ...
in 1906.
Other companies would begin operations in the town as well.
In 1911, Midland Steel Company sold its operations to the
Pittsburgh Crucible Steel Company,
a division of the larger Crucible Steel Company of America.
By the end of the First World War, Crucible employed 2,700 men.
The contraction of the
American steel industry in the 1960s and 1970s forced layoffs at the Crucible plant and a decline in the borough's population. During the 1980s, the
American Iron and Steel Institute
The American Iron and Steel Institute is an association of North American steel producers. With its predecessor organizations, is one of the oldest trade associations in the United States, dating back to 1855. It assumed its present form in 1908 ...
reported that more than 200,000 steelworkers in the U.S. had lost their jobs, and more than 400 mills and plant divisions were closing, including Crucible's Midland plant.
Jones & Laughlin Steel bought the Midland plant and merged with
Republic Steel
Republic Steel is an American steel manufacturer that was once the country's third largest steel producer. It was founded as the Republic Iron and Steel Company in Youngstown, Ohio in 1899. After rising to prominence during the early 20th Centu ...
to form the
LTV Steel Corporation
LTV may refer to:
Television
* Lagos Television, a TV channel in Nigeria.
* Latvijas Televīzija, Latvian Television
* LRT televizija, formerly LTV, Lithuanian National Television
* LTV Ethiopia, a private satellite TV channel in Ethiopia
* Lumier ...
, which went bankrupt in 2001, accelerating the decline of the borough's economy.
Geography
Midland is located in western Beaver County at (40.638273, −80.452455).
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 borough has a total area of , of which is land and , or 9.13%, is water.
Pennsylvania Route 68
Pennsylvania Route 68 (PA 68) is a east–west state highway located in western Pennsylvania in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at the Ohio state line west of Glasgow, where PA 68 continues into Ohio as State Route ...
(Midland Avenue) is the main street through the community, leading east into Industry and west to
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
and the
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
border.
Pennsylvania Route 168
Pennsylvania Route 168 (PA 168) is a highway in Western Pennsylvania that runs for from Pennsylvania Route 18 in Frankfort Springs to Pennsylvania Route 208 in Volant. PA 168 intersects or runs concurrently with PA 18 at several points, inclu ...
joins PA-68 along Midland Avenue through the center of town, but splits off to the south to cross the Ohio River via the
Shippingport Bridge
The Shippingport Bridge is a cantilevered through truss bridge carrying Pennsylvania Route 168 across the Ohio River[Industry
Industry may refer to:
Economics
* Industry (economics), a generally categorized branch of economic activity
* Industry (manufacturing), a specific branch of economic activity, typically in factories with machinery
* The wider industrial sector ...]
to the northeast and
Ohioville to the northwest. Across the Ohio River to the southeast, Midland runs mostly adjacent with
Greene Township with a short alignment with
Shippingport to the southwest.
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 3,137 people, 1,424 households, and 817 families residing in the borough. 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 1,537.1 people per square mile (593.7/km
2). There were 1,651 housing units at an average density of 809.0 per square mile (312.5/km
2). The racial makeup of the borough was 75.71%
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 ...
, 20.85%
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 ...
, 0.45%
Native American, 0.89% 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 2.10% 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 3.70% of the population.
There were 1,424 households, out of which 24.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.1% were
married couples living together, 18.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.6% were non-families. 38.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the borough the population was spread out, with 23.2% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 23.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.7 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $23,117, and the median income for a family was $31,887. Males had a median income of $27,261 versus $20,078 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 $17,066. About 17.3% 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 39.9% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Midland is served by the
Midland Borough School District. The current schools serving Midland include:
*Midland Elementary/Middle School – grades K-8
*
Beaver Area High School
Beaver Area High School is a public high school in Beaver, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the only high school in the Beaver Area School District. Athletic teams compete as the Beaver Bobcats in the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athleti ...
– grades 9-12, part of the
Beaver Area School District
*
Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School – grades 7-12
Lincoln Park is the only school serving grades 9 through 12 in the borough, despite being a
charter school
A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system in which it is located. It is independent in the sense that it operates according to the basic principle of auto ...
with admissions requirements. Until 1985, Lincoln High School operated within the borough. In 1985, the school board voted to close Lincoln Junior-Senior High School. With only 150 students in grades 7 through 12, they could no longer afford to operate the school. The district made two failed attempts to merge with neighboring
Western Beaver County School District, once in 1965, and again in 1985. First, the district entered into a 5-year tuition agreement with the
Beaver Area School District from 1985 to 1990. In 1990, an agreement was reached to bus students 8 miles to
East Liverpool High School
East Liverpool Junior/Senior High School is a public high school in East Liverpool, Ohio, United States. It is the only secondary school in the East Liverpool City School District, serving the city and surrounding Glenmoor, La Croft and Liverpo ...
in
East Liverpool, Ohio
East Liverpool is a city in southeastern Columbiana County, Ohio, United States. The population was 9,958 at the 2020 census. It lies along the Ohio River within the Upper Ohio Valley and borders Pennsylvania to the east and West Virginia to t ...
where they attend 9th through 12th grades and graduate. These were the only Pennsylvania public school students attending a facility in another state. In February 2015, East Liverpool notified the Midland Borough School Board of its intention to end the agreement.
High school students once again attend
Beaver Area High School
Beaver Area High School is a public high school in Beaver, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the only high school in the Beaver Area School District. Athletic teams compete as the Beaver Bobcats in the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athleti ...
.
Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School
The Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School, known simply as PA Cyber, is a public cyber charter school founded in Midland, Pennsylvania in 2000.
Regional Office locations
*Allentown, Pennsylvania
*Erie, Pennsylvania
*Greensburg, Pennsylvania
*Harr ...
, an
online school
An online school (virtual school or e-school or cyber-school) teaches students entirely or primarily online or through the Internet. It has been defined as "education that uses one or more technologies to deliver instruction to students who are se ...
, bases its operations out of Midland.
Notable people
*
Ellis Cannon, sports talk show host raised here
*
John Hardon
John Anthony Hardon, SJ (June 18, 1914 – December 30, 2000) was an American Jesuit priest, writer, and theologian. A candidate for sainthood since 2005, he is recognized by the Catholic Church as a Servant of God.
Early life
John Anthon ...
,
Jesuit
, image = Ihs-logo.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits
, abbreviation = SJ
, nickname = Jesuits
, formation =
, founders ...
priest, born here, raised in
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
; founder of the Holy Trinity Apostolate
*
Simmie Hill, retired
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major men's professional basketball league from 1967 to 1976. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger, American Basketball Association–National Basketball Association merger in 1976, ...
player
*
Ralph Francis Scalera
Ralph Francis Scalera (June 28, 1930 – January 27, 2011) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.
Education and career
Scalera was born in Midland, Pennsylvania and atte ...
, United States District Court judge
*
Norm Van Lier
Norman Allen Van Lier III (April 1, 1947 – February 26, 2009) was an American professional basketball player and television broadcaster who spent the majority of his career with the Chicago Bulls.
Early life
Norman Van Lier was born in East L ...
,
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
player and All-Star guard with the Cincinnati Royals, Chicago Bulls, and Milwaukee Bucks
See also
*
List of cities and towns along the Ohio River
The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illinoi ...
References
External links
* Ohio River Brownfields Projects regeneration plan for Midland, Pennsylvania
* Collection of films and documentation used in production of ''Hard Choices'', a 1987 documentary by Marion Lipschutz, Peggy Weiss, Daniel Kazimierski, and Terry Purinton that documents Midland after closure of its Crucible Specialty Steel plant in October 1982, University of Pittsburgh
{{authority control
Pennsylvania populated places on the Ohio River
Populated places established in 1906
Pittsburgh metropolitan area
Boroughs in Beaver County, Pennsylvania
1906 establishments in Pennsylvania