Windber is a borough in Somerset 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 United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, about south of Johnstown. It was at one time a place of industrial activities which included coal mining, lumbering, and the manufacture of fire brick. In 1897, the community was founded by coal barons Charles and

Edward Julius Berwind Edward Julius Berwind (June 17, 1848 – August 18, 1936) was the founder of the Berwind-White Coal Mining Company. He was head of the company from 1886 until 1930. Early life Berwind was born on June 17, 1848 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He w ...

, owners of the Berwind Corporation; the name "Windber" simply switches the order of the two syllables in the family name "Berwind". 8,013 people lived in Windber in 1910 and 9,057 in 1940; the population was 3,930 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Windber started in 1897 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 ...

for nearby coal mines in the vicinity of Johnstown. The Berwind-White Coal Mining Company imported workers from eastern and southern Europe and exploited ethnic divisions in the area (which had been settled by Germans and Irish in the 19th century). On Good Friday 1922, coal miners walked out of the mines in Windber and several nearby locations in Somerset County, attempting to force the mine owners to recognize their

United Mine Workers The United Mine Workers of America (UMW or UMWA) is a North American labor union best known for representing coal miners. Today, the Union also represents health care workers, truck drivers, manufacturing workers and public employees in the Unit ...

union, as well as accurately weigh the coal they mined. The company employed legal tactics (the United States Supreme Court decided two lawsuits) as well as strike-breakers, but the miners received considerable favorable national publicity and local support and held out until the end of the following summer. However, the UMW successfully organized the mines during 1933, after the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

led to the election of President

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

. The

Windber Historic District Windber Historic District is a national Historic district (United States), historic district located at Paint, Pennsylvania, Paint Borough, Scalp Level, Pennsylvania, Scalp Level, and Windber, Pennsylvania, Windber in Cambria County, Pennsylvani ...

was 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 ...

in 1991.

Frank Kush Frank Joseph Kush (January 20, 1929 – June 22, 2017) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Arizona State University from 1958 to 1979, compiling a record of 176–54–1. Kush was also the head coach of the ...

, all-American football lineman at Michigan State who achieved distinction (and later controversy) as head coach of the Arizona State college football team and Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League was born and raised in Windber. The Vintage Electric Streetcar Company, popularly called the "trolley graveyard", is located in Windber. The private scrapyard houses a number of

PCC streetcar The PCC (Presidents' Conference Committee) is a streetcar (tram) design that was first built in the United States in the 1930s. The design proved successful in its native country, and after World War II it was licensed for use elsewhere in the ...

s and other transit equipment from systems like the MBTA Green Line, which are sold for reuse or scrapped for parts.

Geography

Windber is located at (40.235161, -78.830864). 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 , all of it 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 incl ...

of 2000, there were 4,395 people, 2,019 households, and 1,185 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 2,118.8 people per square mile (819.8/km²). There were 2,177 housing units at an average density of 1,049.5 per square mile (406.1/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 99.29%

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 ...

, 0.07% Native American, 0.09%

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 ...

, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 0.16% from other races, and 0.36% 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 0.57% of the population. There were 2,019 households, out of which 25.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.3% 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, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.3% were non-families. 38.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.89. In the borough the population was spread out, with 21.3% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 24.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 85.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.9 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $23,261, and the median income for a family was $31,860. Males had a median income of $24,861 versus $18,886 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 $15,078. About 11.9% of families and 11.1% 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 13.5% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.

Crime

Windber has ranked safer than 13% of small cities and towns in Pennsylvania.

Government

Windber Borough Council: * Mike Bryan, President of Council * James Spinos, Vice President of Council * John Holden * Joe Pallo * Doug Ledney * Ron Mash * Pete Lamonaca Windber Borough Government Officials: * Mike Thomas, Mayor * Robin S. Gates, Borough Secretary/Administrative Assistant * James Furmanchick, Borough Manager

Education

Windber Area School District The Windber Area School District is a small, rural, public school district in Somerset County, Pennsylvania and Cambria County, Pennsylvania. It is centered in the borough of Windber, Pennsylvania, Windber, and also serves Paint, Pennsylvania, ...

** Windber Area High School **

Windber Area Middle School Windber is a borough in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, United States, about south of Johnstown. It was at one time a place of industrial activities which included coal mining, lumbering, and the manufacture of fire brick. In 1897, the community ...

Windber Area Elementary School Windber is a borough in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, Somerset County, Pennsylvania, United States, about south of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Johnstown. It was at one time a place of industrial activities which included coal mining, lumbering, and ...

Entertainment

The nearby Silver Drive-In first opened in 1962.(12 June 2009)
Reel success - County Amusement noting 60 years in movie business
'' The Tribune-Democrat'' While other such facilities in the area have closed over the course of years, the Silver survived through public outcry over proposals to close and demolish it, making a comeback in 2005.(12 December 2008)
Silver screen saved
'' The Tribune-Democrat''(11 August 2006)
Artist's touch adds character (s) to drive-in
'' The Tribune-Democrat''(7 September 2008)
Silver Drive-In owner mulls rezoning, sale
'' The Tribune-Democrat'' It is now the only drive-in theater in the Johnstown, Pennsylvania region.

Notable people

Jim Bonfanti James Alexander Bonfanti (born December 17, 1948 in Windber, Pennsylvania) is a rock music, rock drummer who is best known for having been a member of the band Raspberries (band), Raspberries. Career Bonfanti's music career began in 1965 when h ...

, drummer for the power-pop band the Raspberries, was born in Windber. *

Bill Elko William Elko (born December 28, 1959) is a former American football lineman who played three seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the San Diego Chargers and Indianapolis Colts. He was drafted by the Chargers in the seventh round of ...

, professional football player, grew up in Windber. * Alan Freed, radio

disc jockey A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include Radio personality, radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music f ...

who coined the term "Rock and Roll," was born in Windber. *

Dave Geisel John David Geisel (born January 18, 1955) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays, and Seattle Mariners. Overview Dave Geisel graduated from Tonawanda ...

, retired MLB player *

Mark A. Heckler Mark A. Heckler is a former president of Valparaiso University. He was named the 18th president of the university on July 1, 2008, succeeding Alan Harre, and served until September 1, 2020, when he was named president emeritus. At Valparaiso Un ...

, President of Valaparaiso University *

Gene Heeter Eugene Elwood Heeter (born April 19, 1941) is an American former college and professional football player. He played tight end at West Virginia University, and professionally in the American Football League (AFL) for the New York Jets from 196 ...

, a professional football player for the New York Jets, was born in Windber. * Frank Kostro, retired MLB player *

, football coach, was born in Windber. * Johnny Weissmuller, winner in the 1920s of five Olympic gold medals in swimming and one bronze medal in water polo, and later was a Hollywood star best known for his

Tarzan Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...

movies, particularly with actress

Maureen O'Sullivan Maureen O'Sullivan (17 May 1911 – 23 June 1998) was an Irish-American actress, who played Jane in the ''Tarzan'' series of films during the era of Johnny Weissmuller. She performed with such actors as Laurence Olivier, Greta Garbo, William ...

, lived in Windber as a child. (He was born in what is now Timișoara, Romania) *

J. Irving Whalley John Irving Whalley (September 14, 1902 – March 8, 1980) was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. Early life and business activities J. Irving Whalley was born in Barnesboro, Pennsylvania to Isabella ...

, a former United States congressman and a member of the Automotive Hall of Fame, lived for years in Windber.

References

External links

Borough website

Windber Area School District
* {{authority control Boroughs in Somerset County, Pennsylvania Historic American Engineering Record in Pennsylvania Populated places established in 1897 Company towns in Pennsylvania Berwind Corporation