Hunlock Township is a township in

Luzerne County Luzerne County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and is water. It is Northeastern Pennsylvania's second-largest county by total area. As of ...

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 2,215 at the 2020 census.

History

It is believed that the first white settler was named “Boggs,” who constructed a log cabin in modern-day Hunlock Township. “Boggs” joined the Patriots during the Revolutionary War. It's speculated that while he was away from home, his family was either driven away or massacred by the Native Americans living within the region. In 1778, Edward Blanchard and Jonathan Hunlock settled near the mouth of Hunlock Creek. They did not have their families with them; in 1790, they returned to their old homes. Future settlers to modern-day Hunlock Township were lumberjacks, who built

saw mills A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes (dimensi ...

in the territory. Additional settlers built

gristmills A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that has been separat ...

and a

smelting Smelting is a process of applying heat to ore, to extract a base metal. It is a form of extractive metallurgy. It is used to extract many metals from their ores, including silver, iron, copper, and other base metals. Smelting uses heat and a ...

furnace. Hunlock Township, which was named after Jonathan Hunlock, was organized on January 8, 1877; the territory was carved out of

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

and Plymouth Townships. When the township was formed, it had a population of 759.

Geography

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 township has a total area of , of which is land and , or 1.17%, is water. The Susquehanna River forms the southeastern border of the township. Elevations in the township range from above sea level along the Susquehanna River, to over along Shickshinny Mountain, overlooking the river. Thick forests make up most of the township.

Farms A farm (also called an agricultural holding) is an area of land that is devoted primarily to agricultural processes with the primary objective of producing food and other crops; it is the basic facility in food production. The name is used fo ...

are scattered throughout the community. The Village of Hunlock Creek is located near the Susquehanna River. U.S. 11 and Hunlock Creek Turnpike are two major thoroughfares which run through the township. Several major creeks also flow through the municipality (e.g., Hunlock Creek, Roaring Brook, and Lewis Run).

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 2,568 people, 952 households, and 753 families living in the township. The population density was . There were 988 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 98.83%

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 ...

, 0.12%

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 ...

, 0.04% Native American, 0.43% Asian, and 0.58% 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 ...

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 0.04% of the population. There were 952 households, out of which 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.0% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.9% were non-families. 17.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.05. In the township the population was spread out, with 23.8% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.3 males. The median income for a household in the township was $38,309, and the median income for a family was $41,071. Males had a median income of $28,641 versus $23,611 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 $15,541. About 6.7% of families and 8.2% 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 9.3% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Hunlock Township is part of Northwest Area School District.

References

{{Authority control Townships in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Townships in Pennsylvania