Tionesta is a borough in Forest 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 475 at the 2020 Census. It is the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

of Forest County. The name is a Native American word meaning "the home of the wolves." Visitors and residents are greeted to Tionesta with a sign reading "A special place with a relaxed pace" Tionesta lies at the heart of a forested region that is a popular destination for hunters and other outdoor lovers. While the general area has seen some growth as a result of this tourist activity, the borough proper has suffered several setbacks in recent years including the closure of an Evenflo plant that was a major employer and a 2002 fire that leveled an entire block of the borough's downtown area.

Geography

Tionesta is located at . The borough is located southeast of

Erie Erie (; ) is a city on the south shore of Lake Erie and the county seat of Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. Erie is the fifth largest city in Pennsylvania and the largest city in Northwestern Pennsylvania with a population of 94,831 a ...

and north of

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. 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.

Climate

Demographics

As of the

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of 2000, there were 615 people (296 males, 319 females), 282 households, and 166 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 457.5 people per square mile (177.2/km²). There were 337 housing units at an average density of 250.7 per square mile (97.1/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 99.67%

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, 0.16% Asian, and 0.16% from two or more races.

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of any race were 0.49% of the population. There were 282 households, out of which 22.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.1% were non-families. 36.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 24.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.88. In the borough the population was spread out, with 21.8% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 21.8% from 25 to 44, 29.4% from 45 to 64, and 21.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.7 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $26,806, and the median income for a family was $40,625. Males had a median income of $31,250 versus $23,889 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 $17,799. About 9.2% of families and 14.1% 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 14.2% of those under age 18 and 12.7% of those age 65 or over.

Sherman Lighthouse

The Sherman Memorial Lighthouse, located on a 22.5-acre island in the Allegheny River, about 60 miles southeast of Erie. It opened in time to help the Forest County community of Tionesta celebrate its 150th birthday. The 75-foot-tall lighthouse is on a 25-foot-high mound of soil on what used to be called Hunters Island, and has now been renamed Lighthouse Island. It ultimately will share the island with the planned Pennsylvania Hunting and Fishing Museum. Most lighthouses are more functional than decorative inside, but Sherman Lighthouse is different. It is finished and decorated as a showcase for the Sherman family memorabilia and to display a collection of more than 280 lighthouse replicas. The octagon-shaped tower is made of timber instead of masonry or concrete. The 25-foot-tall aluminum and glass lantern room is equipped with the kind of beacon that a small regional airport would use. There are 76 steps in the spiral stairs that lead up the tower.

Notable people

Tionesta was the childhood home of Howard Zahniser, who became a conservationist and eventually the executive director of The Wilderness Society in

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, and in that capacity wrote the

Wilderness Act The Wilderness Act of 1964 () was written by Howard Zahniser of The Wilderness Society. It created the legal definition of wilderness in the United States, and protected 9.1 million acres (37,000 km²) of federal land. The result of a lon ...

of 1964, which today permanently preserves from all forms of development more than 111 million acres of federal public lands all across America. Zahniser graduated from Tionesta High School in 1924, and in August 2001 a Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission roadside marker was installed along

U.S. Route 62 U.S. Route 62 or U.S. Highway 62 (US 62) runs from the Mexican border at El Paso, Texas, to Niagara Falls, New York, near the Canadian border. It is the only east-west United States Numbered Highway that connects Mexico and Can ...

just north of Tionesta along the Allegheny River near the

Allegheny Islands Wilderness The Allegheny River Islands Wilderness is located in the Allegheny National Forest. It comprises seven islands in the Allegheny River, totaling . All are alluvial origin. The islands are located between Buckaloons Recreation Area and Tionesta ...

honoring Zahniser, his deep-rooted connection to Tionesta, and his life work for wilderness. Tionesta was the hometown of Congressional Medal of Honor recipient O. O. Spence, killed during the Indian Campaign in 1876.

References and notes

{{authority control County seats in Pennsylvania Populated places established in 1838 Boroughs in Forest County, Pennsylvania 1838 establishments in Pennsylvania