Mars, Pennsylvania
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Mars is a
borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, 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 southern
Butler County, Pennsylvania Butler County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 193,763. Its county seat is Butler. Butler County was created on March 12, 1800, from part of Allegheny County and named in honor of Gen ...
, United States. The population was 1,458 at the 2020 census. It is part of the
Pittsburgh metropolitan area Greater Pittsburgh is the metropolitan area surrounding the city of Pittsburgh in Western Pennsylvania, United States. The region includes Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County, Pittsburgh's urban core county and economic hub, and s ...
.


History

In 1873, Samuel Parks constructed a home and a water-powered
gristmill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that h ...
along Breakneck Creek. Parks decided to have a
post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letter (message), letters and parcel (package), parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post o ...
placed in his home, so he received help from his friend Samuel Marshall to help establish it. The name of the post office became Overbrook.''An Historical Gazetteer of Butler County, Pennsylvania'', p. 228. In 1877, the Pittsburgh, New Castle and Lake Erie Railroad was constructed through Overbrook, and had a station built there. In 1882, the name of the community was changed to Mars since the railroad already had a stop with the name "Overbrook". No one is sure how the name "Mars" came into being. Some say it was Parks's wife who enjoyed
astronomy Astronomy is a natural science that studies celestial objects and the phenomena that occur in the cosmos. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and their overall evolution. Objects of interest includ ...
, while others believe it was shortened after Samuel Marshall's name. On March 6, 1895, Mars was incorporated as a borough. In 1904, the Pittsburgh and Butler Street Railway gained permission from Mars to construct its
right-of-way A right of way (also right-of-way) is a specific route that people, animals, vehicles, watercraft, or utility lines travel, or the legal status that gives them the right to do so. Rights-of-way in the physical sense include controlled-access h ...
through the borough. The line become part of the Pittsburgh, Harmony, Butler and New Castle Railway in 1917, being renamed Pittsburgh, Mars and Butler Railway. The line closed in 1931. The was named after the borough. The ship became part of the
United States Pacific Fleet The United States Pacific Fleet (USPACFLT) is a theater-level component command of the United States Navy, located in the Pacific Ocean. It provides naval forces to the Indo-Pacific Command. Fleet headquarters is at Joint Base Pearl Harborâ ...
in 1963, and was decommissioned in 1998. It was then sunk in 2006 as a target vessel. The bell of the USS ''Mars'' was loaned to the borough and has become a part of a memorial in the downtown park.


Geography

Mars is located in southern Butler County at (40.696594, −80.012205), about halfway between the cities of
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
and
Butler A butler is a person who works in a house serving and is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments, with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantries, pantr ...
. The small community is nestled in a small valley along Breakneck Creek.
Pennsylvania Route 228 Pennsylvania Route 228 (PA 228) is a state highway located in Butler County, Pennsylvania. The western terminus is at U.S. Route 19 (US 19) in Cranberry Township. The eastern terminus is at PA 356 in Buffalo Township. Because of the continu ...
bypasses the borough to the south, leading east to
Pennsylvania Route 8 Pennsylvania Route 8 (PA 8) is a major state route in western Pennsylvania. Officially, PA 8 is named the William Flinn Highway. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 376 (I-376)/ U.S. Route 22 (US 22)/US 30 in Pittsburgh. Its northern termi ...
and west to Interstates 79 and 76 in Cranberry Township. The Mars–Evans City Road leads out of town to the north. According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the borough of Mars has a total area of , all land.


Demographics

As of the 2000 census, there were 1,746 people, 687 households, and 395 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 715 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 98.68% White, 0.46% African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.11% from other races, and 0.23% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.40% of the population. There were 687 households, out of which 25.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.7% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.4% were non-families. 38.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 24.3% 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 18.6% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 17.8% from 45 to 64, and 33.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 70.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 64.2 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $33,073, and the median income for a family was $46,136. Males had a median income of $34,083 versus $26,080 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the borough was $17,701. About 7.8% of families and 9.3% 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 ...
, including 11.8% of those under age 18 and 14.4% of those age 65 or over.


Religion

Mars has several
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
denominations located within and just outside the community. One of the largest churches wa
Saint Kilian Parish
Founded in 1917, the parish was originally located in downtown Mars, but by the early 2000s (decade), membership had swelled so much that a new facility was constructed just outside the neighboring Seven Fields borough along PA 228 in 2008. There is also a large presence of
Presbyterians Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...
in the borough. Th
Mars United Presbyterian
was founded in 1969 with the merging of two older churches, one under the
United Presbyterian Church of North America The United Presbyterian Church of North America (UPCNA) was an American Presbyterian denomination that existed for one hundred years. It was formed on May 26, 1858, by the union of the Northern branch of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church ...
, the other under the
Presbyterian Church (USA) The Presbyterian Church (USA), abbreviated PCUSA, is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination, denomination in the Religion in the United States, United States. It is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the United States too. Its th ...
. There is also a
Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...
and
Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...
church located within the borough. Th
Woodland Valley Church
is one of the newer churches in Mars, and is one of several
contemporary Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from about 1945 to the present. In the social sciences, contemporary history is also continuous with, and related t ...
churches that have recently started in the Mars/Cranberry area. Others include th
Mars Alliance Church
and the Discovery Christian Church which will be built along PA 228 across from the forme

The Serbian Orthodox Eparchy of Eastern America previously had its headquarters in Adams Township, near Mars.


Economy

Mars National Bank, founded in 1900, has its headquarters located in the borough, with seven branches located in Butler and Allegheny counties.


Culture

Because of its unique name, and proximity to Pittsburgh, Mars has on occasion received national media attention. In 2011, a representative from
The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was founded on October 16 ...
invited students from Mars Elementary School to attend the Pittsburgh premiere of ''
Mars Needs Moms ''Mars Needs Moms'' is a 2011 American animated science fiction comedy film co-written and directed by Simon Wells, produced by ImageMovers Digital and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Based on the Berkeley Breathed book of the same title, the ...
'', after reading
featured article on the town
by
msnbc.com MSNBC is an American cable news channel owned by the NBCUniversal News Group division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. Launched on July 15, 1996, and headquartered at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan, the channel primarily broadcasts ...
. Mars was the only school nationwide invited to the film's premiere. The borough has also been a location for films and television commercials. The 1988
comedy drama Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, il ...
film ''
The Prince of Pennsylvania ''The Prince of Pennsylvania'' is a 1988 comedy drama film written and directed by Ron Nyswaner. It stars Fred Ward, Keanu Reeves, Bonnie Bedelia, and Amy Madigan. It premiered at the 1988 Toronto International Film Festival (then the Toron ...
'' and the 1996
comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...
film '' Kingpin'' were filmed throughout the borough. In 2000, a
Kraft Kraft Foods Group, Inc. was an American food manufacturing and processing conglomerate (company), conglomerate, split from Kraft Foods Inc. on October 1, 2012, and was headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. It became part of Kraft Heinz on July ...
salad dressing commercial was filmed in downtown. Canadian musician John Southworth named his first albu
''Mars, Pennsylvania''
after the town, which he had passed through many years earlier on a school trip. Mars was the inspiration for the fictional town of Athena, Pennsylvania, the setting for the 2015 fictional trilogy, ''Benjamin's Field'', by local author J. J. Knights. Mars is home to the popular
roadside attraction A roadside attraction is a feature along the side of a road meant to attract tourists. In general, these are places one might stop on the way to somewhere, rather than being a destination. They are frequently advertised with billboard (advertis ...
the Mars "Spaceship" or "Flying Saucer". It is also home to the Mars Station, one of the last railroad depots still standing from the now defunct Pittsburgh and Western Railroad.Wagner, Todd V.: "Fresh Paint", p. 19. Railpace Newsmagazine, September 2006.


Education

The Mars Area School District serves the boroughs of Mars and
Valencia Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...
, as well as Adams Township and Middlesex Township in Butler County. The Mars Fightin' Planets are one of the many teams located in the north Pittsburgh area.


Transportation

Lakehill Airport is a small airport located about a mile and a half northwest of Mars. It is used for light, private aircraft. The next closest airports are the Butler County Airport and the Zelienople Municipal Airport. The
Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad The Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad is a Class II railroad operating in New York and Pennsylvania. The BPRR is owned by Genesee & Wyoming. Its main line runs between Buffalo, New York, and Eidenau, Pennsylvania, north of Pittsburgh. Here, conn ...
operates on the
P&W Subdivision The P&W Subdivision is a railroad line owned and operated by CSX Transportation, the Allegheny Valley Railroad (AVR), and the Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad (BPRR) in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The line runs from Rankin north through Pitts ...
in Mars. It makes occasional rounds t
Austin's Bleach
in Downieville and to a small transfer with the Allegheny Valley Railroad in Bakerstown. The AVR will also on occasion bring long loads of railcars through Mars to Harmony Junction in Eidenau. This usually occurs when there are too many cars to handle at the transfer point in Bakerstown. The largest and busiest road in Mars is
Pennsylvania Route 228 Pennsylvania Route 228 (PA 228) is a state highway located in Butler County, Pennsylvania. The western terminus is at U.S. Route 19 (US 19) in Cranberry Township. The eastern terminus is at PA 356 in Buffalo Township. Because of the continu ...
. It is an important link for commuters because it connects with
Pennsylvania Route 8 Pennsylvania Route 8 (PA 8) is a major state route in western Pennsylvania. Officially, PA 8 is named the William Flinn Highway. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 376 (I-376)/ U.S. Route 22 (US 22)/US 30 in Pittsburgh. Its northern termi ...
and
Pennsylvania Route 356 Pennsylvania Route 356 (PA 356) is a state highway located in Westmoreland, Allegheny, Butler, and Armstrong counties in Pennsylvania. The southern terminus is at PA 66 near Oklahoma. The northern terminus is at U.S. Route 422 (US 4 ...
to the east, and with
Interstate 79 Interstate 79 (I-79) is an Interstate Highway in the Eastern United States, designated from I-77 in Charleston, West Virginia, north to Pennsylvania Route 5 (PA 5) and PA 290 in Erie, Pennsylvania. It is a primary thoroughfare t ...
and
U.S. Route 19 U.S. Route 19 or U.S. Highway 19 (US 19) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway in the Eastern United States. Despite encroaching Interstate Highways, the route has remained a long-haul road, connecting the Gulf of Mex ...
to the west. Commuters on PA 228 can easily reach
Interstate 76 Interstate 76 or I-76 may refer to: Transportation * Interstate 76 (Colorado–Nebraska) (I-76), US * Interstate 76 (Ohio–New Jersey) (I-76), running through Pennsylvania, US Other uses * ''Interstate '76'', a vehicular combat video game for W ...
(
Pennsylvania Turnpike The Pennsylvania Turnpike, sometimes shortened to Penna Turnpike or PA Turnpike, is a controlled-access toll road which is operated by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) in Pennsylvania. It runs for across the southern part of the st ...
) via I-79 or US 19 in Cranberry Township. The second busiest road in Mars is the Mars-Evans City Road, which was originally Pennsylvania Route 855. It is an important connecting road for Mars and the borough of Evans City. The Red Belt of the
Allegheny County Belt System The Allegheny County Belt System color codes various county roads to form a unique system of routes in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, and around the city of Pittsburgh. Unlike many major American cities with belt systems composed of number-c ...
is located three miles south of Mars.


Notable people

* William Eythe, film and stage actor and playwright of the 1940s *
Chloe Chloe (; ), also spelled Chloë, Chlöe, or Chloé, is a feminine name meaning "blooming" or "fertility" in Greek. The name ultimately derives, through Greek, from the Proto-Indo-European root , which relates to the colors yellow and green. Th ...
and Christi Lukasiak, former stars on
Dance Moms ''Dance Moms'' is an American reality television series that premiered on Lifetime (TV network), Lifetime on July 13, 2011. Created by Collins Avenue Productions, the show followed the training and careers of children in dance and show business ...
* Robbie Sigurdsson, Icelandic ice hockey player and member of the Icelandic national team * Jeff Wassmann, artist, writer and theorist * David Bednar, MLB all-star pitcher * Will Bednar, professional baseball pitcher *
JJ Wetherholt Jonathan David "JJ" Wetherholt (born September 10, 2002) is an American professional baseball shortstop in the St. Louis Cardinals organization. College career Wetherholt attended Mars Area High School in Mars, Pennsylvania. He went undrafted in ...
, professional baseball pitcher


Sources

*''An Historical Gazetteer of Butler County, Pennsylvania'', Mechling Bookbindery., 2006, .


References


External links

* {{Authority control 1882 establishments in Pennsylvania Pittsburgh metropolitan area Populated places established in 1873 Serbian-American history