Lewistown, Pennsylvania

Lewistown, Pennsylvania
Lewistown is a borough in and the county seat of Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the principal city of the Lewistown, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Mifflin County. It lies along the Juniata River, northwest of Harrisburg. The number of people living in the borough in 1900 was 4,451; in 1910, 8,166; in 1940, 13,017; and in 2000, 8,998. The population was 8,561 at the 2020 census. Of the four communities in the United States named "Lewistown", this borough is the largest.
History
Early history
The borough was incorporated in 1795 and was named for William "Bill" Lewis, a Quaker and a member of the legislature, who was responsible for the designation of the borough, which was then known as the Village of Ohesson, as the county seat of Mifflin County.
During the late 19th century Mifflin County became the crossroads of the Commonwealth. Located near the geographic center of the state, the area became a hub for traffic moving in every direction.
Early roads crisscrossed the region, but it was the eventual construction of the Pennsylvania Canal and the railroads that followed that truly positioned Mifflin County as an economic force in the state.
Lewistown, as the major city in Mifflin County, saw its economy expand dramatically as entrepreneurs launched companies to construct canal boats or build inns offering lodging for travelers and workers.
At its zenith, Mifflin County was one of the busiest centers for cargo and passenger traffic in the United States. But with the demise of the canal system, Mifflin County eventually lost its place as a major transportation hub.
American Civil War
On April 16, 1861, Lewistown sent its Logan Guards, a militia group originally formed in 1858, to Washington, D.C. for its defense. They were one of only five companies, all recruited in Pennsylvania, to share the honor of being the first U.S. troops sent to the capital. Monument Square, situated at the intersection of Main and Market Streets in Lewistown, serves as a memorial to these men.
Tropical Storm Agnes
Lewistown lost its role as a major transportation hub, but still boasted a strong industrial economy until the early 1970s when the county's industries began a slow decline. Hurricane Agnes June 1972 crippled the local economy.
On June 19, Hurricane Agnes made initial landfall along the Florida Panhandle as a weak Category 1 Hurricane. Agnes then proceeded through Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina before she moved back over the Atlantic off the North Carolina coast on June 21.
After regaining strength over the Atlantic, she made landfall again over southeastern New York on June 22 and moved westward in an arc over southern New York into north-central Pennsylvania. She became nearly stationary over Pennsylvania by morning of June 23, but was soon absorbed by a low-pressure system that slowly drifted northeastward from Pennsylvania into New York.
Rainfall from storm over the Mid-Atlantic region ranged from in the extreme upper basins of the Potomac and North Branch Susquehanna Rivers to near Shamokin, Pennsylvania, in the Main Stem Susquehanna River basin. An average of of rain fell over the Mid-Atlantic region. The soil, already well watered by spring rains, could not absorb so much water so quickly.
While flooding from the Juniata River was somewhat controlled due to a dam at Raystown Lake, west of Lewistown, the county experienced extensive flooding from the river and major streams which resulted in the permanent closure of many businesses along the river. Most notably, the flood submerged much of the American Viscose Corporation plant, then a division of FMC Corporation. The facility, located on the banks of the Juniata River across from Lewistown proper, manufactured rayon fiber (primarily for rayon-belted automobile tires), polyester and Avistrap.
FMC was one of two major employers in the area at the time, the other being the Standard Steel Works. The "Viscose" plant was only marginally profitable before the storm and the cost to reopen was prohibitive. (Ironically, the demand for rayon fabric for trendy clothing shot upward only a few years later.) Rayon production, and with it, thousands of good-paying jobs, moved to another FMC plant in Front Royal, Virginia. The Lewistown polyester plant reopened, but it rehired only a fraction of the previous workforce. The site eventually became the Mifflin County Industrial Plaza and a variety of businesses have come and gone since then.
Economic downturn
In the wake of the failure of Lewistown's industry, a long period of decline began. The 1990s saw the loss of several plants, including Masland and Lear, as well as Standard Steel filing for reorganization bankruptcy. The early 2000s saw the loss of Scotty's Fashions, Mann Edge Tool, Overhead Door shuttering its sectional division, and Ford New Holland shuttering its Belleville plant which also led to the closing of the Belleville Foundry.
Present day
In 2011, Standard Steel merged with Japanese company Sumitomo Industries and is now known as Nippon Steel; this merger effectively saved the jobs of 500 union laborers as well as many others in the area. First Quality, an adult incontinence products manufacturer, opened a facility in Lewistown that employs approximately 400 people. Geisinger purchased Lewistown Hospital in 2013 and expanded services including a helicopter pad, the Geisinger LIFE program and a new clinic in nearby Reedsville.
Today, Lewistown is seeing a boom in new small businesses by young entrepreneurs including restaurants and retail. The construction of an enhanced highway system between Lewistown and State College was completed in 2020 and better connects the two communities.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of , all land. The town's borders lie along the Juniata River.
Climate
Water source
The source of the borough's city water comes from the Laurel Creek Reservoir, which is located in Seven Mountains going towards State College.
Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 8,338 people, 3,742 households, and 2,030 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 4,345 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 95.2% White, 1.5% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.9% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.1% of the population.
There were 3,742 households, out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.8% were married couples living together, 4.8% had a male householder with no wife present, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.8% were non-families. 39.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21, and the average family size was 2.93.
In the borough, the population was spread out, with 23.3% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.3 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $26,584, and the median income for a family was $38,356. The per capita income for the borough was $16,447. About 22.8% of families and 27.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 47.0% of those under age 18 and 13.6% of those age 65 or over.
Notable people
Jean Acker, actress
Viola Alberti, actress
Ralph Baker, professional American football player
Carl Barger, attorney and baseball executive
Frances McEwen Belford, "Mother of the Lincoln Highway"
John Brown, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
Joseph Campanella, actor
Bob Cupp, golf course designer
Kelly Harper, recording artist and singer-songwriter
Joseph Henderson, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
Laura Johns, suffragist, journalist
Julia Kasdorf, poet
John Lilley, U.S. Medal of Honor winner for gallantry during the American Civil War
El McMeen, attorney and acoustic steel-string fingerstyle guitarist
Carolyn Meyer, author of novels for children and young adults
LeRoy Millette, senior justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia
Jack Womer, decorated World War II veteran
Historical buildings in the Lewistown Borough
The Embassy Theatre, McCoy House, Mifflin County Courthouse, Montgomery Ward Building, and Wollner Building are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Transportation
Lewistown (Amtrak station)
Greyhound
Fullington Trailways
Media
Newspapers
Lewistown Sentinel
Television stations
WHTM 27 Harrisburg (27.1 ABC, 27.2 ION, 27.3 GetTV, 27.4 Laff)
WPMT 43 York (43.1 FOX, 43.2 AntennaTV)
WHP 21 Harrisburg (21.1 CBS, 21.2 MyNetworkTV, 21.3 CW)
WGAL 8 Lancaster (8.1 NBC, 8.2 MeTV)
WJAC 6 Johnstown (6.1 NBC, 6.2 Charge!, 6.3 Comet, 6.4 CW)
WTAJ 10 Altoona (10.1 CBS, 10.2 Escape, 10.3 Laff, 10.4 Grit)
WHVL 29 State College (29.1 MyNetworkTV, 29.2 Buzzr)
Radio stations
Cable television
Lewistown was one of the first three communities that formed the cable company later known as Cox Communications.
Education
The Borough of Lewistown is served by the Mifflin County School District. It is also home to the only local Catholic Elementary school, Sacred Heart of Jesus , which educates children of any religion in grades K–5.
Lewistown is home to the Pennsylvania State Fire Academy, which is the only such facility in the state. Firefighting in Lewistown is very important, as volunteer firefighters have strong allegiance to the multiple independent fire companies in the borough to which they devote their time.
See also
Indian Valley High School (Pennsylvania)
References
External links
Borough of Lewistown official website
PA Department of Environmental Protection Hurricane Agnes site
County seats in Pennsylvania
Populated places established in 1790
Boroughs in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania
1795 establishments in Pennsylvania