Quakertown, Pennsylvania
| Quakertown | |
| Borough | |
 Quakertown
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| Official name: Borough of Quakertown | |
| Named for: the "Quakers" | |
| Motto: "The Heart of Upper Bucks County!" | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Bucks |
| Elevation | 505 ft (154 m) |
| Coordinates | 40°26′26″N 75°20′26″W / 40.44056°N 75.34056°W |
| Area | 2.0 sq mi (5 km2) |
| Population | 8,979 (2010) |
| Density | 4,490 / sq mi (1,734 / km2) |
| Timezone | EST (UTC-5) |
| - summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP Code | 18951 |
| Area code | 215 |
 Location of Quakertown in Bucks County
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  Location of Quakertown in Pennsylvania
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 Location of Pennsylvania in the United States
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| Website: www.quakertownboro.com | |
Quakertown is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 8,979.[1] The borough is 16 miles (26 km) south of Bethlehem and 29 miles (47 km) north of Philadelphia, making Quakertown a border town of both the Delaware Valley and Lehigh Valley metropolitan areas. Quakertown is considered part of the Allentown–Bethlehem urbanized area and the Philadelphia–Camden–Vineland (PA–NJ–DE) MSA.
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History [edit]
Quakertown was originally settled by the Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers. The settlement was not officially known as Quakertown until its first post office opened in 1803.[2]
On September 18, 1777, during the American Revolutionary War, a convoy of wagons carrying the Liberty Bell from Philadelphia to Allentown, under the command of Col. Thomas Polk of Charlotte, North Carolina, stopped in Quakertown. The Liberty Bell was stored overnight behind the home of Evan Foulke (1237 West Broad Street), and the entourage stayed at the Red Lion Inn. The John Fries' Rebellion was also started in the Red Lion Inn in 1799.
In 1854, Quakertown elected its first Burgess. The North Pennsylvania Railroad caused a great increase in population, and by 1880, the population of Quakertown had almost reached 1,800.[2]
Liberty Hall, Quakertown Historic District, Quakertown Passenger and Freight Station, and Enoch Roberts House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[3]
Industry and population [edit]
The American Civil War along with national economic expansion changed Quakertown from a tiny village to a commercial manufacturing center. In the nineteenth century, local industrial establishments included cigar and cigar box factories, silk mills, harness factories, and stove foundries. Until 1969, Quakertown generated its own electrical power. The population of Quakertown in 1900 was 3,014; it rose to 3,801 in 1910. By 1940, the population had reached 5,150 people. At the 2010 census, the borough's population was 8,979.
Geography [edit]
Quakertown is located at 40°26′26″N 75°20′26″W / 40.44056°N 75.34056°W (40.440440, -75.340477)[4], at an elevation of 505 feet (154 m) above sea level.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 2.0 square miles (5.2 km2), all of it land.
Tohickon Creek, which drains into the Delaware River, flows past the northeastern edge of the borough. Major roads in Quakertown include Pennsylvania routes 309, 313, and 663.
Climate [edit]
| Climate data for Quakertown | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °F (°C) | 33 (1) |
35.9 (2.2) |
46.1 (7.8) |
58.3 (14.6) |
69.3 (20.7) |
77.5 (25.3) |
81.5 (27.5) |
80.3 (26.8) |
73.3 (22.9) |
61.5 (16.4) |
48.8 (9.3) |
37.7 (3.2) |
58.6 (14.81) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 15.3 (−9.3) |
16.9 (−8.4) |
24.4 (−4.2) |
33.9 (1.1) |
44.2 (6.8) |
53.3 (11.8) |
57.1 (13.9) |
55.5 (13.1) |
48.3 (9.1) |
37.2 (2.9) |
29.9 (−1.2) |
21 (−6) |
36.42 (2.47) |
| Precipitation inches (mm) | 3.1 (79) |
2.7 (69) |
3.7 (94) |
3.6 (91) |
4 (100) |
4.7 (119) |
4.5 (114) |
4.1 (104) |
4 (100) |
3 (80) |
3.7 (94) |
3.4 (86) |
44.5 (1,130) |
| Source: Weatherbase [5] | |||||||||||||
Demographics [edit]
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 4,883 |
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| 1940 | 5,150 | 5.5% | |
| 1950 | 5,673 | 10.2% | |
| 1960 | 6,305 | 11.1% | |
| 1970 | 7,276 | 15.4% | |
| 1980 | 8,867 | 21.9% | |
| 1990 | 8,982 | 1.3% | |
| 2000 | 8,931 | −0.6% | |
| 2010 | 8,979 | 0.5% | |
As of the census[6] of 2010, there were 8,979 people residing in the borough. The racial makeup of the borough was 90.6% White, 2.4% African American, 0.3% Native American, 2.0% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 2.7% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.0% of the population.
As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 8,931 people, 3,421 households, and 2,251 families residing in the borough. The population density was 4,424.7 people per square mile (1,707.1/km²). There were 3,631 housing units at an average density of 1,798.9 per square mile (694.0/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 94.46% White, 1.20% African American, 0.13% Native American, 1.51% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.58% from other races, and 1.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.88% of the population.
There were 3,421 households out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.7% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.2% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.11.
In the borough the population was spread out with 25.5% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $41,942, and the median income for a family was $51,194. Males had a median income of $33,697 versus $26,988 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $20,562. About 3.7% of families and 5.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.0% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation [edit]
Quakertown has a public general aviation airport, simply named Quakertown Airport. The airport is not located in the Quakertown borough itself, but in neighboring Milford Township.[7]
Notable people [edit]
- Diane Bracalente, Olympic field hockey player
- Tim Lewis, former professional football player for the Green Bay Packers, assistant coach with Seattle Seahawks
- Bill Mensch, microcomputer pioneer
- Ken Schroy, former professional football player for the New York Jets
- Nazzareno Poggi, (aka Joe Polk), heavyweight professional wrestler, resident of Quakertown, one of the top five wrestlers in the world in the 1920s and early 1930s. Heavyweight wrestling champion of the United States armed forces in Europe during World War I. Acted in silent films in Hollywood in the 1920s.
- Robert F. Licopoli, Inducted into the Minor League Football Hall of Fame in 2005 as an Executive. As founder of the North American Football League, the largest amateur football league in the United States. The NAFL was an amateur league (also known as semi-pro football) that began with 18 teams in 1999. It quickly grew in size and by 2005 had more than 140 teams. The NAFL was known by the NFL and NCAA for sustaining an affordable national playoff system for 12 years. Notable staff included 9 year NFL Veteran John "JT" Turner of the Minnesota Vikings and Sam Adams, 6 time pro bowl defensive tackle who had two Super Bowl appearances and one Super Bowl ring while playing for the Baltimore Ravens. The NAFL championship game was played at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex from 2004 - 2007 and secured a contract to air it's AAA championship game on ESPN in November of 2007. Licopoli retired from the NAFL at the end of the 2007 in order to focus on business development in the sports and real estate industries.
- John Rivers, born in Riverside, New Jersey. He was placed in foster care and was raised by Dr. Elvin Horne. It has been said Rivers was known to drive an Indian motorcycle. "Indian Johnny Rivers" played on the stand out 1936 football team at Quakertown High, Pa. that posted seven shutouts and allowed only twenty points all year. As a rugged well respected fighter representing Bethlehem he fought for the Diamond Belt in Philadelphia. In World War II at Guadalcanal as a machine gunner in the First Marine Division he was killed at the Battle of Tenaru. With bullets swarming all around him Rivers answered the Japanese fire successfully. Rivers along with the rest of the gun crew were awarded the Navy Cross (America's second highest decoration) for extraordinary heroism in combat. Rivers is portrayed in the 1945 Warner Brothers film Pride of the Marines.
References [edit]
- ^ "Race, Hispanic or Latino, Age, and Housing Occupancy: 2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File (QT-PL), Quakertown borough, Pennsylvania". U.S. Census Bureau, American FactFinder 2. Retrieved August 11, 2011.
- ^ a b "History". Borough of Quakertown. Retrieved November 2, 2012.
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2010-07-09.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ "Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Quakertown, Pennsylvania". Weatherbase. 2011. Retrieved on November 24, 2011.
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ Quakertown Airport | Bucks County Airport Authority
External links [edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Quakertown, Pennsylvania |
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