Lansford, Pennsylvania

Lansford is a borough in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, 35 miles (56 km) (direct) north of Reading. Settled in 1845, Lansford was incorporated in 1876. In 1900, 4,888 people lived in Lansford; in 1910, 8,321 people inhabited it, and in 1940, 8,710 residents called Lansford home. The population was 4,230 at the 2000 census. Lansford is located south of Hazleton, near anthracite coal mines.

The old No. 9 Wash Shanty coal mine in Lansford, which operated from 1855 to 1972, is now open as a tourist attraction offering tours of the mine. One of the bosses of the mine was shot as part of the union strife which included the trial of the Molly Maguires. A museum displaying a collection of mining artifacts is also on the site.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.0 km²), all of it land. Lansford is 1 mile north of Summit Hill, and 10 miles west of Lehighton and 5 miles northeast of Tamaqua. Lansford's elevation is 1145 feet above sea level.

Since 1952, Lansford has been home to WLSH 1410 on the AM dial. The call letters stand for Lansford and neighboring Summit Hill.

Joseph Horvath is the Mayor of Lansford and is assisted by a council. The town also has a fire department, police force, and ambulance corporation.

Lansford is part of the Panther Valley School District and home of their newly remodeled football stadium and walking track.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 4,230 people, 1,878 households, and 1,098 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,710.0 people per square mile (1,046.9/km²). There were 2,228 housing units at an average density of 1,427.4/sq mi (551.4/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 98.18% White, 0.35% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.28% from other races, and 0.73% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.42% of the population.

There were 1,878 households out of which 24.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.4% were married couples living together, 14.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.5% were non-families. 37.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 23.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the borough the population was spread out with 22.5% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 25.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 84.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.2 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $27,478, and the median income for a family was $37,773. Males had a median income of $30,405 versus $22,255 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $14,347. About 10.9% of families and 14.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.5% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.

Notable residents

• Jimmy Dorsey - big band leader
• Tommy Dorsey - big band leader
• Richard Marcinko — founder of SEAL Team SIX and Red Cell; and co-author of NY Times bestseller Rogue Warrior
• Benjamin Bloom, educational psychologist known for Bloom's Taxonomy