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Allegany County, Maryland

Coordinates: 39°38′N 78°41′W / 39.63°N 78.69°W / 39.63; -78.69
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Allegany County
County
Official seal of Allegany County
Seal
Map of Maryland highlighting Allegany County
Location within the U.S. state of Maryland
Map of the United States highlighting Maryland
Maryland's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 39°38′N 78°41′W / 39.63°N 78.69°W / 39.63; -78.69
Country United States
State Maryland
Founded1789
Named forthe Allegheny Mountains, which run through the western part of the county
SeatCumberland
Largest cityCumberland
Area
 • Total429.82 sq mi (1,113.2 km2)
 • Land425.42 sq mi (1,101.8 km2)
 • Water4.40 sq mi (11.4 km2)  1.02%
Population
 • Estimate 
(2005)
73,639
 • Density180/sq mi (68/km2)
Websitegov.allconet.org

Allegany County is a county located in the northwestern part of the US state of Maryland. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2000, the population was 74,930. Its county seat is Cumberland. The name Allegany comes from a local Native American word, oolikhanna, which means "beautiful stream."[dubious – discuss] A number of counties in the Appalachian region of the US are named Allegany, Allegheny, or Alleghany.

History

The western part of Maryland (including the present Allegany County) was originally part of Prince George's County when Maryland was formed in 1696.[1] This county included six current counties, and by repeated splitting, new ones were generated: Frederick from Prince George's in 1748;[2] and Montgomery and Washington from Frederick in 1776.[3]

Allegany County was formed in 1789 by the splitting of Washington County.[4] At the time it was the westernmost county in Maryland, but a split in 1872 produced Garrett County, the current westernmost county.[2]

The county has a number of properties on the National Register of Historic Places.[5]

Law and government

Allegany County was granted a home rule form of government in 1974.

Transportation

Geography

According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 429.82 square miles (1,113.2 km2), of which 425.42 square miles (1,101.8 km2) (or 98.98%) is land and 4.40 square miles (11.4 km2) (or 1.02%) is water.[6]

Adjacent counties

See also: List of counties bordering eight counties

National protected areas

Significant Topographic Features

Major highways

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
183010,590—
185022,799—
190053,694—
191062,41116.2%
192069,93812.1%
193079,09813.1%
194086,97310.0%
195089,5563.0%
196084,169−6.0%
197084,044−0.1%
198080,548−4.2%
199074,946−7.0%
200074,9300.0%
201075,0870.2%

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 74,930 people, 29,322 households, and 18,883 families residing in the county. The population density was 176 people per square mile (68/km²). There were 32,984 housing units at an average density of 78 per square mile (30/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 93.02% White, 5.35% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.52% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 0.75% from two or more races. 0.76% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 29.0% were of German, 16.7% US or American, 12.8% Irish, 10.7% English and 5.3% Italian ancestry according to Census 2000.[8]

There were 29,322 households out of which 26.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.60% were married couples living together, 10.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.60% were non-families. 30.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the county the population was spread out with 20.60% under the age of 18, 11.20% from 18 to 24, 26.80% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 17.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 99.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $30,821, and the median income for a family was $39,886. Males had a median income of $31,316 versus $21,334 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,780. About 9.70% of families and 14.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.70% of those under age 18 and 9.50% of those age 65 or over.

As of 2010, Allegany County had a racial and ethnic population composition of 88.16% Non-Hispanic whites, 8.03% Blacks, 0.14% Native Americans, 0.76% Asians, 0.04% Pacific Islanders, 0.08% Non-Hispanics who reported some other race, 1.47% Non-Hispanics who reported two or more races and 1.44% Hispanics.

Cities and towns

This county contains the following seven incorporated municipalities:

Occupying a middle ground between incorporated and unincorporated areas are Special Tax Districts, quasi-municipal unincorporated areas created by legislation passed by the Maryland General Assembly.[1] They lack home rule authority and must petition the General Assembly for changes affecting the authority of the district. There are eight Special Tax Districts in the county:

  1. Bel Air (1965)
  2. Bowling Green and Robert's Place (1972)
  3. Cresaptown (1949)
  4. Ellerslie (1963)
  5. La Vale Sanitary District (1947)
  6. McCoole (1965)
  7. Mount Savage (1950)
  8. Potomac Park Addition (1947)

Unincorporated areas are also considered as towns by many people and listed in many collections of towns, but they lack local government. Various organizations, such as the United States Census Bureau, the United States Postal Service, and local chambers of commerce, define the communities they wish to recognize differently, and since they are not incorporated, their boundaries have no official status outside the organizations in question. The Census Bureau recognizes the following census-designated places in the county:

  1. Cresaptown-Bel Air (a combination of the communities of Cresaptown and Bel Air recognized as a unit by the Census Bureau)
  2. La Vale

Other unincorporated areas include:

  1. Amcelle
  2. Barrelville
  3. Bier
  4. Borden Shaft
  5. Carlos
  6. Clarysville
  7. Corriganville
  8. Danville
  9. Dawson
  10. Detmold
  11. Dickens
  12. Eckhart Mines
  13. Evitts Creek
  14. Flintstone
  15. George's Creek
  16. Gilmore
  17. Klondike
  18. Little Orleans
  19. Loartown
  20. Midlothian
  21. McKenzie
  22. Moscow
  23. Mount Savage
  24. Narrows Park
  25. Nikep
  26. Oldtown
  27. Pekin
  28. Pinto
  29. Rawlings
  30. Shaft
  31. Spring Gap
  32. Town Creek
  33. Vale Summit
  34. Woodland
  35. Zihlman

Government and infrastructure

The North Branch Correctional Institution, operated by the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, is located in unincorporated Allegany County, near Cumberland.[9] The prison began housing male death row inmates, who were moved from the Maryland Correctional Adjustment Center, in June 2010.[10]

Colleges and universities

Notable residents

Mountains

The following Mountains are in Allegany County:

Mineral Resources

The primary mineral resources extracted for use in Allegany County are coal, iron, sandstone, and limestone. Coal bearing formations are concentrated in the Georges Creek Basin in the western part of the county.

See also

References

  1. ^ Thomas, James W. and Williams, Thomas J.C. History of Allegany County, Maryland. Baltimore, Md.: Regional Publishing Co., 1969, p. 289.
  2. ^ a b Bentley, Elizabeth Petty. County Courthouse Book. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2009, p. 128.
  3. ^ Bentley, Elizabeth Petty. County Courthouse Book. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2009, p. 129.
  4. ^ Bentley, Elizabeth Petty. County Courthouse Book. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2009, p. 126.
  5. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  6. ^ "Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Counties". United States Census. Retrieved 2011-02-13.
  7. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2007-04-20.
  8. ^ The last five National Origin figures are taken from the Long Form, which was given to less than 20% of respondents but then extrapolated to the whole. Besides this problem in making a comparison, the long form also limits people to only two stated ancestries, but unlike racial counts, if someone states two ancestries they are counted in both, while in racial counts they are grouped as "some other race."
  9. ^ "North Branch Correctional Institution." North Branch Correctional Institution. Retrieved on September 22, 2010.
  10. ^ Calvert, Scott and Kate Smith. "Death row inmates transferred to W. Maryland." The Baltimore Sun. June 25, 2010. Retrieved on September 22, 2010.
  11. ^ a b Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607–1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 1963.

39°38′N 78°41′W / 39.63°N 78.69°W / 39.63; -78.69

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