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Shanksville, Pennsylvania

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Shanksville is a borough in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, United States, with a population of 245, as of the 2000 census. It is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area and is approximately 60 miles (approximately 80 miles driving) southeast from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Shanksville came to international attention during the September 11 attacks when United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in adjacent Stonycreek Township.

Geography

Shanksville is located at 40°1′2″N 78°54′21″W / 40.01722°N 78.90583°W / 40.01722; -78.90583 (40.017182, -78.905891),Template:GR with the borough covering 0.2 square mile (0.5 km²).

Shanksville has the seventh-highest elevation of towns in Pennsylvania, at 2,230 feet (680 m).[1]

Demographics

Ida's, the town's general store

As of the census of 2000, there were 245 people comprising 96 households and 69 families residing in the borough.Template:GR The population density was 1,391.9 people per square mile (525.5/km²). There were 100 housing units at an average density of 568.1 per square mile (214.5/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 100.00% White.

There were 96 households out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.2% were married couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.1% were non-families. 22.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the borough, the population was spread out with 26.5% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.5 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $29,980, and the median income for a family was $40,833. Males had a median income of $25,250 versus $22,917 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $14,500. About 4.8% of families and 9.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.7% of those under the age of 18 and 12.5% of those 65 or over.

History

Christian Shank, a German immigrant, built a cabin on Stony Creek in 1798, later building a grist mill and two saw mills in the vicinity. Emmanuel Shaffer opened a store at the site in 1828, and the following year Shank laid out the town of Shanksville. The Shanksville post office was opened in 1874. Shanksville was incorporated as a borough on January 25, 1913.[2]

On September 11, 2001, during the terrorist attacks on the United States, United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in a field in Stonycreek Township, 1.75 miles (2.82 km) north of the town of Shanksville. The hijackers had intended to crash the airplane in Washington, D.C.; destroying either the Capitol or the White House.[3]

Flight 93 Memorials

Flight 93 National Memorial

Photo of George W. Bush and Laura Bush visiting Stonycreek Township on September 11, 2002.
Main article: Flight 93 National Memorial

The original temporary memorial to the passengers and crew of Flight 93 was located on a hill, about 500 yards (460 m) from the crash site. On July 8, 2010, a new temporary entrance and memorial were opened at an area called "the Western Overlook". It is where the FBI set up their command center and where family members first saw the aftermath of the crash, bringing their own memorials, and where visitors can leave them today. The initial phase of permanent construction of the Flight 93 National Memorial, including the visitor's center, will be completed by the 10th anniversary in 2011. The memorial will be built around the crash site, following the plane's flight path, and protecting the area of impact, known as the "Sacred Ground", which will remain protected and accessible only to family members of the passengers and crew.

Shanksville Firehouse Memorial

Shanksville's volunteer firefighters, as well as emergency personnel from nearby towns of Central City, Somerset, and others, had rushed to the United Airlines Flight 93 crash scene to search for survivors. New York City firefighters donated to the Shanksville Volunteer Fire Department a cross-shaped piece of steel salvaged from the World Trade Center. Mounted atop a Pentagon-shaped base, it was installed outside the firehouse and dedicated on August 24, 2008.[4][5]

References

  1. ^ Highest Elevation of Towns in Pennsylvania
  2. ^ Wilson, Ruth Hunter, Nelle Shank Hunter, Nancy Hallberg. "History of StonyCreek Township".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ Fouda, Yosri and Nick Fielding (2004). Masterminds of Terror. Arcade Publishing. pp. 158–159.
  4. ^ Ganassi, Michelle (August 25, 2008). "NY firefighter donating steel to Shanksville". Daily American. Retrieved 2008-08-22. [dead link]
  5. ^ Gaskell, Stephanie (August 25, 2008). "Pa. site of 9/11 crash gets WTC beam". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2008-08-25.
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