Jump to content

Tioga County, Pennsylvania

Coordinates: 41°46′N 77°15′W / 41.77°N 77.25°W / 41.77; -77.25
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Tioga County, PA)

Tioga County
County
Tioga County Courthouse
Tioga County Courthouse
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Tioga County
Location within the U.S. state of Pennsylvania
Map of the United States highlighting Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 41°46′N 77°15′W / 41.77°N 77.25°W / 41.77; -77.25
Country United States
State Pennsylvania
FoundedOctober 13, 1812
Named forTioga River
SeatWellsboro
Largest boroughMansfield
Area
 • Total1,137 sq mi (2,940 km2)
 • Land1,134 sq mi (2,940 km2)
 • Water3.2 sq mi (8 km2)  0.3%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total41,045
 • Density36/sq mi (14/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district15th
Websitewww.tiogacountypa.us

Tioga County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 41,045.[1] Its county seat is Wellsboro.[2] The county was created on March 26, 1804, from part of Lycoming County[3] and later organized in 1812.[4] It is named for the Tioga River. The county is part of the North Central Pennsylvania region of the state.[a]

History

[edit]

The county was colonized by people of Yankee stock (colonists from New England and the western part of New York who were descended from the English Puritans of colonial New England). With the opening of a rough wagon road to the source of the Tioga River, New England colonists poured over the Allegheny Mountains. Tioga County resembled upstate New York more than it did eastern Pennsylvania, as its population primarily consisted of colonists from New England.[5] Developers and land speculators laid out roads, established post routes, erected public buildings, and invited people to move there. The original colonists were entirely of New England origins or were Yankees from upstate New York, whose families had recent ancestors in New England, with colonization taking place in the aftermath of the Revolutionary War. Tioga County was largely culturally contiguous with New England culture, which was influential across the Northern Tier of the United States through its migrants.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the county accepted more immigrants from Ireland, Germany and eastern Europe, who came to work in the coal mines. A number of them were Roman Catholic, introducing more diversity into the mixture of religions here.

Geography

[edit]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,137 square miles (2,940 km2), of which 1,134 square miles (2,940 km2) is land and 3.2 square miles (8.3 km2) (0.3%) is water.[6] It is the fourth-largest county in Pennsylvania by land area and fifth-largest by total area. It has a warm-summer humid continental climate (Dfb) and average monthly temperatures in Wellsboro range from 22.8 °F in January to 68.2 °F in July.[7]

Adjacent counties

[edit]

Demographics

[edit]
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18101,687—
18204,021138.4%
18308,978123.3%
184015,49872.6%
185023,98754.8%
186031,04429.4%
187035,09713.1%
188045,81430.5%
189052,31314.2%
190049,086−6.2%
191042,829−12.7%
192037,118−13.3%
193031,871−14.1%
194035,0049.8%
195035,4741.3%
196036,6143.2%
197039,6918.4%
198040,9733.2%
199041,1260.4%
200041,3720.6%
201041,9811.5%
202041,045−2.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
1790–1960[9] 1900–1990[10]
1990–2000[11] 2010–2017[12] 2010-2020[13]

As of the census[14] of 2000, there were 41,373 people, 15,925 households, and 11,195 families residing in the county. The population density was 36 people per square mile (14 people/km2). There were 19,893 housing units at an average density of 18 units per square mile (6.9/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 98.11% White, 0.60% Black or African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.14% from other races, and 0.61% from two or more races. 0.52% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Residents of Tioga County were of 31.9% English, 23.1% German, 10.1% Irish, 6.0% Polish and 5.3% Italian ancestry.

There were 15,925 households, out of which 30.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.80% were married couples living together, 8.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.70% were non-families. 24.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.70% under the age of 18, 10.60% from 18 to 24, 25.40% from 25 to 44, 24.20% from 45 to 64, and 16.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.80 males.

2020 census

[edit]
Tioga County Racial Composition[15]
Race Num. Perc.
White (NH) 38,257 93.2%
Black or African American (NH) 321 0.8%
Native American (NH) 73 0.17%
Asian (NH) 189 0.46%
Pacific Islander (NH) 7 0.02%
Other/Mixed (NH) 1,558 3.8%
Hispanic or Latino 640 1.56%

Politics and government

[edit]
United States presidential election results for Tioga County, Pennsylvania[16]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 15,742 74.51% 4,955 23.45% 429 2.03%
2016 13,614 73.56% 3,901 21.08% 992 5.36%
2012 11,342 66.35% 5,357 31.34% 395 2.31%
2008 11,326 62.48% 6,390 35.25% 410 2.26%
2004 12,019 68.40% 5,437 30.94% 115 0.65%
2000 9,635 65.22% 4,617 31.26% 520 3.52%
1996 7,382 51.18% 4,961 34.39% 2,082 14.43%
1992 7,823 47.29% 4,868 29.43% 3,852 23.28%
1988 9,471 66.00% 4,807 33.50% 72 0.50%
1984 10,532 71.92% 4,060 27.72% 52 0.36%
1980 8,770 63.33% 4,273 30.85% 806 5.82%
1976 8,417 58.43% 5,795 40.23% 193 1.34%
1972 10,028 72.05% 3,733 26.82% 157 1.13%
1968 9,298 67.07% 3,488 25.16% 1,077 7.77%
1964 7,064 48.73% 7,415 51.16% 16 0.11%
1960 11,082 73.04% 4,076 26.86% 15 0.10%
1956 10,827 76.72% 3,280 23.24% 6 0.04%
1952 11,203 78.65% 3,006 21.10% 35 0.25%
1948 10,016 77.03% 2,986 22.97% 0 0.00%
1944 10,381 75.73% 3,248 23.69% 79 0.58%
1940 11,645 72.23% 4,434 27.50% 43 0.27%
1936 12,567 69.40% 5,442 30.05% 99 0.55%
1932 9,583 75.00% 3,004 23.51% 191 1.49%
1928 11,774 87.23% 1,688 12.51% 36 0.27%
1924 8,452 81.22% 1,271 12.21% 683 6.56%
1920 9,718 83.28% 1,258 10.78% 693 5.94%
1916 5,347 66.41% 2,294 28.49% 411 5.10%
1912 1,895 22.40% 1,901 22.48% 4,662 55.12%
1908 6,947 71.28% 2,321 23.81% 478 4.90%
1904 7,410 79.32% 1,541 16.50% 391 4.19%
1900 7,458 71.02% 2,638 25.12% 406 3.87%
1896 7,922 71.42% 2,828 25.50% 342 3.08%
1892 6,706 64.77% 2,921 28.21% 726 7.01%
1888 7,808 69.23% 2,972 26.35% 499 4.42%

Tioga County is one of the most heavily Republican represented counties in Pennsylvania. This has a long history as Abraham Lincoln reportedly received 78.57% of the county's vote in the 1860 Presidential election.[17] Since Abraham Lincoln the county has voted for the non-Republican presidential candidate only two times. The first was Theodore Roosevelt's 1912 run as a Progressive and the second was Lyndon B. Johnson's landslide in 1964.[18] In 2004, George W. Bush received 12,019 votes (68%) to 5,437 votes (31%) for John Kerry. In 2008 John McCain received 62.7% of the vote.[19] In 2020, despite the state's slight leftward swing, the county swung further right to give Donald Trump the best Republican result since 1956. In 2006, Rick Santorum and Lynn Swann both had significant victories in Tioga County despite their defeats statewide. The last two sitting Board of Commissioners have been all Republican candidates, and Tioga County is the only county in Pennsylvania with all three sitting commissioners being from a single party. This was due to the success of write in campaigns conducted by Roger Bunn in 2011 and Mark Hamilton in 2015.

Elected officials

[edit]

United States senator

[edit]

United States Congress

[edit]

Pennsylvania state senator

[edit]

Pennsylvania state representative

[edit]

County commissioners

[edit]

Court of Common Pleas judge, 4th Judicial District of Pennsylvania

[edit]
  • George W. Wheeler (Republican/Democrat)

Magisterial district judge

[edit]

District attorney

[edit]
  • Krista Deats (Republican)

Register of wills / recorder of deeds

[edit]
  • Jane E. Wetherbee (Republican)

Prothonotary / clerk of courts

[edit]
  • Marie Seymour (Republican)

County treasurer

[edit]
  • Kera Hackett (Republican)

Sheriff

[edit]
  • Frank Levindoski (Republican)

Coroner

[edit]
  • James Dougherty

Auditors

[edit]
  • Rebecca B. Briggs (Republican)
  • Elizabeth T. Craig (Republican)
  • Amy Kane Perry (Republican)

Education

[edit]
Map of Tioga County, Pennsylvania Public School Districts

Colleges and universities

[edit]

Public school districts

[edit]

Private schools

[edit]

As reported by EdNA, Pennsylvania Department of Education, June 2010.

  • Covington Community DCC, Covington
  • Irvin Comstock Seventh-Day Adventist School, Wellsboro
  • Laurel Youth Services, Blossburg
  • Lauries Bright Beginnings CCC, Millerton
  • Mansfield Area Nursery School, Mansfield
  • Maranatha Mission Learning Community Branch 20, Trout Run
  • New Covenant Academy, Mansfield
  • Presbyterian Child Development Center, Wellsboro
  • Stony Fork Mennonite School, Wellsboro
  • Trinity Lutheran School, Wellsboro
  • Toddler University, Blossburg
  • Toddler University, Trinity
  • Wellsboro Montessori Children's Center, Wellsboro
  • Wesley Academy, Elkland

Public libraries

[edit]
  • Blossburg Memorial Library
  • Elkland Area Community Library
  • Green Free Library – Wellsboro
  • Knoxville Public Library
  • Mansfield Free Public Library
  • Potter-Tioga County Lib System
  • Westfield Public Library

Transportation

[edit]

Public transportation is provided by BeST Transit.

Major highways

[edit]

Recreation

[edit]

There are three Pennsylvania state parks in Tioga County.

Communities

[edit]
Map of Tioga County, Pennsylvania with Municipal Labels showing Boroughs (red) and Townships (white).

Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, in at most two cases, towns. The following boroughs and townships are located in Tioga County:

Boroughs

[edit]

Townships

[edit]

Census-designated places

[edit]

Census-designated places are geographical areas designated by the U.S. Census Bureau for the purposes of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law. Other unincorporated communities, such as villages, may be listed here as well.

Ghost towns

[edit]

Tioga County is historically home to several ghost towns for a variety of reasons, chiefly the decline of the lumber and coal industry. Most prominently is Leetonia, a former timber company town. Some small hamlets, such as Mardin and Olde Corner, who relied on Rural Free Delivery for trade met their downfall. Former borough Fall Brook was a site of coal discovered in 1856, and Landrus first was settled to build a sawmill.[20]

Population ranking

[edit]

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Tioga County.[21]

† county seat

Rank City/Town/etc. Municipal type Population (2010 Census)
1 Mansfield Borough 3,625
2 † Wellsboro Borough 3,263
3 Elkland Borough 1,821
4 Blossburg Borough 1,538
5 Westfield Borough 1,064
6 Tioga Borough 666
7 Knoxville Borough 629
8 Lawrenceville Borough 581
9 Arnot CDP 332
10 Millerton CDP 316
11 Liberty Borough 249
12 Roseville Borough 189

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Includes Clearfield, Jefferson, Tioga, McKean, Warren, Clarion, Elk, Potter, Forest and Cameron Counties
  1. ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Tioga County, Pennsylvania". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ An outline history of Tioga and Bradford counties in Pennsylvania, Chemung, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins and Schuyler in New York: by townships, villages, boro's and cities, John L. Sexton. The Gazette Company, 1885, p3. 1885. p. 3. Retrieved September 17, 2010. tioga county, pa. sexton.
  4. ^ "Pennsylvania: Individual County Chronologies". Pennsylvania Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2008. Archived from the original on March 25, 2015. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  5. ^ The Expansion of New England: The Spread of New England Settlement and Institutions to the Mississippi River, 1620–1865, pp. 151-152
  6. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
  7. ^ "PRISM Climate Group at Oregon State University".
  8. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
  9. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
  10. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 24, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
  11. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
  12. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  13. ^ "Census 2020".
  14. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  15. ^ "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Tioga County, Pennsylvania".
  16. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
  17. ^ "David Leip Presidential Election Atlas for 1860". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
  18. ^ "Presidential election of 1912 – Map by counties". geoelections.free.fr. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
  19. ^ "President Map – Election Results 2008 – The New York Times". elections.nytimes.com. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
  20. ^ Randel, William Peirce (1939). "The Place Names of Tioga County, Pennsylvania". American Speech. 14 (3): 181–190. doi:10.2307/451417. ISSN 0003-1283. JSTOR 451417.
  21. ^ Promotions, Center for New Media and. "US Census Bureau 2010 Census". www.census.gov. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
[edit]
  • Tioga County, Pennsylvania
  • Map 562 *Augmented by Williams, J. H., Taylor, L. E., and Low, D. J. (1993), Surficial geologic map of major glaciated valleys of Bradford, Tioga, and Potter Counties, Pennsylvania, showing locations of wells, test holes, and data-collection sites, Pennsylvania Geological Survey, 4th ser., Water Resource Report 68.

41°46′N 77°15′W / 41.77°N 77.25°W / 41.77; -77.25

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tioga_County,_Pennsylvania&oldid=1241167240"