Allegheny County is a
county in the southwestern
part of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania
. As of the
2000 census, the population was
1,281,666.
The county seat is
Pittsburgh
. The county forms the nucleus of the
Pittsburgh metropolitan
area,
Pittsburgh DMA, and
Pittsburgh Tri-State
Area.
History
Allegheny County was the first in Pennsylvania to be given a
Native
American name, being named after the
Allegheny River. The word "Allegheny" is of
Lenape origin, with uncertain meaning. It is
usually said to mean "fine river", but sometimes said to refer to
an ancient mythical tribe called "Allegewi" who live along the
river long ago before being destroyed by the Lenape.
Not a great deal is known about the native inhabitants of the
region prior to European contact. During the colonial era various
native groups claimed or settled in the area, resulting in a
multi-ethnic mix that included
Iroquois,
Lenape,
Shawnee, and
Mingo.
The first
Europeans to enter the area were the French
in
1749. Captain
Pierre Joseph de
Celeron, sieur de Blainville claimed the
Ohio Valley and all of Western Pennsylvania for
Louis XV of France.
The captain traveled
along the Ohio and Allegheny Rivers
inserting lead plates in the ground to mark the land for France.
Since most of the towns during that era were developed along
waterways, both the French and the British
desired control over the local rivers. Therefore, the British sent
Major
George Washington to try to
compel the French to leave their posts, with no success. Having
failed in his mission, he returned and nearly drowned crossing the
ice-filled Allegheny River. In 1754, the English tried again to
enter the area. This time, they sent 41 Virginians to build
Fort Prince George.
The French got news of
the plan and sent an army to take over the fort, which they then
resumed building with increased fortification, renaming it Fort Duquesne
.
The loss
of the fort cost the English dearly because Fort Duquesne became one of the focal points of the French and Indian War. The
first attempt to retake the fort, by General
Edward Braddock, failed miserably. It was
not until General
John Forbes
attacked in 1758, four years after they had lost the original fort,
that they recaptured and destroyed it.
They subsequently
built a new fort on the site, including a moat, and named it
Fort
Pitt
. The site is now Pittsburgh's Point State
Park
.
Both
Pennsylvania and Virginia
claimed the
region that is now Allegheny County. Pennsylvania
administered most of the region as part Westmoreland
County
. Virginia considered everything south of the
Ohio River and east of the Allegheny River to be part of its Yohogania County and governed it from
Fort
Dunmore. In addition, parts of the county were
located in the proposed British colony of
Vandalia and the proposed U.S. state of
Westsylvania. The overlapping
boundaries, multiple governments, and confused deed claims soon
proved unworkable.
In 1780 Pennsylvania and Virginia agreed to
extend the Mason-Dixon
line
westward and the region became part of
Pennsylvania. From 1781 until 1788, much of what had been
claimed as part of Yohogania County, Virginia, was administered as
a part of the newly created Washington
County, Pennsylvania
.
Allegheny
County was officially created on September 24, 1788 from parts of
Washington and Westmoreland counties. It was formed due to pressure from
settlers living in the area around Pittsburgh
, which became the county
seat in 1791. The county originally extended all the way
north to the shores of Lake
Erie
and became the "mother county" for most of what is
now northwestern Pennsylvania. By 1800, the county's current
borders were set.
In the 1790s, a
whiskey excise tax was
imposed by the
United States Federal
Government. This started the so-called
Whiskey Rebellion when the farmers who
depended on whiskey income refused to pay and drove off a local
town's marshal. After a series of demonstrations by farmers,
President
George Washington
arrived with troops to stop the rebellion.
The area developed rapidly throughout the 19th century to become
the center of steel production in the nation.
Pittsburgh would later be labeled as the "Steel Capital of the
World."
Law and government
For most of the 20th century, until 1999, Allegheny County was
governed exclusively under the state's Second Class County Code.
Under this code, the county handled everything: elections, prisons,
airports, public health and city planning. Unlike the rest of the
state, where certain public offices are combined and held by one
person, in Allegheny County all public offices are held by elected
individuals.
Before the implementation of the home-rule charter on January 1,
2000, there were three county
commissioners. These were replaced with an
elected chief officer (the county executive), a county council with
15 members (13 elected by district, two elected county-wide), and
an appointed county manager. The changes were intended to maintain
a separation of powers between the executive and legislative
branches while providing the citizens with greater control over the
government.
The county has 130 municipalities, each with its own governmental
setup; no other county in Pennsylvania has nearly as many, with
Luzerne County's 76 being second.
The county has one Second Class City (Pittsburgh) and three Third Class
Cities (Clairton
, Duquesne
, and McKeesport
).
A 2004
study by the University of Pittsburgh
stated that Allegheny County would be better served
by consolidating the southeastern portion of the county (which
includes many small, poor communities) into one large municipality,
called "Rivers City," which would have a
combined population of approximately 250,000. [13440]
State relations
Under the
Dan Onorato administration,
Allegheny County has paid $10,000 per month to Robert Ewanco, of
Greenlee Partners, to lobby the
Pennsylvania General
Assembly.
County officials credit him with a "20-fold"
return in the form of appropriations for a widening project on
Pennsylvania Route 28, as well
as a footbridge and security cameras at
Duquesne
University
.
County Executive
County Council
- Matt Drozd, District 1, Republican
- Jan Rea, District 2, Republican
- James Burn Jr., District 3, Democrat
- Michael J. Finnerty, District 4, Democrat
- Vince Gastgeb, District 5, Republican
- Joan Cleary, District 6, Democrat
- Nicholas Futules, District 7, Democrat
- Charles Martoni, District 8, Vice-President, Democrat
- Robert J. Macey, District 9, Democrat
- William Russell Roberston, District 10, Democrat
- Rich Fitzgerald, District 11, President, Democrat
- James Ellenbogen, District 12, Democrat
- Amanda Green, District 13, Democrat
- John DeFazio, At-large, Democrat
- Chuck McCullogh, At-large, Republican
Other elected county offices
- Controller, Mark Patrick Flaherty, Democrat
- District Attorney, Stephen A. Zappala Jr., Democrat
- Sheriff, William P. Mullen, Democrat
- Treasurer, John K. Weinstein, Democrat
Politics
Presidential Election Results
1960-2008
| Year |
Democrat |
Republican |
| 2008 |
57.20%
368,453 |
41.89% 269,819 |
| 2004 |
57.15%
368,912 |
42.13% 271,925 |
| 2000 |
56.65%
329,963 |
40.41% 235,361 |
| 1996 |
52.82%
284,480 |
37.89% 204,067 |
| 1992 |
52.75%
324,004 |
29.80% 183,035 |
| 1988 |
59.51%
348,814 |
39.43% 231,137 |
| 1984 |
55.96%
372,576 |
42.76% 284,692 |
| 1980 |
47.87%
297,464 |
43.75% 271,850 |
| 1976 |
50.68%
328,343 |
46.79% 303,127 |
| 1972 |
42.26% 282,496 |
55.60%
371,737 |
| 1968 |
51.12%
364,906 |
37.09% 264,790 |
| 1964 |
66.03%
475,207 |
33.58% 241,707 |
| 1960 |
57.07%
428,455 |
42.76% 320,970 |
|
As of November 2008, there are 955,982 registered voters in
Allegheny County
[13441].
The Republican Party had been historically dominant in county-level
politics; prior to the Great Depression Pittsburgh and Allegheny
County had been Republican. Since the Great Depression on the state
and national levels, the Democratic Party has been dominant in
county-level politics and is the Democratic stronghold of western
Pennsylvania. In 2000, Democrat Al Gore won 56% of the vote and
Republican George W. Bush won 41%. In 2004, Democrat John Kerry
received 57% of the vote and Bush received 42%. In 2006, Democrats
Governor Ed Rendell and Senator Bob Casey, Jr. won 59% and 65% of
the vote in Allegheny County, respectively. In 2008, Democrat
Barack Obama received 57% of the vote, John McCain received 41%,
and each of the three state row office winners (
Rob McCord for Treasurer,
Jack Wagner for Auditor General,
and
Tom Corbett for Attorney General)
also carried Allegheny.
State Senators
- John Pippy, Republican, 37th
district
- Jim Ferlo, Democrat, 38th
district
- Jane Clare Orie, Republican, 40th
district
- Wayne D.
Fontana,
Democrat, 42nd district
- Jay Costa, Democrat, 43rd
district
- Sean Logan, Democrat, 45th
district
- Barry Stout, Democrat, 46th
district
- Elder Vogel, Republican, 47th
district
US Representatives
Geography
Allegheny
County is known for the three major rivers that flow through it:
the Allegheny River and the Monongahela River converge at Downtown
Pittsburgh
to form the Ohio
River. The Youghiogheny River flows into the
Monongahela River at McKeesport, Pennsylvania, southeast. Despite its industrial growth,
much of Allegheny County is covered with forests.
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total
area of 745 square miles (1,929 km²); 730 square
miles (1,891 km²) of it is land and 15 square miles
(38 km²) of it (1.95%) is water.
Adjacent counties
Demographics
As of the
census of 2000, there were
1,281,666 people, 537,150 households, and 332,495 families residing
in the county. The
population
density was 1,755 people per square mile (678/km²). There were
583,646 housing units at an average density of 799 per
square mile (309/km²). The racial makeup of the county was
84.33%
White, 12.41%
Black or
African American, 0.12%
Native American, 1.69%
Asian, 0.03%
Pacific Islander, 0.34% from
other races, and 1.07%
from two or more races. About 0.87% of the population were
Hispanic or
Latino of any race. 20.0% were
of
German, 15.0%
Italian, 12.7%
Irish, 7.5%
Polish
and 5.1%
English ancestry according
to
Census 2000. 93.5% spoke
English and 1.3%
Spanish as their first language.
There were 537,150 households out of which 26.40% had children
under the age of 18 living with them, 46.10% were
married couples living together, 12.40% had a
female householder with no husband present, and 38.10% were
non-families. Some 32.70% of all households were made up of
individuals and 13.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of
age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average
family size was 2.96.
The population was spread out with 21.90% under the age of 18,
8.50% from 18 to 24, 28.30% from 25 to 44, 23.40% from 45 to 64,
and 17.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was
40. For every 100 females, there were 90.00 males; for every 100
females age 18 and over, there were 86.20 males.
Economy
In the late 1700s farming played a critical role in the growth of
the area. There was a surplus of grain due to transportation
difficulties in linking with the eastern portion of the state. As a
result, the farmers distilled the grain into
whiskey, which significantly helped the farmers
financially.
The area quickly became one of the key manufacturing areas in the
young nation.
Pittsburgh quickly became the largest inland port in the
nation, which it remains today . Coupled with deposits of
iron and coal, and the easy access to waterways for barge traffic,
the city quickly became one of the most important steel producing
areas in the world.
With the decline of the steel industry in the US, the area shifted
to other industries. Today, it is known for its hospitals,
universities, and industrial centers. Despite the decline of heavy
industry, Pittsburgh is home to a number of major companies and is
ranked in the
top ten among US cities hosting headquarters of
Fortune 500 corporations. These include
U.S. Steel Corporation,
PNC Financial Services Group,
PPG Industries, and
H J Heinz Corporation.
Municipalities
Map of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania with Municipal Labels showing
Cities and Boroughs (red), Townships (white), and Census-designated
places (blue).
Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated
municipalities:
cities,
boroughs,
townships, and, in
at most two cases,
towns. The
following cities, boroughs and townships are in Allegheny County:
Cities
Boroughs
Townships
The welcome signs of these cities, boroughs and townships are
chronicled on the popular website
Allegheny
County Quest
Census-designated places
Census-designated places are
geographical areas designated by the
US 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.
Former Municipalities and Political Subdivisions
Many political subdivisions of Allegheny County have come and gone
through subdivision or annexation through the years. These
include:
Allegheny City - the area that is now the North Shore (or North
Side) of the City of Pittsburgh, north of the Allegheny
River.
Allentown Borough - now the neighborhood of Allentown in
Pittsburgh.
Birmingham Borough - what is now Pittsburgh's South Side.
Carrick Borough - now the neighborhood of Carrick. Formed out of
Baldwin Township in 1904, this borough existed until it was annexed
by Pittsburgh in 1927. It was named for Carrick-on-Suir, Ireland.
To this day, some of the
manhole
covers bear the Carrick Borough name.
Collins Township - in what is now the Strip District and
Lawrenceville of the City of Pittsburgh.
McClure Township - McClure was formed in 1858 from the section of
Ross Township adjacent to Allegheny City. In 1867 McClure, along
with sections of Reserve Township, was incorporated into Allegheny
City. The McClure section of thisannexation became Wards 9 (Woods
Run Area) and 11 (present day Brighton Heights) in the City of
Pittsburgh.
Patton Township - was in east central part of the county, north of
North Versailles Township, east of Wilkins and Penn Townships, and
south of Plum Township. In U.S. census for 1860-1880.
Peebles
Township - included most of what is now the eastern part of the
city of Pittsburgh from the Monongahela River in the south (today's
Hazelwood
) to the Allegheny River in the north. It
was subdivided into Collins and Liberty townships, all of which
were incorporated into Pittsburgh in 1868.
St. Clair Township - stretched from the Monongahela River south to
the Washington County line. It divided into Lower St. Clair, which
eventually became part of the City of Pittsburgh, and Upper St.
Clair.
Snowden - now known as South Park Township.
Temperanceville - what is now Pittsburgh's West End.
Union Borough - the area surrounding Temperanceville.
Education
Colleges and universities
Community, Junior and Technical Colleges
Public School Districts
300 px
Private High Schools
Transportation
Allegheny County's
public
transportation provider is the
Port Authority of Allegheny
County.
For information about roads, see
list of
State Routes in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania and
Pittsburgh/Allegheny
County Belt System.
Recreation
There are two
Pennsylvania state parks in
Allegheny County:
Notable Natives and Residents
Major League Sports Teams
See also
References
External links
(north)
(tangent to the northeast)
(northwest)
is in the Allegheny
River in Harmar Township and is undeveloped.
Top topics
Wikis
Quiz
Map
Search
