Edinboro, Pennsylvania

The Eriez, Iroquois, and Cornplanter Native tribes were the first known residents of the area that is now known as Edinboro. The tribes called the region Conneauttee, meaning "land of the living snowflake". A man by the name of William Culbertson moved to the area in 1801, building a gristmill near Conneauttee Lake.[6]

From 1801 to 1825, the roots of the town were formed when congregations of Presbyterian and Methodist churches begun moving to the area and building houses and churches, some that are still around today. The original resident, William Culbertson, built the first school around 1825. The first post office was built and formed around 1837 when it was included in the Erie and Crawford counties postal routes. The farms helped the area grow during this time, and the area was incorporated in 1840 with a population of 232 at about 500 acres (200 ha). A turnpike between Erie and Meadville was constructed in the 1840s, made of wooden planks, and completed in 1852. In 1857, an academy was started, which was renamed the State Normal School in 1861, which would eventually become Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.[6]

A trolley station was built by the railway company, including an electric railway in the 1900s which drew more traffic to the area. Fires in 1902, 1905, and 1909, destroyed most of the wood-framed, commercial buildings but were rebuilt with brick structures that are still standing today. Many more homes, condos and apartments were constructed from 1910 through the 1950s, as Edinboro promoted itself, mainly to the surrounding populations in Pittsburgh and Erie as a resort area by the lake, which boosted tourism through this time period. Meanwhile, the college gained enrollment and drew more residents to the town.[6]

The 1960s was a large growth period for the town, as around 400 building permits were issued for both housing and business. The present day post office was built in 1960, and evolved to first class status by 1966. The demand for water consumption had tripled throughout this period, and prompted a new sewage plant to be constructed in 1970.[6]

The borough's Home Rule Charter was adopted in 1974, with a new municipal building being constructed in 1975. In 1980, the census placed Edinboro first in population growth in Erie County, with a population increase of 30% from 1970 to 1980 to a total of 6,324. The businesses in the borough continued to grow, and in 1983, Edinboro State College received accreditation by the state and was renamed Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. Between the 1980s and 2000s, Edinboro University has grown to be northwestern Pennsylvania's largest university and is a key factor in drawing people to the area. Today, Edinboro is known as a college town in the winter and lake resort during the summer.

The Academy Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.[7]

Edinboro is located in southern Erie County at 41°52′36″N 80°7′54″W (41.876558, -80.131661).[8] It is surrounded by Washington Township.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 2.4 square miles (6.2 km²), of which 2.3 square miles (5.9 km²) is land and 0.12 square miles (0.3 km²), or 4.95%, is water.[5] The center of the borough is at the south end of Edinboro Lake and around its outlet, Conneauttee Creek, a south-flowing tributary of French Creek and part of the Allegheny River/Ohio River/Mississippi River watershed.

U.S. Route 6N passes through the center of Edinboro, leading east 7 miles (11 km) to U.S. Routes 6 and 19 near Mill Village, and west 2.5 miles (4.0 km) to Interstate 79. Pennsylvania Route 99 crosses US 6N in the center of Edinboro, leading north 8 miles (13 km) to McKean and southeast 7 miles (11 km) to Cambridge Springs. The city of Erie is 23 miles (37 km) north via US 6N and I-79.

As of the census[10] of 2000, there were 6,950 people, 2,087 households, and 830 families residing in the borough. The population density was 3,000.6 people per square mile (1,156.6/km²). There were 2,242 housing units at an average density of 968.0 per square mile (373.1/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 92.29% White, 4.45% African American, 0.16% Native American, 1.61% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.52% from other races, and 0.95% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.99% of the population.

There were 2,087 households, out of which 19.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 29.9% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 60.2% were non-families. 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the borough the population was spread out, with 10.8% under the age of 18, 56.6% from 18 to 24, 15.0% from 25 to 44, 10.7% from 45 to 64, and 6.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.4 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $26,652, and the median income for a family was $48,516. Males had a median income of $33,750 versus $24,821 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $12,209. About 11.0% of families and 34.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.8% of those under age 18 and 2.5% of those age 65 or over.

With an enrollment over 8,700,[12] Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, a member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, is a major contributor to the local economy. Edinboro University was founded in 1857.

• Bruce Baumgartner, Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling and the Director of Athletics at Edinboro University
• Clarence B. Culbertson, Wisconsin state legislator
• William Constantine Culbertson, Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania, 1889-1891
• John R. Evans, Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
• John Randolph Lewis, dentist, soldier, and administrator
• David F. Winder, Medal of Honor recipient for actions in the Vietnam War
• Blidi Wreh-Wilson, cornerback for the Atlanta Falcons
• Jeremy Curtis Ickes, Hall of Fame Cross Country and Track and Field Athlete for the General McLane High School Lancers, 1992-1996
• DB Dave Riccini, Hall of Fame super duper Triple DB and all-around "ladies man" at General McLane High School Lancers, 1993-present

Media related to Edinboro, Pennsylvania at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website