{"id":234,"date":"2018-03-23T15:55:12","date_gmt":"2018-03-23T15:55:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mosaics.dickinson.edu\/steelton2001\/?page_id=234"},"modified":"2018-04-04T20:01:11","modified_gmt":"2018-04-04T20:01:11","slug":"the-land-of-steelton","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mosaics.dickinson.edu\/steelton2001\/student-projects\/the-land-of-steelton\/","title":{"rendered":"The Land of Steelton by Eric Wiediger"},"content":{"rendered":"

My purpose in creating this webpage is to present the town of Steelton in a historical, geographical, and environmental perspective.\u00a0 It focuses on the Susquehanna River and its floods, the steel mill, public works, and the section of town known as the West Side.\u00a0 Enjoy your time here!
\nCreated by Eric J. Wiediger
\nDickinson College American Mosaic 2001<\/p>\n

\"Sketch

A sketch of Steelton, Pennsylvania, in 1894
Photograph from Stop, Look, Listen: Steelton: Pennsylvania<\/p><\/div>\n

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On January 26, 1880, the Borough of Steelton officially became a town.\u00a0 By this time, the majority of the land had already been occupied by the new Pennsylvania Steel Company for more than ten years, and seventy-five residents’ homes surrounded the facility.\u00a0 As the steel plant quickly expanded, more houses, stores, and churches were built.\u00a0 Families from around the world came in search of work.\u00a0 A census from 1898 listed thirty-three nationalities residing in Steelton (Drawburgh 1930).\u00a0 At Steelton’s population peak in 1910, there were 14,246 residents — 6,000 working in the mill.\u00a0 In 1984, only 6,400 residents lived in the entire town (Echenbarger 1984).\u00a0 Since the mill was the main employer in town, many had left to look for work elsewhere after most sections of the mill closed in the 1970’s and 1980’s.\u00a0\u00a0 Other residents were forced from their homes when the West Side was demolished after the 1972 Flood and the subsequent sale of the area to Bethlehem Steel Company.<\/p>\n

Today, Steelton pride is still quite alive.\u00a0 According to the 1990 US Census Data<\/a>, there are 5,152 residents within 1,386 families in the Borough of Steelton.\u00a0 Many of the twenty-seven bars still attract\u00a0 customers and the seventeen churches and two schools are still flourishing.\u00a0 With much support from Mayor George Hartwick III, the residents hope to further revive the town.\u00a0 One of the main factors for keeping Steelton alive is its high school sports.\u00a0 The pride in which the town holds for its nationally-ranked teams is astounding.<\/p>\n

“I think Steelton, with its sports programs and things like that, keeps a lot of youth in the community. I think we’ll be here for a while.”<\/em>
\n— Joe Conjar, a Steelton police officer<\/p>\n

\"Photograph

Sports are an important part of Steelton
(Echenbarger 1984)<\/p><\/div>\n

“I love Steelton.\u00a0 It’s my heart.\u00a0 It’s where I want to stay for the rest of my life.”<\/em> — Keith Travenstein, resident of Steelton<\/p>\n

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