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72-705: Wilkinsburg is located in an area of the Appalachian Plateau where various land and water transportation routes join, an area which historically Native Americans inhabited, for thousands of years. Geologically, Wilkinsburg centers on a valley going through the hills located east of the three rivers confluence: namely, the Allegheny River , the Monongahela River , and the Ohio River . The Wilkinsburg valley eased passage by land through

144-649: A Community Art and Civic Design Commission charged with review and legislation for "new and renovated structures, infrastructure, landscapes, works of art, memorials, and monuments on all public property and on all private property designated for commercial use." Due to its location in Allegheny County , and especially its proximity to Pittsburgh, Wilkinsburg is in the neighborhood for numerous opportunities for experiences in art and culture. The most notable agent of revitalization and development in Wilkinsburg

216-579: A decade, more than 70 structures were improved, a new neighborhood center was opened, and the community's supply of affordable housing was increased. The collaborators were subsequently honored with the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation National Preservation Award to recognize their accomplishments. During this time, the Hamnett Historic District was also established; that historic district was then approved on June 28, 2010, for listing on

288-607: A donation from a Wilkinsburg music store to promote its musical offerings. This was all before and leading up to KDKA and the development of commercial radio. In 1916, KDKA began broadcasting, as experimental station 8XK, from the Westinghouse plant in East Pittsburgh and in a small garage owned by Frank Conrad , before it was launched with its current call letters on November 2, 1920. In 1923, Wilkinsburg-based Russian immigrant Vladimir Zworykin designed and patented

360-463: A female householder with no husband present, and 51.0% were non-families. 44.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06, and the average family size was 2.91. In the borough, the population was spread out, with 23.4% under 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

432-451: A half-century or so of heavy involvement with the area when he paid $ 12,000 for McNair's former land, which Kelly subsequently added to. James Kelly was involved in much of the civic, religious, educational and other activities during this period. In 1873 the City of Pittsburgh annexed a portion of Wilkins Township containing Wilkinsburg, but less than three years later, a legal action reversed

504-463: A nexus for divergent routes, where travel from the east and from travel from the south intersected, together with other transportation routes to the north and west. A vital section of the major land road or pathway passage to the east is now Penn Avenue , still a main street of Wilkinsburg. In the early 1700s, European traders arrived, and by mid-century had some established colonial sites, including Fort Duquesne , established by France . Subsequently,

576-406: A numbering system that begins anew using small numbers as it approaches Interstate 376 the "Parkway East". Penn Avenue is about 8.7 miles (14.0 km) long. From downtown, Penn Avenue travels in the same general direction as the Allegheny River , thus it passes close by a number of the bridges of the city that cross that river. In the downtown area, Penn Avenue is the main bisecting street of

648-413: A racially motivated shooting spree that occurred in part at the local Burger King and McDonald's restaurants. On March 9, 2016, five people, including a pregnant woman, were killed in a shooting at a cook-out in Wilkinsburg. The city council has many plans to beautify the neighborhood and repair many of the vacant homes such as the apartment building on 855 Rebecca Avenue. Furthermore, Vice President of

720-493: A radio laboratory at his home, coordinated with Westinghouse Electric Corporation and the United States Signal Corps , under a special war time permit (using call signs 2-WM and 2-WE). After moving from Swissvale to Wilkinsburg, Conrad installed a radio station on the top floor of his backyard two-story garage, with a microphone, where he worked into the wee hours of the morning, eventually resulting in

792-494: A vast array of natural resources throughout its rugged landscape. Within these resources, there are many sedimentary substances. In the valleys of the Appalachian Plateau there is an abundance of limestone . This limestone is still mined for cement and aggregate. Due to excessive mining over time, limestone fields are depleted in many areas but some are still relatively plentiful. Ironstone and coal are also among

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864-459: Is Hunter Park, which at almost nine acres includes sports courts, fields, playground equipment, and woodland. There are also six smaller parks. Wilkinsburg is a borough , located in the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ; which means that Wilkinsburg is a self-governing municipal entity, of the sort often thought of as a town . Wilkinsburg Borough is organized into three wards: First, Second, and Third. Overall oversight of Wilkinsburg Borough

936-665: Is by the borough council. The borough council generally consists of nine elected representatives, three from each ward. Wilkinsburg has or has associated various boards, committees, and authorities. Wilkinsburg also has a mayor and a borough manager. Wilkinsburg Borough authorities, boards, and commissions include the Civil Service Commission, the Community Art and Civic Design Commission, the Citizens Advisory Commission on Shade Trees,

1008-546: Is hard to say exactly when the occupants first inhabited the land. Human artifacts were collected near the Meadowcroft Rockshelter in southern Pennsylvania that were at least 16,000 years old. Because the early Native Americans were hunter-gatherers living off the land, they left little material traces of their lives behind them. This is why it is so hard for researchers to determine when they settled in this area. Much like many historic Native American tribes,

1080-846: Is known as the Eastern Kentucky Coalfield . It includes 35 counties and covers around 30% of Kentucky's land. Major sections include the Allegheny Plateau , the Cumberland Plateau and the Cumberland Mountains , with the highest peaks located in the Cumberland Mountains. A physiographic region is a large portion of land that is grouped by several factors. Each region has similar geology, topography , and groups of plants and animals. There are eight physiographic regions in

1152-739: Is located at the nexus of various transportation systems, including road, rail, and river. Wilkinsburg is located along historic roadways. For example, since 1913 Wilkinsburg is one of the locations transversed by the Lincoln Highway. The historic Lincoln Highway runs from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco. The Lincoln Highway legacy includes Penn Avenue and Ardmore Boulevard in Wilkinsburg: these are State Route 8 and Federal Route 30. Penn Avenue

1224-516: Is the Wilkinsburg Community Development Corporation (WCDC), a non-profit incorporated in 2007 with a mission "to promote the revitalization of Wilkinsburg through business & residential development; organizational & individual civic leadership; and ethnic & cultural diversity". Their notable community programs include classes for local entrepreneurs, classes on home buying, community events, and

1296-743: Is today. Wilkinsburg is located between the Allegheny and the Monongahela rivers, near to where they meet to form the Ohio River, although Wilkinsburg does not actually border either river. Appalachian Plateau The Appalachian Plateau is a series of rugged dissected plateaus located on the western side of the Appalachian Mountains . The Appalachian Mountains are a range that run from Nova Scotia in Canada to Alabama in

1368-424: The Cumberland Mountains . Each section is classified under the Appalachian Plateau province because of its similarities in geologic makeup, topography, and wildlife. Likewise, the Appalachian Plateau falls under the classification of Appalachian Highlands because of those similar characteristics. The rock underlying the Appalachian Plateau consists of a base of Precambrian rock, overlain by sedimentary rock from

1440-619: The National Register of Historic Places . In 2015, the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation and its for-profit affiliate, Landmark Development Corporation, entered into a collaboration with Falconhurst Development to begin an $ 11.5 million multi-site restoration within and near the Hamnett Historic District. In addition to restoring four vacant buildings which had been built sometime around

1512-560: The Paleozoic Era . On top of the basement is a thick layer, approximately 20,000 feet, of a mixture of Cambrian , Ordovician , and Middle Silurian rock. This rock consists of shale , siltstone , and sandstone . Above this layer is the Upper Silurian evaporate basin , or basin of chemically formed sedimentary rocks. The Plateau fold belt consists of structurally complex Paleozoic strata which were thrust faulted over

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1584-628: The Pittsburgh Public School district . Wilkinsburg is also home to the Sister Thea Bowman Catholic Academy. This is a Catholic elementary school which was formed as a merger of St. James School in Wilkinsburg and Holy Rosary in Homewood (Pittsburgh) . The new school is housed in the former St. James School building and educates children from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. Wilkinsburg

1656-701: The Shining Rock and Linville Gorge . The 1975 Eastern Wilderness Act created expanded protected areas in North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee. Today, close to 21% of the region is protected. Conservation groups that are dedicated to preserving the Appalachian Plateau region include the Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition and the Northern Forest Alliance. Ultimately, experts and researchers say

1728-741: The Three Sister Bridges that form the Roberto Clemente Bridge , Andy Warhol Bridge and Rachel Carson Bridge . It passes the 16th Street Bridge , and goes straight through the Strip District . Before being named Penn Avenue it was known as the Great Road, being perhaps the only road leading from east of the Allegheny Mountains to the headwaters of the Ohio River. It may have been known as

1800-689: The United States . Each region is divided into provinces, there are 25 provinces in the United States. Each region is then divided into sections, creating 85 different physiographic sections in the United States. The Appalachian Plateau is a province of the physiographic region of the Appalachian Highlands . The Appalachian Plateau province is divided into seven physiographic sections: Mohawk, Catskill , Southern New York , Allegheny Mountains , Kanawha , Cumberland Plateau , and

1872-480: The coal industry boomed. Many counties in the Appalachian Plateau region, such as McDowell County, West Virginia , became dominated by coal mining. Coal mining towns were created, and many immigrants were attracted to the region for work. Although mining was good for the economy, deaths were high in the harsh work of the mines. Among the terrible coal incidents was the Monongah mining disaster of 1907. Protecting

1944-413: The iconoscope , the photocell "eye" of early television cameras. Today, ABC affiliate WTAE-TV is located in the borough on Ardmore Boulevard. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the borough has a total area of 2.3 square miles (6.0 km), all land. Wilkinsburg has ten borders, including Penn Hills Township to the northeast, Churchill to the east, Forest Hills to the southeast, Edgewood to

2016-692: The 2012 and 2016 presidential elections. Wilkinsburg was home to the infamous Larimer Avenue-Wilkinsburg (LAW) Gang, which the federal government indicted under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). The indictment started in 1995 when the federal government investigated and arrested many people with criminal ties or activities. Overall, crime in Wilkinsburg is higher than in outlying neighborhoods on average. However, crime has slightly declined in recent years. On March 1, 2000, Wilkinsburg received national attention when Ronald Taylor killed three people and wounded two others in

2088-514: The Appalachian Plateau region there is an abundance of fox, raccoon, wild boar, black bears, white-tailed deer, and beaver. Researchers also found there to be over 200 species of game and songbirds including wild turkey, heron, geese, hawks, ducks and many more. Fungi are also prominent in the Appalachia region. Abundant mushroom and lichen can be found including chanterelle , oyster mushroom and rock tripe . The Appalachian Plateau has

2160-470: The Appalachian Plateau suffered from the American Civil War , but in comparison to many other parts of the country, little damage was done. During the war, Union forces gained control over a majority of the plateau, and afterwards that possession was not challenged. Only three noteworthy battles occurred in the plateau region during the war, so not much of the land was destroyed. After the war,

2232-664: The Appalachian Region from damage of human influence has been important in the modern era. Conservationists have been fighting to preserve the wildlife in the Appalachia region . The region has proved that with good care, the flora and fauna can be very resilient. However, back in 1890, the destruction of the Appalachian region's forest was at full-scale with the invention of the railroad, saw-mills, and clear-cutting of trees. This caused major flooding and wildfires to

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2304-479: The City Council recently started Wilkinsburg Community Conversations, whereby community members have the opportunity to discuss current issues the borough is facing. In its early history, education in Wilkinsburg was completely private. Many schools were started by different teachers and held in their homes. The Wilkinsburg Academy, founded in 1852, was the beginning of large-scale schooling. The borough adopted

2376-619: The Free Common School Act of 1834 in 1840; James Kelly loaned money for the first common school, which served until 1850. From this time, the number of students rose exponentially. By 1910, there were 4,253 students in six public schools. Today, Wilkinsburg School District consists of two elementary schools, Kelly Primary and Turner Intermediate schools. Due to lack of funding, Wilkinsburg's Junior and Senior High schools closed in 2016. The district now outsources Junior and Senior High School education to Westinghouse High School in

2448-600: The Great Road when George Washington traveled it, in 1753. In the 18th century, settlers entered the area from the eastern part of Pennsylvania via a road which came to be called the Greensburg Pike early in the 19th century. The road passed through a tiny settlement which grew to become Greensburg, Pa. In Pittsburgh, Greensburg Pike became Penn Avenue, therefore, Penn Avenue is the oldest and most historically significant street in Pittsburgh. In early 2014,

2520-1013: The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, the Planning Commission, the Zoning Hearing Board, the Board of Library Directors, the Industrial and Commercial Development Authority, and the Municipal Authority. Public education is handled by the Wilkinsburg School District's board of directors, in combination with the Pennsylvania State Board of Education, the Pennsylvania Department of Education , and

2592-660: The Pennsylvania General Assembly. The domain of public education is separate from that of the borough. Wilkinsburg water and sewage services are provided through a municipal authority , the Wilkinsburg-Penn Joint Water Authority, a coalition serving several communities. The Wilkinsburg Borough Council appoints three members to the board. Wilkinsburg voters voted predominantly for the Democratic Party in

2664-438: The United States. The Appalachian Plateau is the northwestern part of the Appalachian Highlands physiographic division of the United States, stretching from New York state to Alabama . The plateau is a second level United States physiographic region , covering parts of the states of New York, Pennsylvania , Ohio , Maryland , West Virginia , Virginia , Kentucky , Tennessee , Alabama , and Georgia . The formation of

2736-624: The Vacant Home Tour. The WCDC focuses primarily on the Wilkinsburg Business District, the area around the intersection of Penn Avenue and Wood Street. The WCDC's Business District Revitalization Plan promotes a "flourishing commercial and retail environment in Wilkinsburg" and consists of planning and policy recommendations. In May 2015, the WCDC's advocacy resulted in an approved liquor license referendum, legalizing

2808-594: The annexation. On October 5, 1887, Wilkinsburg separated from the recently created Sterrett Township to become an independent borough. Although the borough has been economically depressed in recent years, many efforts are being made to change this. In 2004, the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation launched initiatives in partnership with its for-profit development affiliate, Landmark Development Corporation, to begin restoration work on historic structures in Wilkinsburg's Hamnett Place neighborhood. Within

2880-640: The area in 1758. British forces built Fort Pitt between 1759 and 1761, near the three river junction. France subsequently relinquished claims on the area. In 1776, the British colonies declared independence, and the Treaty of Paris (1783) confirmed the area west of the Appalachians as part of the newly formed United States. In 1780, Pennsylvania and Virginia agreed to extend the Mason–Dixon line westward, and

2952-534: The area of Appalachia region. Different types of flowers in the northern and southern sections of the Appalachia. Flowers such as rhododendron , azalea and mountain laurel can be found in southern regions while up north trees will bear serviceberry , redbud , sourwood , and many others. Fauna such as bison and wolves used to be native to the Appalachian region but have vanished. Elk have been reintroduced in some regions, having died out due to overhunting and habitat destruction previously. Throughout all of

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3024-536: The barrier of the Appalachian Mountains , for example travel to and from Philadelphia and other Atlantic coast areas, including travel through the Cumberland Gap . The nearby meeting of the three rivers facilitated passage by water and by land alongside the rivers, which eventually joining the south-flowing Mississippi River , meeting the Gulf of Mexico , and so linking with oceanic trade. This made Wilkinsburg

3096-454: The beginning of the 20th century, the developer had plans to open a series of new townhouses in the same area by 2016, with the collaborators again indicating that the housing would be affordable, based on United States Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD) guidelines. The ground was broken on the project in late September 2015. Modern broadcasting as known in its current form began when Wilkinsburg resident Frank Conrad spearheaded

3168-469: The best way to continue protecting the Appalachian region is to incorporate conservation into public education so that people understand and support the benefits of conserving the lands. The Appalachian region is home to a wide variety of plant and animal life due to its vast array of climate and conditions giving the Appalachian Plateau region great biodiversity. To the north are many conifers, such as red spruce and balsam fir which can be seen growing at

3240-406: The borough was 29.25% White , 66.51% African American , 0.38% Native American , 0.81% Asian , 0.06% Pacific Islander , 0.55% from other races , and 2.44% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.13% of the population. There were 9,138 households, out of which 22.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 24.3% were married couples living together, 20.7% had

3312-639: The climate began to warm up again, the large mammals started to disappear, and the vegetation seen more often today began to flourish. These climatic changes made life more sustainable for the Native Americans. They continued to invent new weapons and made advancements in agriculture until the Europeans arrived in North America. Europeans settled in North America beginning in the seventeenth century. In 1749, Jacob Martin and Steven Sewell were

3384-785: The core of the Cultural District with such attractions as Heinz Hall , the Benedum Center and the Byham Theater as well as the David L. Lawrence Convention Center and the Heinz History Center bordering it. Exiting downtown it is the major route through the city's Strip District , Lawrenceville , Bloomfield , Garfield and East Liberty neighborhoods. Its eastern portion exits the city at Wilkinsburg where it continues to exist as Penn Avenue with

3456-421: The development of modern broadcasting, as do it yourself listeners who had made their own crystal radio sets began to respond, some quite enthused by the music broadcast when Frank Conrad coupled a phonograph to radio. Wilkinsburg thus became the original location for modern broadcasting, combining the concepts of "the station, the audience, the programs, and a means to pay for the programs" after Conrad accepted

3528-422: The early Appalachian inhabitants survived as nomads, following their food on a seasonal basis. Around this period, North America was still recuperating from its last glacial period , and the climate was very different from the present. The climate and habitat more closely resembled a tundra , with lower temperatures, numerous conifer trees, and large mammals, such as mammoths and saber-toothed tigers. Eventually,

3600-628: The edge of the plateau; there are many more state parks and state forests throughout the region, and Wayne National Forest and Allegheny National Forest lie on the Appalachian plateau as well. 40°N 78°W  /  40°N 78°W  / 40; -78 Penn Avenue Penn Avenue is a major arterial street in Pittsburgh and Wilkinsburg , in Pennsylvania . Its western terminus lies at Gateway Center in downtown Pittsburgh . For its westernmost ten blocks it serves as

3672-543: The elevation drops down to 500 feet in northwestern Alabama . The plateau has a slight slant towards the northwest, making it higher on the eastern side. A large portion of the plateau is a coalfield, which was formed approximately 320 million years ago during the Pennsylvanian Age . The plateau was subjected to glaciation during the Pleistocene ice age . As a result, the topography of this section of

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3744-558: The elevation ranges from 1,750 to 3,000 feet and continues to rise toward West Virginia , where the elevation is around 4,800 feet. From West Virginia to Tennessee , the elevation lowers to 3,000 feet and continues slanting downward to 1,000 feet in Alabama . On the western side of the plateau, the elevation is 900 feet in Ohio , increasing to about 2,000 feet in Kentucky . From Kentucky

3816-435: The first Europeans known to settle the Appalachian Plateau, specifically in what is now Pocahontas County, West Virginia . European colonization and competition with the Native Americans resulted in high mortality due to new diseases, as well as more deaths and social disruption due to warfare. After pushing out the Native Americans, the European American settlers developed much of this land for agriculture. From 1861 to 1865,

3888-501: The general area became a major battleground during the French and Indian Wars , during which George Washington (who passed through what is now Wilkinsburg in 1753, on a diplomatic mission to French territory), Edward Braddock , and John Forbes gained a place in history, each built roads and otherwise enhanced the land transportation routes. The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was fought between France, England , and various Native groups for territorial control. France lost control of

3960-468: The late 1800s and the early 1900s, with numerous immigrants from various parts of Europe and African Americans of the Great Migration migrating from the Southern United States. For Wilkinsburg, this process sometimes proceeded slowly and sometimes more rapidly. The Land Company of the Colony of Pennsylvania began to offer deeds in the general area to become Wilkinsburg in 1769. Andrew Levi Levy Sr., purchased 266 acres of woodland, to which he officially gave

4032-424: The name of Africa (for reasons which remain obscure). In 1788, Levy sold his deed to William Thompson (a retired brigadier general who had served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War ). Thompson died shortly after, and the land was sold to Col. Dunning Mcnair (the father of Dunning R. McNair , who would become the sergeant at arms of the United States Senate , 1853–1861). Dunning McNair

4104-410: The northernmost latitudes of the Appalachian region. In the northern sections of the plateau at lower elevations you can find northern hardwoods , such as sugar maple and white oak . In southern Appalachia, growth of sycamore , walnut , and hickory trees are common. It is estimated that there is around 2,000 species of flora within the Appalachia region. Flowers vary due to elevation and climate of

4176-406: The plateau began during the Paleozoic Era. Regional uplift during this time caused the area to rise altogether without changing the topography of the land. The eastern side of the plateau appears as a mountain range. This false appearance is due to a very steep slope on the eastern side known as the Allegheny Front . The eastern edge is the highest part of the Appalachian Plateau. In Pennsylvania ,

4248-461: The plateau is relatively flat in comparison to the rest of the physiographic province. This portion of the plateau is marked with evidence of a glaciated past including bogs , lakes, and small hills of sand and gravel. The topography of the rest of the plateau was created mainly from stream erosion . The result is a rugged landscape, unlike many other plateaus, that includes many narrow stream valleys surrounded by steep ridges. The region in Kentucky

4320-445: The plentiful natural resources found. In different regions of the Appalachian Plateau, enough plant debris accumulated to form peat, which upon burial, compaction and heating was made into the coal of the Appalachian coalfields. Due to the abundant coal in the Appalachian Plateau, coal mining has been a staple of the area and has proved to be a very successful mining hub. Iron ore was once an extremely abundant natural resource but due to

4392-482: The region and destroyed keystone species across the region. Realizing that the destruction of the forest was becoming a major issue, the government passed the Weeks Act of 1911, which allowed the federal government to purchase private land in order to protect rivers and watersheds in the eastern United States. The first purchase under this act was the Pisgah National Forest . In 1964, the Wilderness Act expanded protections for millions of acres of federal land, such as

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4464-460: The region became part of Pennsylvania, settling a dispute of which state Wilkinsburg would end up being a part of. The Treaty of Fort Stanwix (1784) resulted in the Iroquois Nations also relinquishing their claims to the area, but this was not necessarily the case for other Native American polities. In the 1800s, trade was increasingly augmented by major mining and manufacturing operations. The general area's population continued to proliferate from

4536-439: The sale of up to five restaurant liquor licenses in the borough, which had been a dry community since 1935. In 1899 the Wilkinsburg library was founded as a branch of the Braddock library (which was the first of the Carnegie libraries in the nation). The Wilkinsburg library also serves as a meeting place for council members and the home of the local police department. Wilkinsburg has several parks of various sizes. The largest

4608-524: The south, Swissvale to the southwest, and the Pittsburgh neighborhoods of Regent Square , Point Breeze , and North Point Breeze to the west, Homewood South to the northwest, and East Hills to the north. As of the census of 2000, there were 19,196 people, 9,138 households, and 4,477 families residing in the borough. The population density was 8,335.1 inhabitants per square mile (3,218.2/km). There were 10,696 housing units at an average density of 4,644.3 per square mile (1,793.2/km). The racial makeup of

4680-754: The thin layer of iron, over time it was mostly depleted. A very well-known natural resource of the Appalachian Plateau is its land and soil. The soil is rich and it is ideal for farmland. Within the limestone found throughout the Appalachian Plateau there are many fossilized substances such as old plant and stems, which may help to explain why the plateau also has a rich amount of natural gases and petroleum. The Appalachian Plateau has many landmarks and public spaces to camp out, go hiking, and sight see. Allegany State Park in New York, Ohiopyle State Park in Pennsylvania, Hocking Hills State Park in Ohio, Cooper's Rock State Forest in West Virginia, and Cloudland Canyon State Park in Georgia are notable state parks on or along

4752-403: The younger evaporates. When the Appalachian mountains were formed, the plateau was lifted. Ridges and valleys all die down underneath the plateau. There are multiple valleys throughout the region which consist of exposed areas of limestone and shale. Archaeologists have evidence that Native Americans in the United States lived in the Appalachian region more than 12,000 years ago; however, it

4824-505: Was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 78.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 72.0 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $ 26,621, and the median income for a family was $ 33,412. Males had a median income of $ 26,813 versus $ 26,196 for females. The per capita income was $ 16,890. About 15.9% of families and 18.7% of the population were below the poverty line , including 30.8% of those under age 18 and 14.2% of those age 65 or over. Wilkinsburg

4896-434: Was a significant landholder. In 1790, Dunning McNair laid out a village called McNairstown on the "Great Road" later known as Penn Avenue . In a deed dated September 1812, McNair deeded land to a certain Patrick Green, by which Wilkinsburgh was officially registered. In 1825, Dunning McNair died. By 1812, the village was referred to as "Wilkinsburgh" in honor of John Wilkins Jr. , a wartime friend of McNair. James Kelly began

4968-405: Was also canceled because of low ridership. Wilkinsburg has multiple stations operated by the Port Authority of Allegheny County , on the Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway : Historically the confluence of the Allegheny River and the Monongahela River created an important transportation nexus. Before the modern road and rail systems transportation along waterways was even more significant than it

5040-409: Was even earlier along the main trajectory of the Forbes Road , which was used by British officer John Forbes to lead a military expedition to attack the French position at Fort Duquesne (later Fort Pitt ), in 1758, as part of the Seven Years' War (1756–1763). Previously British officer Edward Braddock had built a road with the same general trajectory, known as Braddock's Road (beneath which he

5112-475: Was founded and developed by highly religious European immigrants. The borough has a remarkably high concentration of churches , mostly Protestant , which is unusual in a predominantly Catholic region of the country. According to borough leader James Kelly, the reversal of Wilkinsburg's annexation to Pittsburgh in the 1870s was to maintain the community's religious integrity. Wilkinsburg was known during this time by many as "The Holy City". Wilkinsburg Borough has

5184-719: Was later buried), which lead to the French fortifications at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers. Until September 14, 1975, Wilkinsburg had inter-city passenger rail service. On that day Amtrak discontinued service, citing a total of 128 passengers boarding or alighting in the first six months of 1975, the lowest system-wide. The last train serving Wilkinsburg was the National Limited , which operated daily between New York City and Kansas City, Missouri . The PennDOT -operated Parkway Limited provided commuter service to Pittsburgh for nine months in 1981 but

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