Shaler Township, Pennsylvania

Shaler Township is a township in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA. The population was 29,757 at the 2000 census.

History

Shaler Township is named after Charles Shaler, a prominent mid-19th century Pittsburgh area judge and president of the local 5th District Court. The Township is not named for the numerous deposits of shale rock found within its borders; this is instead a common misconception.

The Township originally formed in 1847. At this time, Shaler Township encompassed all of its current holdings plus the boroughs of Etna, Millvale, and a large tract of Ross Township. By 1868 Shaler lost much of its land to the new boroughs, and was relegated to second-class township status. In 1900 Shaler was re-incorporated as a first-class township. The township's boundaries remain basically the same today as they were in 1900.

Early settlement of Shaler was sporadic, with small farming and mercantile villages appearing. These mainly developed in the valleys next to Pine Creek and Girty's Run. In the late 1800s, the creation of the Glenshaw Glass plant sped up settlement to a certain degree, drawing workers to settle in the vicinity.

Following the Second World War Shaler became an affluent suburb with many former City of Pittsburgh residents now populating the Township. Shaler, along with Ross Township, was among the first outer-city areas to develop into the modern suburbs which today define the North Hills region of Allegheny County. Home building and development during this time period was extensive. Shaler remained and still remains a primarily residential municipality, and it was during this period which the Township came to acquire the attributes it still holds today.

Geography

Shaler Township is located at coor dms|40|31|15|N|79|57|49|W|city (40.520926, -79.963784).GR|1

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 11.2 square miles (29.0 km²), of which, 11.0 square miles (28.5 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.5 km²) of it (1.70%) is water.

urrounding communities

Bordering Shaler Township, starting from the north and going clockwise on the map, are Hampton Township, Indiana Township, O'Hara Township, Sharpsburg, Etna, Pittsburgh, Millvale, Reserve Township, and Ross Township. Although Shaler does not share a border with McCandless Township it is opposed diagonally to Shaler in the northwest.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 29,757 people, 11,932 households, and 8,686 families residing in the township. The population density was 2,703.6 people per square mile (1,043.5/km²). There were 12,334 housing units at an average density of 1,120.6/sq mi (432.5/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 97.92% White, 0.41% African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.90% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.12% from other races, and 0.56% from two or more races. 0.52% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 11,932 households out of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.1% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.2% were non-families. 24.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% 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 2.97.

In the township the population was spread out with 22.0% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.5 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $49,118, and the median income for a family was $56,998. Males have a median income of $40,991 versus $29,473 for females. The per capita income for the township was $23,223. About 3.0% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.5% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over.

Famous people

* Art Howe - Major League Baseball player and manager

ee also

* Shaler Area School District
* Shaler Area High School

References

External links

* [http://www.Shaler.org/ Township of Shaler Website]