A sketch of Steelton, Pennsylvania, in 1894
Photograph from Stop, Look, Listen: Steelton: Pennsylvania
On January 26, 1880, the Borough of Steelton officially became a town.
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. As the steel plant quickly
expanded, more houses, stores, and churches were built. Families
from across the world came in search of work. A census from 1898
listed thirty-three nationalities as residing in Steelton (Drawburgh 1930).
At Steelton's peak in 1910, there were 14,246 residents -- 6,000 working
in the mill. In 1984, only 6,400 residents lived in the entire town
(Echenbarger 1984). Since the mill was the main employer in town,
many had left to look for work elsewhere after most of the mill closed,
and some 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.
Today, Steelton
pride is still quite alive. According to the 1990
US Census Data, there are 5,152 residents within 1,386 families in
the Borough of Steelton. Many of the twenty-seven bars still attract
its customers and the seventeen churches and two schools are still flourishing.
With much support from Mayor George Hartwick III, the residents hope to
further revive the town. One of the main factors for keeping Steelton
alive is its high school sports. The pride in which the town holds
for its nationally ranked teams is astounding.
"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."
-- Joe Conjar, a Steelton police officer
Sports are an important part of Steelton (Echenbarger 1984) |
"I love Steelton. It's my heart. It's where I want to stay for the rest of my life." -- Keith Travenstein, resident of Steelton