Barton, Maryland

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Barton is a town in Allegany County, Maryland, United States located along the Georges Creek Valley. It is part of the 'Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 478 at the 2000 census.

Barton has four churches and many volunteer groups. There is a lighted ball field, a playground, and two parks for use by community groups. A new elementary school was built in 1975 for grades K-5; grades 6-12 were consolidated in nearby towns. Barton has survived floods and fires and still maintains its peaceful and congenial atmosphere. Each year the town celebrates itself with a Party in the Park. That get-together showcases crafts, food, entertainment, and a parade through the center of town.

1 History
2 Nearby Places
3 Geography
4 Demographics
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] History

The Reverend William Shaw, a Methodist minister settled on the site of Barton in 1794. His son, William Shaw Jr. laid out the town in 1853, naming it for his father's hometown, Barton-upon-Humber, England.

The discovery of coal in the area attracted more settlers. They came from Scotland, Ireland, and Germany, eager to work in the mines. In 1853, the first shipment of coal was made on the newly built Chesapeake and Potomac Railroad. Eventually, all the deep coal mines had been abandoned and replaced by strip mines, several of which still can be seen from the town. Today, most families in Barton are supported by other types of employment.

The towns first Gristmill was located at the conflunce of Moores Run and Georges Creek

[edit] Nearby Places

1. Cumberland, Maryland
2. Lonaconing, Maryland
3. Westernport, Maryland
4. Piedmont, West Virginia
5. Luke, Maryland
6. Midland, Maryland
7. Keyser, West Virginia
8. Frostburg, Maryland
9. Cresaptown-Bel Air, Maryland

[edit] Geography

Barton is located at 39°31′54″N, 79°1′1″W (39.531693, -79.017077)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.6 km² (0.2 mi²), all land.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 478 people, 200 households, and 142 families residing in the town. The population density was 838.9/km² (2,129.8/mi²). There were 233 housing units at an average density of 408.9/km² (1,038.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.58% White and 0.42% African American.

There were 200 households out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.5% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.0% were non-families. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the town the population was spread out with 23.2% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $30,104, and the median income for a family was $33,333. Males had a median income of $29,844 versus $14,196 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,453. About 13.1% of families and 14.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.7% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.