Mifflin County, Pennsylvania
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| Mifflin County, Pennsylvania | |
| Image:Mifflin County pa seal.png | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Pennsylvania |
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| Statistics | |
| Formed | September 19, 1789 |
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| Seat | Lewistown |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
1,074 km² (415 mi²) sq mi ( km²) 7 km² (3 mi²), 0.66% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
46,486 44/km² |
| Website: www.co.mifflin.pa.us | |
Mifflin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2000, the population was 46,486. Its county seat is Lewistown6. It was named after Thomas Mifflin, the first Governor of Pennsylvania.
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[edit] Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,074 km² (415 mi²). 1,067 km² (412 mi²) of it is land and 7 km² (3 mi²) of it (0.66%) is water.
[edit] Adjacent counties
- Centre County (north)
- Union County (northeast)
- Snyder County (east)
- Juniata County (southeast)
- Huntingdon County (west)
[edit] Demographics
As of the census² of 2000, there were 46,486 people, 18,413 households, and 12,907 families residing in the county. The population density was 44/km² (113/mi²). There were 20,745 housing units at an average density of 19/km² (50/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.53% White, 0.49% Black or African American, 0.08% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.18% from other races, and 0.43% from two or more races. 0.57% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 5.7% report speaking Pennsylvania German, Dutch, or German at home.[1]
There were 18,413 households out of which 30.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.60% were married couples living together, 8.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.90% were non-families. 26.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the county, the population was spread out with 24.60% under the age of 18, 7.00% from 18 to 24, 27.40% from 25 to 44, 23.90% from 45 to 64, and 17.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 93.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.90 males.
[edit] Dialect, Accent and Language
The dominant form of speech in Mifflin County is the Central Pennsylvania accent. Almost everyone in Mifflin County speaks English. The Amish and some Mennonites speak Pennsylvania German, a West Central German dialect, which is very remote from modern Standard German. The Amish and Mennonites also can speak English. Few non-Amish or Mennonites in Mifflin County today speak Pennsylvania German, but this was not true in the past.
The Mifflin County School District offers only two foreign languages and only four years of each, with French and Spanish being offered in grades 9 through 12. In the past, the school district also offered German and Latin, but fiscally conservative school boards, which did not view foreign languages as important subjects, slashed spending on foreign language education. There was little outrage when Latin was eliminated in 1985, but some people were offended when German was eliminated in the mid-1990s, given the county's strong German heritage.
[edit] Sports Allegiances
By far, the most popular sports team in Mifflin County is the Penn State football team, which is more popular than any professional team. In professional football, the Pittsburgh Steelers are the most popular team, with the Philadelphia Eagles also enjoying a lot of support. Although Mifflin County is geographically closer to Philadelphia, it is culturally and linguistically closer to Pittsburgh. Previously, the county's largest employer was Standard Steel, which remains the county's largest private sector employer. Almost all Steelers and Eagles games are available live on network television, as Mifflin County receives stations from both the Steelers and Eagles broadcasting territories. The most popular baseball teams are the Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies.
Historically, football has been the most popular high school sport, but over the past decade, the most successful teams have been in boys and girls basketball. In the past, high school wrestling was more popular than basketball. Although basketball is now more popular than wrestling, wrestling remains more popular in Mifflin County and in Central Pennsylvania in general than in most parts of the United States.
As in most parts of Appalachia, NASCAR is very popular in Mifflin County. Local dirt track races and drag races are widely attended on weekends.
[edit] Television
Mifflin County does not have a television station. Its local stations, carried on local cable, are from Altoona (CBS, Fox), Johnstown (NBC), Harrisburg (ABC, CBS, UPN), Lancaster (NBC), York (Fox) and University Park (PBS).
[edit] Education
Mifflin County does not have any colleges or universities, but it is near the main campus of Penn State University, Juniata College, Bucknell University and Susquehanna University.
Most of the county is served by the Mifflin County School District, with the exception of the South-Western corner of Mifflin County, which is part of the Mount Union Area School District.
The two public high schools in MCSD are Lewistown Area High School and Indian Valley High School, which are located only a few miles apart. Sacred Heart provides a private, Catholic education until fifth grade, but the Catholic population in Mifflin County is not large enough to support a Catholic high school. Belleville Mennonite School provides a Mennonite education from kindergarten through grade twelve. The Mifflin County Christian Academy located in Burnham provides a Christian Fundamentalist education from kindergarten through grade twelve and also provides day care.
[edit] Drug Use
Like in most of the United States, the dominant recreational drug in Mifflin County is alcohol, followed by marijuana. However, over the past decade there has been a large upsurge in the use of hard drugs, particularly heroin.
According to federal prosecutors, heroin was first introduced en mass to Mifflin County in late 1996 and has become entrenched ever since. Federal prosecutors believe that Scott Shreffler of Lewistown and Pedro Caban of Philadelphia were the individuals primarily responsible for introducing heroin to Mifflin County. Caban is serving a 30 year federal sentence, while Shreffler's original 28 year federal sentence has been greatly reduced following a successful appeal.
Since heroin was first introduced to Mifflin County, there have been numerous heroin overdoses, many of which have resulted in death. Most of the victims have been under 30 years of age.
The heroin epidemic in Mifflin County has received extensive media coverage in Central Pennsylvania and has even garnered some national media attention, including a documentary on MSNBC.
The heroin epidemic has coincided with a substantial rise in the number of thefts, burglaries and robberies. These crimes were very rare in Mifflin County prior to the mid-1990s.
In the early 1980s, Mifflin County was a major producer of "look-alike drugs," which were legal at the time. Look-alike drugs were generally caffeine pills disguised as more powerful stimulants. Small fortunes were made in the manufacture of look-alike drugs until federal and state governments banned their manufacture and sale.
[edit] Municipalities
Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, in at most two cases, towns. The following cities, boroughs and townships are located in Mifflin County:
[edit] Boroughs
[edit] Townships
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[edit] Census-designated places
Census-designated places are geographical areas designated by the U.S. Census Bureau for the purposes of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law. Other unincorporated communities, such as villages, may be listed here as well.
[edit] Education
[edit] Public School Districts
- Mifflin County School District
- Mount Union Area School District
[edit] External links
- Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Bureau of Planning and Research, Geographic Information Division, "2005 General Highway Map of Juniata and Mifflin Counties". Note: shows boroughs, townships, roads, villages, some streams. URL accessed on April 5, 2006.
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Municipalities and Communities of Mifflin County, Pennsylvania (County Seat: Lewistown) |
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| Boroughs | Burnham | Juniata Terrace | Kistler | Lewistown | McVeytown | Newton Hamilton |
| Townships | Armagh | Bratton | Brown | Decatur | Derry | Granville | Menno | Oliver | Union | Wayne |
| Communities and CDPs | Belleville | Highland Park | Milroy | Reedsville | Yeagertown |
