Pittston (properly pronounced pits-ton) is a third class city located in Luzerne County, Pennsylvaniabetween Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. It gained prominence in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries as an active coal mining city, but has struggled economically since the 1960s. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 8,104. According to a 2004 estimate, the population decreased to 7,753. The Pittston Company, the owner of Brinks, was founded in Pittston in 1838. The area has a high concentration of Italian-Americans.
History
Pittston is the the midpoint city between Wilkes-Barre and Scranton. Named after the famous statesman William Pitt, the city was founded in 1838 and was originally named Pittstown.
Coal was king in Pittston until the Knox Mine Disaster in nearby Port Griffith, PA in Jenkins Township, PA essentially shutdown the mining industry in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Twelve miners were killed immediately, their bodies washed away in the flood, never to be seen again. There were 74 workers in the mine at the time of the calamity, 62 of them were able to escape by various means, some involving the highest heroism on the part of their co-workers.
Geography
Pittston is located at 41°19'26" North, 75°47'20" West (41.323865, -75.788894)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.5 km² (1.7 mi²). 4.1 km² (1.6 mi²) of it is land and 0.4 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 8.09% water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 8,104 people, 3,530 households, and 2,170 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,955.6/km² (5,072.6/mi²). There are 3,902 housing units at an average density of 941.6/km² (2,442.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 98.38% White, 0.68% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.17% from other races, and 0.35% from two or more races. 0.68% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 3,530 households out of which 25.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.4% are married couples living together, 17.7% have a female householder with no husband present, and 38.5% are non-families. 34.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 18.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.28 and the average family size is 2.94.
In the city the population is spread out with 21.7% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 22.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 41 years. For every 100 females there are 84.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 80.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $27,103, and the median income for a family is $33,861. Males have a median income of $28,351 versus $21,417 for females. The per capita income for the city is $14,686. 15.5% of the population and 11.8% of families are below the poverty line. 24.0% of those under the age of 18 and 17.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Government
Executive
The city is headed by an elected mayor. The current mayor is Michael Lombardo, a child psychologist and former assistant principal of the Pittston Area Senior High School. He was elected in 1997.
Legislative
The legislative branch of Pittston is the City Council. It is comprised of 5 members and elect a chairman.
Education
Pittston City is located within the Pittston Area School District which covers Pittston Township, Dupont, Duryea, Hughestown, Dupont, Yatesville, Avoca, Laflin and Jenkins Township
The Pittston Area School District consists of 5 schools:
- Ben Franklin Kindergarden Center - Dupont (Grades: K)
- Pittston Area Primary Center - Hughestown (Grades: 1-3)
- Pittston Area Intermediate Center - Pittston (Grades: 4, 5)
- Martin L. Mattei Middle School - Pittston (Grades: 6-8)
- Pittston Area Senior High School - Yatesville (Grades: 9-12)
The Staircase
Arguably the biggest attraction today in Pittston is its concert venue called "The Staircase." It is where now-famous Breaking Benjamin played often in the early stages of the band. They recently came back to play another show there for hurricane-relief causes. The Staircase arguably rivals the nearby Wachovia Arena in Wilkes-Barre for bragging rights in bands, as in recent years they have hosted Cannibal Corpse, Slayer, The Starting Line and other major events.
Language
Pittston, like most of Northeastern Pennsylvania, arguably has its own dialect of the English language called Hayna Valley English. Some of the most common deviations from standard English include an omission of the "th" sound from many words, greater overpronunciation of words, and use of the word "Hayna" (variant "Heyna") to signify "Isn't it so?"
Pittston Tomato Festival
The Pittston Tomato Festival, in it's 22nd year on 2005, is held annually on South Main Street in downtown Pittston. The event celebrates the city's proud tradtion, which is also it's motto of the "Tomato Quality Capital of the World".
The event consists of many food vendors from the Greater Pittston Area, a beauty pageant, a tomato tasing contest, a best looking and ugliest tomato contest, a 5k run through the city, a parade, and the very popular tomato fights
Transportation
Roads
Interstate 81 passes through Pittston Township, providing service to Gananoque, Ontario Canada, New York City, and Philadelphia. The city is also located near the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
Public Transportation
Pittston is served by the Luzerne County Transportation Authority and COLTS, which provides bus service to the city and other communities within Luzerne County & Lackawanna County.
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport is located in nearby Avoca. The airport is serviced by eight international airlines and hosted Air Force One on regional presidential visits several times in the past. In the spring of 2002, the airport began offering an increased number of non-stop flights acrosss the nation
Professional Sports Teams
- Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons (International League) (plays its home games in nearby Moosic)
- Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (American Hockey League)
- Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers (af2)
Sites of Interest In The Pittston Area
- Public Square (Wilkes-Barre)
- F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts (Wilkes-Barre)
- Pocono Downs (Wilkes-Barre)
- Pocono Raceway (Long Pond)
- Kirby Park (Wilkes-Barre)
- Montage Mountain (Scranton)
- Wachovia Arena (Wilkes-Barre)