Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|
 Ohiopyle Falls on theYoughiogheny River | |
 Seal | |
| Etymology:Lenapeahi opihəle, "it turns very white" | |
 Location in Fayette County, Pennsylvania | |
  Ohiopyle Location in Pennsylvania Show map of Pennsylvania Ohiopyle Location in the United States Show map of the United States | |
| Coordinates:39°52′5″N79°29′35″W / 39.86806°N 79.49306°W /39.86806; -79.49306 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Fayette |
| Established | 1868 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Mark McCarty |
| Area | |
• Total | 0.50 sq mi (1.29 km2) |
| • Land | 0.42 sq mi (1.08 km2) |
| • Water | 0.081 sq mi (0.21 km2) |
| Population | |
• Total | 37 |
| • Density | 88.5/sq mi (34.18/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| Area code | 724 |
| FIPS code | 42-56408 |
| Website | https://www.ohiopyleborough.org/ |
Ohiopyle is aborough inFayette County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 38 at the2020 census.[3] While Ohiopyle has a tiny year-round population, it is often filled with tourists on the weekend, who come for the outdoor recreation opportunities at the surroundingOhiopyle State Park, as well as theGreat Allegheny Passage bicycle trail, which connects with theChesapeake and Ohio Canaltowpath trail to form a continuous 335-mile off-road trail fromPittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Washington, D.C. The borough of Ohiopyle is served by theUniontown Area School District.
The first known group of people to inhabit the Ohiopyle area were theMonongahela, a clan of theMound Builders. TheseNative Americans disappeared from the scene just as European colonists were beginning to arrive inNorth America. As the east coast was settled, the Native Americans who lived closer to theAtlantic Ocean were exterminated or forced to flee to the west. Various tribes inhabited the Ohiopyle area at this time, preceding their ultimate removal following theFrench and Indian War. One of the few remnants of American Indian culture that can be found in the area is in the name. "Ohiopyle" is derived from theLenape phraseahi opihəle which means 'it turns very white',[4][5] referring to the frothy waterfalls.[6]
The colonial powers ofNew France and the BritishThirteen Colonies fought for control of the trading routes in theOhio River Valley in what was at the time the northwestern frontier of America. The French were the first to explore the upper reaches of the Ohio andMississippi River valleys. They built several forts in what is now western Pennsylvania, includingFort Duquesne in what is nowPittsburgh. Fort Duquesne was built on the remains ofFort Prince George, which the French had seized from the British.George Washington was sent by the colonial governor ofVirginia to try to retake the all-important fort at theconfluence of theAllegheny andMonongahela Rivers. He was on two expeditions that passed through the Ohiopyle area. Washington tried to use the Youghiogheny River as a means to reach Fort Duquesne quickly but was forced to abandon the river passage by the waterfalls in the Ohiopyle area. Still Washington pressed on to the Pittsburgh area. His troops encountered and routed a small party of French soldiers in theBattle of Jumonville Glen. One of these soldiers escaped to Fort Duquesne. Washington was forced to quickly build a fort to prepare for the oncoming French attack.Fort Necessity is just to the southwest of Ohiopyle State Park. The colonial forces of Washington were overwhelmed by the French and their Indian allies in theBattle of the Great Meadows at Fort Necessity.[7] These battles are considered the opening shots of the French and Indian War which would spread to theOld World and become theSeven Years' War. The loss at Fort Necessity marked Washington's only military surrender. The British ultimately won the French and Indian war and the French were forced to leave western Pennsylvania.
In 1763King George III declared the area anIndian reserve and required all European settlers to leave. The settlers refused to leave, and King George bought the land from theIroquois in 1768. The land was claimed by both Pennsylvania and Virginia. The dispute of the territory lasted through theAmerican Revolution andwas not resolved until 1784.
TheWhiskey Rebellion was a major test for the new government of the United States following the Revolution. The citizens of western Pennsylvania, mostly nearWashington, Pennsylvania, were not pleased with theexcisetax onliquor and distilled drinks. This tax had been proposed byUnited States Secretary of the TreasuryAlexander Hamilton, passed byCongress, and signed into law by President Washington in 1791. The tensions of the whiskey tax intensified over the next three years and in 1794 there was a state ofinsurrection in the area. Thirteen thousand militiamen under the direct command of George Washington were sent to put down the insurrection. They passed through the Ohiopyle area on their way to arrest the rebels. The rebels "could never be found," according toThomas Jefferson, but the militia rounded up twenty prisoners, clearly demonstratingFederal authority in the national government. The men were imprisoned, where one died, while two were convicted oftreason and sentenced to death by hanging. Washington, however,pardoned them on the grounds that one was a "simpleton" and the other "insane." The military suppression of the Whiskey Rebellion set a precedent that U.S. citizens who wished to change the law had to do so peacefully throughconstitutional means; otherwise, the government would meet any threats to disturb the peace with force.
The earliest settlers to the Ohiopyle area werefarmers,trappers andhunters. The population of the area expanded after the building of theNational Road in 1811. This road that passed near Ohiopyle increased the accessibility of the area and connected it to eastern markets. Lumbering became the dominant industry.Cooperages,tanneries,salt mining andcoal mining were some of the smaller industries in the area.
The construction of theBaltimore and Ohio Railroad and theWestern Maryland Railroad greatly accelerated the progress of the lumbering operations in Ohiopyle. Both railroads had stations in theborough. Severalnarrow gauge railroads were built up into the surrounding mountains. These smaller railways were able to efficiently transport lumber to thesawmills and rail stations of Ohiopyle.
The railroads also broughttourists to Ohiopyle. The round trip ride from Pittsburgh to Ohiopyle was onedollar. Tourists flocked to the area to see thewaterfalls and stay at theresorts that quickly sprouted up along the Youghiogheny River. The resorts hadboardwalks, dancing pavilions,bowling alleys, fountains,tennis courts, and hiking trails. The rise of theautomobile brought about the end of the resorts at Ohiopyle. The buildings were torn down and the forests were allowed to regrow.
In 1963, Ohiopyle entered the current chapter of tourism. Wilderness Voyageurs, under the ownership of Lance Martin, began commercial whitewater rafting on the Youghiogheny River. This was the first commercial whitewater rafting company east of theMississippi River. In 1963, 400 people experienced the rapids of the Lower Youghiogheny, in 2007 over 100,000 people came to "shoot the rapids" inrafts,kayaks, andcanoes. Ohiopyle is also nearFrank Lloyd Wright's masterpiece,Fallingwater, built in 1936, and this nearby attraction brings tourists through the town.
Ohiopyle is located at39°52′5″N79°29′35″W / 39.86806°N 79.49306°W /39.86806; -79.49306 (39.868130, −79.492929).[8]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 0.5 square miles (1.3 km2), of which 0.4 square mile (1.1 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) (14.29%) is water. The borough is surrounded byOhiopyle State Park.
TheYoughiogheny River runs through the town.
The climate in this area has relatively small differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round. According to theKöppen Climate Classification system, Ohiopyle has amarine west coast climate, abbreviated "Cfb" on climate maps.[9]
| Climate data for Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 1 (34) | 3 (38) | 9 (48) | 16 (61) | 21 (69) | 24 (75) | 26 (78) | 25 (77) | 21 (70) | 16 (60) | 10 (50) | 3 (38) | 14 (58) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −7 (19) | −7 (20) | −3 (27) | 3 (37) | 8 (46) | 13 (55) | 15 (59) | 14 (58) | 11 (51) | 4 (40) | 0 (32) | −5 (23) | 4 (39) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 110 (4.4) | 97 (3.8) | 120 (4.6) | 120 (4.9) | 140 (5.4) | 130 (5) | 140 (5.5) | 110 (4.3) | 110 (4.4) | 94 (3.7) | 110 (4.3) | 110 (4.2) | 1,380 (54.3) |
| Source: Weatherbase[10] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 423 | — | |
| 1910 | 535 | 26.5% | |
| 1920 | 499 | −6.7% | |
| 1930 | 425 | −14.8% | |
| 1940 | 420 | −1.2% | |
| 1950 | 345 | −17.9% | |
| 1960 | 287 | −16.8% | |
| 1970 | 140 | −51.2% | |
| 1980 | 124 | −11.4% | |
| 1990 | 81 | −34.7% | |
| 2000 | 77 | −4.9% | |
| 2010 | 59 | −23.4% | |
| 2020 | 38 | −35.6% | |
| 2021 (est.) | 37 | [3] | −2.6% |
| Sources:[11][12][13][2] | |||
As of the2000 census,[12] there were 77 people, 34 households, and 21 families residing in the borough. The population density was 185.9 inhabitants per square mile (71.8/km2). There were 44 housing units at an average density of 106.2 per square mile (41.0/km2). Theracial makeup of the borough was 100.00% White. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.30% of the population.
There were 34 households, out of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.2% were married couples living together, 26.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% were non-families. 32.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the borough the population was spread out, with 24.7% under the age of 18, 2.6% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 29.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 75.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.3 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $22,083, and the median income for a family was $25,833. Males had a median income of $43,125 versus $20,625 for females. Theper capita income for the borough was $10,247. There were 18.2% of families and 20.8% of the population living below thepoverty line, including no under eighteens and 55.6% of those over 64.
Municipalities and communities ofFayette County, Pennsylvania,United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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