Shanksville, Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|
 Shanksville's Main Street in July 2006 | |
| Etymology: Christian Shank (founder) | |
 Location of Shanksville in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. | |
.svg) Location of Pennsylvania in the United States | |
| Coordinates:40°1′2″N78°54′21″W / 40.01722°N 78.90583°W /40.01722; -78.90583 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Somerset |
| Township | Stonycreek |
| Settled | 1798 |
| Incorporated | January 25, 1913 |
| Founded by | Christian Shank |
| Area | |
• Total | 0.20 sq mi (0.51 km2) |
| • Land | 0.20 sq mi (0.51 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Population | |
• Total | 199 |
• Estimate (2024)[3] | 190 |
| • Density | 1,000/sq mi (390/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| FIPS code | 42-69680 |
Shanksville is aborough inSomerset County, Pennsylvania, United States. It has a population of 199 as of the2020 U.S. census.[2] It is part of the Somerset, PennsylvaniaMicropolitan Statistical Area and is located 78 miles (126 km) southeast ofPittsburgh and 226 miles (364 km) west ofPhiladelphia.
Shanksville garnered global attention during theSeptember 11 attacks whenUnited Airlines Flight 93, bound fromNewark, New Jersey, forSan Francisco, crashed in adjacentStonycreek Township after its passengers rebelled against the flight'sal-Qaeda terrorist hijackers. It was the only one of the four hijacked planes that failed to reach the terrorists' intended target.
Shanksville is located at40°1′2″N78°54′21″W / 40.01722°N 78.90583°W /40.01722; -78.90583 (40.017182, -78.905891),[4] with theborough covering 0.2 square mile (0.5 km2), all land; it also has the seventh-highest elevation of boroughs inPennsylvania at 2,230 feet (680 m).[5]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 260 | — | |
| 1930 | 272 | 4.6% | |
| 1940 | 324 | 19.1% | |
| 1950 | 342 | 5.6% | |
| 1960 | 314 | −8.2% | |
| 1970 | 275 | −12.4% | |
| 1980 | 273 | −0.7% | |
| 1990 | 235 | −13.9% | |
| 2000 | 245 | 4.3% | |
| 2010 | 237 | −3.3% | |
| 2020 | 199 | −16.0% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 190 | [3] | −4.5% |
| Sources:[6][7] | |||
As of the 2000 census, there were 245 people comprising 96 households and 69 families residing in the borough.[7] The population density was 1,391.9 inhabitants per square mile (537.4/km2). There were 100 housing units at an average density of 568.1 per square mile (219.3/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 100.00%white.
There were 96 households, out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.2% weremarried couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.1% were non-families. 22.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the borough, the population was spread out, with 26.5% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.5 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $29,980, and the median income for a family was $40,833. Males had a median income of $25,250 versus $25,917 for females. Theper capita income for the borough was $14,500. About 4.8% of families and 9.1% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 4.7% of those under the age of 18 and 12.5% of those 65 or over.
Christian Shank, a German immigrant, built a cabin on Stony Creek in 1798, later building agrist mill and twosaw mills in the vicinity. Emmanuel Shaffer opened a store at the site in 1828, and the following year Shank laid out the town of Shanksville. The town was the home of John Suhre, a Union army private who was fatally wounded at theBattle of Fredericksburg and whose last days are described inLouisa May Alcott's short novelHospital Sketches. The Shanksville post office was opened in 1874. Shanksville was incorporated as a borough on January 25, 1913.[8]
On September 11, 2001, during theterrorist attacks on the United States, Shanksville received worldwide attention afterUnited Airlines Flight 93 crashed into a field inStonycreek Township, 1.75 miles (2.82 km) north of the town of Shanksville, killing all 40civilians and four al-Qaedahijackers on board. The hijackers had intended to fly the plane toWashington, D.C. and crash it into either theCapitol or theWhite House. However, after learning from family members via airphone of the earlier attacks on theWorld Trade Center andThe Pentagon, the passengers on board revolted against the hijackers and fought for control of the plane, causing it to crash. It was the only one of the four aircraft hijacked that day that never reached its intended target.[9]
There are two memorials to the event. The original, temporaryFlight 93 National Memorial to the passengers and crew of Flight 93 was located on a hill, about 500 yards (460 m) from the crash site. On July 8, 2010, a new temporary entrance and memorial were opened at an area called "the Western Overlook". It is where the FBI set up their command center and where family members first saw the aftermath of the crash, bringing their own memorials, and where visitors can leave them today. The initial phase of permanent construction of the Flight 93 National Memorial, including the visitors' center, was completed by the 10th anniversary in 2011. The memorial is built around the crash site, following the plane's flight path, and protecting the area of impact, known as the "Sacred Ground", which remains protected and accessible only to family members of the passengers and crew.
Shanksville'svolunteer firefighters and emergency personnel from the nearby towns of Central City,Somerset, and others rushed to the crash scene to search for survivors. Members of theNew York City Fire Department donated to theShanksville Volunteer Fire Department a cross-shaped piece of steel salvaged from theWorld Trade Center. Mounted atop aPentagon-shaped base, it was installed outside the firehouse and dedicated on August 24, 2008.[10][11]
The mayor of Shanksville is Chris Baeckel.[12]
TheShanksville-Stonycreek School District is the area school district and operates public schools.[13]
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Municipalities and communities ofSomerset County, Pennsylvania,United States | ||
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| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
