Windber, Pennsylvania

History

Windber started as a company town for nearby coal mines. The Berwind-White Coal Mining Company imported workers from eastern and southern Europe and exploited ethnic divisions in the area (which had been settled by Germans and Irish in the 19th century). On Good Friday 1922, coal miners walked out of the mines in Windber and several nearby locations in Somerset County, attempting to force the mine owners to recognized their United Mine Workers union, as well as accurately weigh the coal they mined. The company employed legal tactics (the United States Supreme Court decided two lawsuits) as well as strike-breakers, but the miners received considerable favorable national publicity and local support and held out until the end of the following summer. However, the UMW successfully organized the mines during 1933, after the Great Depression led to the election of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

The Windber Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.

Frank Kush, all-American football lineman at Michigan State who achieved distinction (and later controversy) as head coach of the Arizona State college football team and Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League was born and raised in Windber.

Geography

Windber is located at 40°14′7″N 78°49′51″W (40.235161, -78.830864).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 2.1 square miles (5.4 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 4,395 people, 2,019 households, and 1,185 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,118.8 people per square mile (819.8/km²). There were 2,177 housing units at an average density of 1,049.5 per square mile (406.1/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 99.29% White, 0.07% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.16% from other races, and 0.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.57% of the population.

There were 2,019 households out of which 25.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.3% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.3% were non-families. 38.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 22.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the borough the population was spread out with 21.3% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 24.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 85.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.9 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $23,261, and the median income for a family was $31,860. Males had a median income of $24,861 versus $18,886 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $15,078. About 11.9% of families and 11.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.5% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

Government

Windber Borough Council:

Windber Borough Government Officials:

Education

Entertainment

The nearby Silver Drive-In first opened in 1962. While other such facilities in the area have closed over the course of years, the Silver survived through public outcry over proposals to close and demolish it, making a comeback in 2005. It is now the only drive-in theater in the Johnstown, Pennsylvania region.

The historic Arcadia Theater opened on May 5, 1921 and was designed by Henry Reinhold and Ralph L. Land. The Windber Lumber Co., then a subsidiary of Berwind-White Coal Mining Co., built the theater with money donated by a group of stockholders known as the Windber Theater Corporation. The Arcadia Theater showcased many vaudevulle acts, as well as cinema productions before being sold in 1963 and renamed “Cinema 56.” In 1975 the theater was closed. In 1977, however, the Penn Wood Players began to make plans to make the Arcadia their headquarters. Unfortunately the Johnstown Flood of 1977 severely damaged the building and the theater was once again closed. In 1989 the Eureka Coal Heritage Foundation purchased the theater in order to restore the once grand Arcadia Theater to its former splendor. The restoration began in 1990 with the building architects referring to old photographs and the memories of many people to steer the interior and exterior designs. The intent of the restoration was to the make the theater look as it did in 1921. On October 31, 1998 the Arcadia reopened its magnificent doors with the production of “Best of Broadway.” With the exception of present-day computer technology to control both sound and light systems, the Arcadia Theater has successfully recaptured its original beauty and “magic,” in both its appearance and its live performances. Today, the Arcadia Theater is proud of the quality of performers that have since been showcased, among them: Florence Henderson, The Mantovani Orchestra, The Lettermen, Gary Burgoff, The Platters, Pat Boone, The Osmonds, Don Ho, Al Martino, The 5th Dimension, and the U.S. Marine Corps Band, in addition to the Arcadia's own children’s series performances.