User:Trailrunner454/Workshop/Pages/Albion, Pennsylvania

Albion is a borough in Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,607 at the 2000 census.

The town was ravaged by a F4 tornado that was part of the United States-Canadian Outbreak on 31 May 1985.

History
It is locally believed that a Lyman Jackson was the first permanent settler around the year 1800 in what was commonly known as Jackson's Cross Roads, to the U.S. Post Office it was known as Juliette. The name Albion is said to have been chosen by the first postmaster, Josiah Sullivan in 1839 and its real meaning still remains unknown.

In the early 1800's the area economic path was determined by its usable ash timber and abundance of water power. The Village of Albion was incorporated in 1859, according to The Court of Quarter Sessions of Erie County, into Albion Borough with it's first Burgess being Perry Kidder.

Albion's population was just 443 in 1860 and the areas economy was based on transportation. The Beaver and Erie Canal passed directly through Albion and Platea (known then as Lockport ) and was a division point that provided for hundreds of barges just east of the then Shenango and Allegheny Railroad; now the Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad.

In 1871 the Erie Canal system was suspended after the collapse of a viaduct near Girard.

Around 1890 the area began to swell with railroad activity as the rebuilding of the Shenango and Allegheny Railroad to the Pittsburgh, Shenango and Allegheny Railroad started. The main line of the Bessemer railroad was built in the foundation of the abandoned Erie Canal and built a passenger station, block office and trainmaster's office beside an apple orchard on Pearl Street. Trains left the station every 45 minutes. Rail cars often filled the station yard to a 750 car capacity with 10 to 12 drag crews operating 24 hours a day. With the addition of the "Boomers" the population of Albion grew to over 2,000. The rapid explosion of Boomers and an extreme lack of available housing Bessemer accommodated the workers with an area that was known as Boomer Park. In the early 1920's the railroading era was declining from the Albion economy.

Geography
Albion is located at 41.89111°N, -80.36167°W (41.891183, -80.361530).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 2.8 km² (1.1 mi²). 2.7 km² (1.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.93% is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,607 people, 655 households, and 425 families residing in the borough. The population density was 585.3/km² (1,510.7/mi²). There were 695 housing units at an average density of 253.2/km² (653.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the borough was 98.38% White, 0.50% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.12% from other races, and 0.31% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.18% of the population.

There were 655 households out of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the borough the population was spread out with 28.6% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 87.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.1 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $33,007, and the median income for a family was $40,650. Males had a median income of $31,620 versus $21,157 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $15,361. About 10.6% of families and 11.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.2% of those under age 18 and 13.4% of those age 65 or over.

Albion is part of the Northwestern School District.