Sayre, Pennsylvania

Sayre, Pennsylvania
Borough

Sayre Historical Society Museum

Map of Bradford County with Sayre highlighted
Sayre

Location of Sayre in the state of Pennsylvania

Coordinates: 41°58′44″N 76°30′56″W / 41.97889°N 76.51556°W / 41.97889; -76.51556Coordinates: 41°58′44″N 76°30′56″W / 41.97889°N 76.51556°W / 41.97889; -76.51556
Country United States
State Pennsylvania
County Bradford
Settled 1871
Incorporated (borough) 1891
Area
 • Total 2.03 sq mi (5.27 km2)
 • Land 2.02 sq mi (5.24 km2)
 • Water 0.02 sq mi (0.04 km2)
Elevation 771 ft (235 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 5,587
 • Density 2,764/sq mi (1,067.0/km2)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
Zip code 18840
Area code(s)

570

(In 2013 a new overlay area code will be 272)
Website www.sayrepa.org

Sayre is the largest borough in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, 18 miles (29 km) southeast of Elmira, New York. In the past, various iron products were made there. In 1900, 5,243 people lived there; in 1910, 6,426 people lived there, and in 1940, 7,569 persons made their homes in Sayre. The population was 5,587 at the 2010 census.[1]

Sayre is part of the Penn-York Valley ("The Valley"), a group of four contiguous communities in New York and Pennsylvania: Waverly, New York; South Waverly, Pennsylvania; Sayre; Athens, Pennsylvania, and smaller surrounding communities with a combined population near 35,000. Sayre is the principal city of the Sayre, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

In May 1870, a Waverly banker named Howard Elmer, along with Charles Anthony and James Fritcher, bought the Pine Plains area between Waverly and Athens. Elmer convinced Asa Packer to locate a new railroad repair facility on the Pine Plains for the expanding Lehigh Valley Railroad, which was making a push north to connect to the Erie Railroad at Waverly. Robert Heysham Sayre, president of the Pennsylvania and New York Railroad, helped cement the deal. The town was named in his honor. Sayre was incorporated on January 27, 1891.

In 1904 when the locomotive shops were built at Sayre, the main shop building was believed to be the largest structure in the world under one roof, but held that title for only a brief time. The railroad operated from 1870 until 1976, but maintenance facilities were shifted away before that. With the decline of industry, population has declined since 1940.

Geography

Sayre is located at 41°59′1″N 76°31′15″W / 41.98361°N 76.52083°W / 41.98361; -76.52083 (41.983567, -76.520845)[2] in a river valley in the Allegheny Plateau just north of the confluence of the Susquehanna River and the Chemung River, along with Athens, Pennsylvania, South Waverly, Pennsylvania, and Waverly, New York. Together, these small towns make up the greater area known as the Penn-York Valley, or just "the Valley". The New York / Pennsylvania border cuts through the valley. There is no physical border between the towns, as the grid of streets and avenues blend seamlessly from one town to another. Sayre is bounded on the east and west by Athens Township, on the south by the borough of Athens, on the northwest by South Waverly, and on the north by Waverly, New York.

Pennsylvania Route 199 passes through the borough as Keystone Avenue, Mohawk Street, and Spring Street, ending at Interstate 86 just over the state line in Waverly, New York. Via I-86 it is 17 miles (27 km) northwest to Elmira, New York, and by New York State Route 17 (future I-86) it is 38 miles (61 km) east to Binghamton, New York.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 2.03 square miles (5.27 km2). 2.02 square miles (5.24 km2) of it is land and 0.02 square miles (0.04 km2), or 0.67%, is water.[1]

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1880729—
19005,243—
19106,42622.6%
19208,07825.7%
19307,902−2.2%
19407,569−4.2%
19507,7352.2%
19607,9172.4%
19707,473−5.6%
19806,951−7.0%
19905,791−16.7%
20005,8130.4%
20105,587−3.9%
Est. 20155,424[3]−2.9%
Sources:[4][5][6]

2010

As of the census[7] of 2010, there were 5,587 people, 2,479 households, and 1,394 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,793.5 people per square mile (1,091.2/km²). There were 2,693 housing units at an average density of 1,346.5 per square mile (526/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 96% White, 0.8% African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.1% of the population.

There were 2,479 households, out of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.9% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.8% were non-families. 37.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the borough the population was spread out, with 22.8% under the age of 18, 60.1% from 18 to 64, and 17.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years.

The median income for a household in the borough was $34,221, and the median income for a family was $57,256. Males had a median income of $41,895 versus $27,816 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $20,956. About 6.6% of families and 11.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.9% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.

2000

As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 5,813 people, 2,529 households, and 1,514 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,866.8 people per square mile (1,105.6/km²). There were 2,722 housing units at an average density of 1,342.4 per square mile (517.7/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 96.92% White, 0.62% African American, 0.17% Native American, 1.26% Asian, 0.15% from other races, and 0.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.71% of the population.

There were 2,529 households, out of which 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.9% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.1% were non-families. 35.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the borough the population was spread out, with 23.9% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 85.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.0 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $33,338, and the median income for a family was $40,571. Males had a median income of $30,685 versus $24,837 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $18,549. About 7.1% of families and 9.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.7% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

Media

Newspaper

Radio

Television

Sayre is served by many local television stations, in three broadcast television markets, along with Time Warner Cable's YNN (Your News Now).

Transportation

Sayre has one bus service, the Endless Mountains Transportation Authority. The EMTA's Blue Bus makes numerous stops in Waverly, Sayre, and Athens. Sayre and The Valley also have taxi service available through Valley Taxi.

Education

Children residing in the borough are assigned to attend the Sayre Area School District.

Community

Robert Packer Hospital was named after Robert Asa Packer, who came to Sayre when the town became the point of distribution for the Lehigh Valley Railroad's northern traffic. Shortly after his arrival, Packer invested in the Sayre Land Company and purchased 20 acres between Lockhart and Hayden Streets and between Wilbur Avenue and Hayden's Pond.

Sayre is home to the Robert Packer Hospital and Guthrie Clinic.

Community organizations:

Horned giants

The "horned giants" of Sayre is an urban legend concerning a series of skeletons that included a horned skull reportedly discovered during the 1880s by the then-state historian, Dr. G.P. Donehoo, and two visiting professors, A.B. Skinner and W.K. Moorehead while excavating a burial mound.[11][12] The skeletons were reported to be at or above 7 feet (2.1 m) in height, possessing skulls that had horn-like protuberances just above the eyebrows,[12] but were claimed to have been lost, misplaced, or stolen while in route to the American Investigation Museum.[13][14] Neither Donehoo, Skinner, nor Moorehead described the discovery of any human skeletons at Sayre exhibiting gigantism or horned protrusions in their official excavation reports[15][16][17]

References

  1. 1 2 "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Sayre borough, Pennsylvania". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
  2. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  3. ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2015". Retrieved July 2, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
  5. 1 2 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  6. ↑ "Incorporated Places and Minor Civil Divisions Datasets: Subcounty Resident Population Estimates: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012". Population Estimates. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
  7. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
  8. ↑ Keyes, Bob (2016-01-23). "Maine sculptor Cabot Lyford dies at 90". Portland Press Herald. Retrieved 2016-02-13.
  9. ↑ "Sayre Little League homepage".
  10. ↑ "Sayre Area School District – Educating Today's Students for Tomorrow's World".
  11. ↑ Marrs, Jim (2013). Our Occulted History: Do the Global Elite Conceal Ancient Aliens?. William Morrow. p. 40. ISBN 0062130315.
  12. 1 2 Lake, Matt (2009). Weird Pennsylvania. Sterling. p. 68. ISBN 1402766866.
  13. ↑ DeLoach, Charles (1995). Giants. Scarecrow Press. p. 146. ISBN 0810829711.
  14. ↑ Steiger, Brad (2010). Real Monsters, Gruesome Critters, and Beasts from the Darkside. Visible Ink Press. p. 85. ISBN 1578592208.
  15. ↑ Moorehead, Warren K. (1918). "A Brief Summary of the Archaeology of the Susquehanna". The Second Report of the Historical Commission of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Historical Commission: 117–126.
  16. ↑ Donehoo, George P. (1918). "The Susquehanna Archaeological Expedition". The Second Report of the Historical Commission of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Historical Commission: 126–151.
  17. ↑ Skinner, Alanson (October 1919). "Susquehanna Archaeological Expedition. Second Report of the Pennsylvania Historical Commission (Review)". American Anthropologist. Wiley. 21 (4): 448–449. doi:10.1525/aa.1919.21.4.02a00120. JSTOR 660573.
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