Ford City, Pennsylvania facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ford City, Pennsylvania
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Borough
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Downtown Ford City
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| Motto(s):
A Great Place to Work and Live
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Location of Ford City in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania.
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 Ford City, Pennsylvania
Location in Pennsylvania
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| Country | United States | |
| State | Pennsylvania | |
| County | Armstrong | |
| Settled | 1887 | |
| Incorporated | 1889 | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Council-Mayor | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 0.76 sq mi (1.97 km2) | |
| • Land | 0.65 sq mi (1.67 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.12 sq mi (0.30 km2) | |
| Elevation | 794 ft (242 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 2,859 | |
| • Density | 4,432.56/sq mi (1,712.51/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) | |
| Zip code |
16226
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| Area code(s) | 724, 878 | |
| FIPS code | 42-26512 | |
Ford City is a small town, also called a borough, in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. It is about 40 miles (64 km) northeast of Pittsburgh. The town sits on the east bank of the Allegheny River. In 2020, about 2,859 people lived here. Ford City is part of the larger Pittsburgh metropolitan area.
Contents
History of Ford City
How Ford City Started
Ford City was created by Captain John B. Ford. He was an industrialist who wanted to start a plate-glass factory. He bought about 460 acres of land from three families.
Captain Ford chose this spot because the Allegheny River had special sand. This sand was perfect for making glass. The area also had lots of natural gas. This gas was needed to heat the huge ovens that melt glass.
To run his factory, Ford needed many workers. He sent people to Europe to find experienced glassmakers. They offered good pay and affordable homes. Many glassworkers came from places like Stolberg, Germany. Supervisors came from Ireland and France. These early workers brought their different faiths. This led to several Catholic churches being built in Ford City.
Early Years and Growth
In 1886, Ford City officially became a town in Pennsylvania. One person who helped with this was Robert Naismith. He was the brother of James Naismith, who invented basketball. Ford City grew very fast. Its population increased by over 3,000 people in just 10 years.
People from over 35 different European groups moved to Ford City. It became a great example of America's "melting pot". Everyone worked together at Ford's glass factory. There were no big problems between different groups.
In the early 1900s, Ford's company, Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company (now PPG Industries), became the world's top glass maker. They made better glass for less money than European companies. This meant the U.S. stopped buying as much glass from Europe. As demand for glass grew, so did the need for workers in Ford City. The town kept growing.
Ford City did very well in the early 20th century. Its glass was used in skyscrapers all over the United States. The town's spirit was strong, especially around the PPG factory shifts and Friday night basketball games. Ford City High School basketball teams were very successful. They won many section titles. People used to say every garage in Ford City had a basketball hoop. Boulder Park became a popular spot for summer basketball.
Changes and Challenges
In the early 1970s, PPG changed how it made glass. Many workers had to move or were transferred to other PPG factories. This continued for 20 years. Finally, in 1992, PPG closed its Ford City factory for good. At its busiest, PPG employed over 4,000 workers. Losing PPG was a huge blow to Ford City's economy.
After PPG closed, other businesses moved into parts of the old factory. In 1987, Nature's Blend started making cabinet doors there. By 1999, they had grown a lot and doubled their factory space.
In 1989, KPM, a company that modernizes roll grinders, moved its main office to Ford City. KPM became part of the Herkules Group in 1999. This created more jobs in the town.
Another company, Eljer, had a factory in Ford City since 1918. They made plumbing products. Over the years, the number of workers at Eljer went down. In 2008, the Eljer plant also closed. This further hurt the job market in Ford City.
Recent Efforts to Rebuild
Ford City has been working hard to recover from these economic challenges. In 2004, the Ford City Community Development Corporation got $12 million. They used this money to build a business incubator. This was a 70,000-square-foot space on the old PPG factory site. It was meant to help new businesses start and create jobs.
Two companies, Caracal and OEM Shades, moved into the incubator. However, Caracal had money problems and couldn't pay rent. This led the community development corporation to go bankrupt in 2008. Caracal also went bankrupt in 2009. The town had to take back the property. This caused a fine from the U.S. Economic Development Administration. The fine was settled in 2016.
However, things have improved. Belleflex Technologies, which makes steel products, moved into a part of the old PPG plant. Their sister company, PullFlex Technologies, also moved in. PullFlex makes strong, lightweight materials from fiberglass.
Future Plans
Ford City plans to develop the old industrial land, called Brownfields, in the southern part of town. In 2021, the town council approved a plan to sell 30 acres of land. A 10-acre part was sold to Belleflex Technologies. A 20-acre part was sold to Projectile Tube Cleaning Inc. These new businesses are expected to bring more jobs and economic growth to Ford City. There are also hopes for development on the privately owned Northern Brownfields.
Geography and Climate
Ford City is located at 40°46′17″N 79°31′48″W / 40.77139°N 79.53000°W.
The town covers about 0.76 square miles (1.97 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, but about 15% is water, mainly from the Allegheny River.
Weather in Ford City
| Climate data for Ford City 4S Dam, Pennsylvania (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1943–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 76 (24) |
77 (25) |
87 (31) |
91 (33) |
96 (36) |
99 (37) |
104 (40) |
98 (37) |
98 (37) |
91 (33) |
83 (28) |
75 (24) |
104 (40) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 35.7 (2.1) |
38.8 (3.8) |
48.4 (9.1) |
62.2 (16.8) |
72.0 (22.2) |
79.6 (26.4) |
83.8 (28.8) |
82.5 (28.1) |
75.8 (24.3) |
63.7 (17.6) |
50.9 (10.5) |
39.8 (4.3) |
61.1 (16.2) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 26.4 (−3.1) |
28.4 (−2.0) |
36.9 (2.7) |
48.7 (9.3) |
59.0 (15.0) |
67.5 (19.7) |
71.6 (22.0) |
70.3 (21.3) |
63.2 (17.3) |
51.5 (10.8) |
40.4 (4.7) |
31.4 (−0.3) |
49.6 (9.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 17.2 (−8.2) |
18.1 (−7.7) |
25.5 (−3.6) |
35.1 (1.7) |
46.0 (7.8) |
55.4 (13.0) |
59.4 (15.2) |
58.0 (14.4) |
50.5 (10.3) |
39.3 (4.1) |
29.9 (−1.2) |
22.9 (−5.1) |
38.1 (3.4) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −29 (−34) |
−23 (−31) |
−12 (−24) |
10 (−12) |
21 (−6) |
32 (0) |
32 (0) |
36 (2) |
27 (−3) |
16 (−9) |
4 (−16) |
−19 (−28) |
−29 (−34) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.20 (81) |
2.61 (66) |
3.25 (83) |
3.66 (93) |
3.99 (101) |
4.69 (119) |
4.45 (113) |
4.22 (107) |
4.22 (107) |
3.34 (85) |
3.31 (84) |
3.38 (86) |
44.32 (1,126) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 17.0 | 13.8 | 13.6 | 14.7 | 14.5 | 13.0 | 11.9 | 10.9 | 11.3 | 13.0 | 13.6 | 15.4 | 162.7 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
People of Ford City
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 1,255 | — | |
| 1900 | 2,870 | 128.7% | |
| 1910 | 4,850 | 69.0% | |
| 1920 | 5,605 | 15.6% | |
| 1930 | 6,127 | 9.3% | |
| 1940 | 5,795 | −5.4% | |
| 1950 | 5,352 | −7.6% | |
| 1960 | 5,440 | 1.6% | |
| 1970 | 4,749 | −12.7% | |
| 1980 | 3,923 | −17.4% | |
| 1990 | 3,413 | −13.0% | |
| 2000 | 3,451 | 1.1% | |
| 2010 | 2,991 | −13.3% | |
| 2020 | 2,859 | −4.4% | |
| Sources: | |||
In 2020, there were 2,859 people living in Ford City. Most residents (about 92.6%) were White. About 2% were African American, and 4.1% were from two or more races.
There were 1,599 homes in the borough. About 20% of these homes had children under 18 living there. About 33.3% of homes were married couples. The average family had about 3 people. Most homes (67.8%) were owned by the people living in them.
The average yearly income for a household in Ford City was $54,457. For families, it was $75,505. About 13.6% of the people lived below the poverty line. This included 2.2% of those under 18 and 21.3% of those 65 or older.
Education in Ford City
Ford City is part of the Armstrong School District. Students in Ford City attend Lenape Elementary School for kindergarten through sixth grade. Then, they go to Armstrong Junior/Senior High School in Manor Township for grades seven through twelve. Students can also choose to attend Lenape Vocational Technical School starting in their junior year.
Ford City used to have its own high school, Ford City Junior/Senior High School. It opened in 1909 and had its last graduating class in 2015. After it closed, the high school building was torn down.
Now, BC3 @ Armstrong is located on the old high school site. In 2022, the State Rep. Jeffery P. Pyle Building opened. It offers college classes that can lead to degrees in Business Administration, Psychology, and General Studies.
The only Catholic elementary school in the area, Divine Redeemer, is located in downtown Ford City.
Parks and Fun Activities
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Ford City Memorial Park is a great place to visit. It has a bronze statue of John B. Ford from 1891. The park also has a gazebo and a special memorial for the men and women from Ford City who served in the U.S. military.
The 7th Avenue Playground was updated in 2017. It has new play equipment, a covered picnic area, and a large field with a baseball backstop. Boulder Park also got new playground equipment in 2017. It has a lighted basketball court, a covered picnic area, and new play equipment. The basketball court was renovated in 2018 to allow for deck hockey too.
The Armstrong Trail is a 49-mile-long path. It follows an old railroad line along the Allegheny River. Almost two miles of this trail go through Ford City. There's also a small path that leads to the riverfront. The trail connects Ford City to other towns like Leechburg, Kittanning, and East Brady.
Famous People from Ford City
- David Coulter, a banker
- Gus Frerotte, an NFL quarterback
- Raymond Harvey, who received the Medal of Honor
- John F. Hunter, an Ohio congressman
- Tim Levcik, an American football player
- Abby Major, a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
- Zigmund "Red" Mihalik, a Hall of Fame basketball official
- Albert Pechan, a Pennsylvania state senator
- Chris Valasek, a computer security expert
- Michael Yates, an economist and magazine editor
See also
In Spanish: Ford City (Pensilvania) para niños
