Palmerton, Pennsylvania Facts for Kids

Palmerton is a small town, called a borough, located in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It's part of a larger area known as Northeastern Pennsylvania. In 2010, about 5,414 people lived here.

Palmerton is about 18.9 miles (30.4 km) northwest of Allentown. It is also about 86.6 miles (139.4 km) northwest of Philadelphia.

History of Palmerton
Geography of Palmerton
Transportation
Population Information
Parks and Recreation
Education
Notable People
Images for kids
See also

History of Palmerton

For many years, Native Americans lived in the area where Palmerton is now. Later, early European settlers created two small villages called Hazard and Little Gap. These villages were part of Lower Towamensing Township. There was even a station here that helped people escape slavery through the Underground Railroad. Palmerton officially became a borough in 1912.

In 1912, a big company called the New Jersey Zinc Company built a zinc processing plant here. They chose this spot because there was a lot of coal nearby and also zinc mines in Franklin, New Jersey. The town was named after the company's president, Stephen S. Palmer.

Another plant, called the East Plant, was built in 1911. While other businesses like clothing factories came to Palmerton, the zinc company was the main employer for most of the town's history. Many people, especially from Eastern Europe, moved to Palmerton to work in these zinc plants.

The zinc processing stopped in 1980. This happened because the price of zinc was low and new rules were made to protect the environment. The West Plant was taken down in 2010. The East Plant still works, but on a smaller scale.

The Palmer House, a building for senior citizens, is located where the old Palm Theater used to be. The Palmerton Historic District, which includes the downtown area, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2018. This means it's an important historical place.

Geography of Palmerton

Palmerton is in the southern part of Carbon County. It's located just north of where the Lehigh River and Aquashicola Creek meet. This spot is also just north of the Lehigh Gap, which is a break in Blue Mountain. To the north of Palmerton, you'll find Stony Ridge.

The town is about 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Bowmanstown. It's also 5 miles (8.0 km) north of Walnutport and Slatington. Palmerton is about 7 miles (11.3 km) southeast of Lehighton. The town sits about 407 feet (124 m) above sea level.

Palmerton covers about 2.54 square miles (6.57 km2). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water. The streets in Palmerton are very organized. This is because the New Jersey Zinc Company planned and built most of the town. Avenues run east to west and are named after colleges and universities. Streets run north to south and are numbered from First Street in the west to Eighth Street in the east. Many houses in the older parts of town are "doubles," meaning one building is split into two homes.

Transportation

PA 248 westbound in Palmerton

As of 2020, Palmerton has about 21.12 miles (34.0 km) of public roads. Some of these roads are kept up by the state's Department of Transportation (PennDOT). The rest are maintained by the borough itself.

Pennsylvania Route 248 is the main highway that goes through Palmerton. It runs from west to east through the southwestern part of the borough.

Population Information

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1920	7,168	—
1930	7,678	7.1%
1940	7,475	−2.6%
1950	6,646	−11.1%
1960	5,942	−10.6%
1970	5,620	−5.4%
1980	5,455	−2.9%
1990	5,394	−1.1%
2000	5,248	−2.7%
2010	5,414	3.2%
2020	5,593	3.3%
Sources:

In 2000, there were 5,248 people living in Palmerton. Most people in the borough were White. A small number of people were African American, Native American, Asian, or from other backgrounds. About 2.36% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

Many people in Palmerton have family roots from different parts of the world. The most common backgrounds include Russian, German, Irish, Ukrainian, and Slovak.

About 29.6% of the homes in Palmerton had children under 18 living there. The average age of people in the borough was 38 years old.

Parks and Recreation

Palmerton Area Veterans Memorial in Palmerton Community Park, May 2019

Appalachian Trail

The famous Appalachian Trail crosses the Lehigh River less than 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Palmerton. For 40 years, the old town jail, located below City Hall, was used as a hostel for hikers walking the Appalachian Trail. However, this service stopped in 2015.

Community Band

The Palmerton Community Band is a group of musicians who play concerts. They started performing summer concerts in the Palmerton Borough Park bandshell in 1911. Today, the band has about 35 musicians from Palmerton and nearby towns. They still play at summer concerts and festivals, keeping a long tradition alive.

Community Park

The Palmerton Community Park is in the downtown area, between Third and Fourth Streets. It's home to the Palmerton Area Veterans Memorial, which was built in 2012 to honor veterans.

Education

Palmerton is part of the Palmerton Area School District. Students in grades nine through 12 go to Palmerton Area High School, which is located in Palmerton.

Notable People

Many interesting people have come from Palmerton, including:

Daniel A. Dailey, a high-ranking officer in the United States Army.
Rhett A. Hernandez, a retired officer who commanded the United States Army Cyber Command.
Jane Jensen, a video game designer known for Gabriel Knight.
Elmer Valo, a former professional baseball player for teams like the Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees.
Bill Mlkvy, a former professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors.
George Kinek, a former professional football player for the Chicago Cardinals.
Nicole Levandusky, a former professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Sparks.

Images for kids

PA 248 westbound in Palmerton
Palmerton Area Veterans Memorial in Palmerton Community Park, May 2019

Palmerton, Pennsylvania facts for kids

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