Susquehanna Depot, Pennsylvania facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Susquehanna Depot, Pennsylvania Susquehanna, Pennsylvania
Borough
Post Office on Main Street
Location of Susquehanna Depot in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania.
Susquehanna Depot, Pennsylvania Location in Pennsylvania Show map of Pennsylvania Susquehanna Depot, Pennsylvania Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Susquehanna
Borough Council	1794
Incorporated	1853
Area
• Total	0.79 sq mi (2.05 km2)
• Land	0.74 sq mi (1.91 km2)
• Water	0.05 sq mi (0.14 km2)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,365
• Density	1,852.10/sq mi (715.15/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
Zip Code	18847
Area code(s)	570
FIPS code	42-75568

Susquehanna Depot, often called just Susquehanna, is a small town (known as a borough) in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, United States. It's located right on the Susquehanna River, about 23 miles (37 km) southeast of Binghamton, New York. In the past, this town was famous for making train engines and cars. It's also known for its special blue-colored stone called Pennsylvania Bluestone.

Some famous people have connections to Susquehanna. The scientist B. F. Skinner, who studied how people learn, was born here. Also, the American writer John Gardner lived his last few years in Susquehanna.

According to the 2020 census, about 1,365 people live in Susquehanna Depot.

History of Susquehanna Depot

Early Railroad Days

The New York and Erie Railroad company built a train line through this area in 1848. As part of this project, they built the amazing Starrucca Viaduct. This is a huge stone bridge that crosses Starrucca Creek. At the same time, the railroad set up large workshops in the area that would become Susquehanna Depot.

The Erie Railroad shops, built between 1864 and 1866. They were taken down between 1980 and 1982.

When the workshops first opened, about 350 people worked there. The train line officially started running in 1851. The town of Susquehanna Depot was officially created on August 19, 1853. It was formed from a part of Harmony Township.

Growth of the Railroad Shops

By 1863, the Erie Railroad shops had grown a lot, covering about 8 acres (3.2 hectares). By 1865, they employed 700 workers, and later even more than 1,000! This big complex included:

• A 33-stall roundhouse (a circular building for turning and storing trains)
• A large rail yard
• A foundry (where metal is melted and shaped)
• Gas works and oil works
• Offices

By 1887, these shops were building five new train engines every month! The Susquehanna railroad station opened in 1865. It even had a big hotel called the Starrucca House.

Main Street in Susquehanna Depot, showing some of the town's buildings.

Changes and Decline

Around 1903, the railroad changed the Starrucca House into offices and homes for its staff. New roundhouse buildings were built between 1904 and 1911. More shop buildings were added through the 1920s.

However, in 1928, the railroad moved its main engine-building shops to Hornell, New York. Other shops also left Susquehanna in 1929. A smaller shop for train passenger cars stayed open with fewer workers until the 1950s. In 1952, the Erie Railroad closed the roundhouse because they were switching from steam engines to diesel locomotives. By the end of the 1950s, all remaining railroad operations had moved out of Susquehanna.

End of an Era

The Erie Railroad joined with another company to form the Erie–Lackawanna Railroad (EL) in 1960. The EL stopped passenger train service through Susquehanna on November 27, 1966. The EL company later went bankrupt in 1972 and became part of Conrail in 1976. Most of the old railroad shop buildings were torn down in 1980 and 1981.

After the railroad industry left, Susquehanna changed. Today, many small businesses owned by local residents are found along Main Street. Recent improvements to some buildings on Main Street show that the town's economy is starting to get better after many years.

The old Erie Railroad Station building was recognized as an important historical place in 1972. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography of Susquehanna Depot

Susquehanna Depot is located at 41°56′41″N 75°36′14″W / 41.94472°N 75.60389°W / 41.94472; -75.60389.

The United States Census Bureau says that the town covers about 0.83 square miles (2.15 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 0.77 square miles (1.99 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 0.06 square miles (0.16 square kilometers), is water.

Population of Susquehanna Depot

The population of Susquehanna Depot has changed over the years:

As of the census in 2010, there were 1,643 people living in Susquehanna Depot. There were 636 households, and 436 of these were families. The population density was about 2,133.8 people per square mile (823.9 people per square kilometer).

Most of the people in the town were White (97.1%). A small number were African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, or Asian. About 2% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

In terms of age, 25.1% of the population was under 18 years old. About 14.5% were 65 years or older. The average age in the town was 38 years.

The average income for a household in the town was $35,197. For families, the average income was $42,422. About 20.8% of all people in the town lived below the poverty line. This included 27.8% of those under 18 and 10.8% of those 65 or older.

See also

In Spanish: Susquehanna Depot (Pensilvania) para niños