Mars, Pennsylvania
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Mars | |
| Overbrook | |
| Borough | |
 Mars, Pennsylvania
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| Official name: Borough of Mars | |
| Country |  United States |
|---|---|
| State |  Pennsylvania |
| County | Butler County |
| Township | Adams Township |
| Coordinates | |
| Population | 1,746 (2000) |
| Density | 3,906.5 /sq mi (1,508.3 /km²) |
| Settled | 1873 |
| - Incorporated | 1882 |
| Timezone | EST (UTC-5) |
| - summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 16046 |
| Area code | 724 |
| School District | Mars Area School District |
 Location of Mars in Butler County
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  Location of Mars in Pennsylvania
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 Location of Pennsylvania in the United States
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| Website: Mars, Pennsylvania | |
Mars is a borough in Butler County, Pennsylvania, USA. The population was 1,746 at the 2000 census.
Contents |
[edit] Geography
Mars is located at (40.696594, -80.012205)[1].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 0.4 square miles (1.2 km²), all of it land.
[edit] History
The borough of Mars, Pennsylvania was founded in 1873, and is situated about halfway between the cities of Pittsburgh and Butler. The small community is nestled in a small valley along Breakneck Creek with PA 228 located about a mile south of Mars, and the Mars-Evans City Road located to the north. It is home to the popular roadside attraction, the Mars "Spaceship" or "Flying Saucer". It is also home to the Mars Station which is one of the last remaining railroad depots still standing from the now defunct Pittsburgh and Western Railroad.
In 1873, Samuel Parks constructed a home and a water-powered grist mill along Breakneck Creek. Parks then decided to have a post office placed in his home, so he received help from his friend, Samuel Marshall to help establish it. The name became Mars. No one is sure how the name "Mars" came into being. Some say it was Park's wife who enjoyed astronomy, or it was shortened after Samuel Marshall's name. In 1877, the Pittsburgh, New Castle and Lake Erie Railroad created a stop in the area, and named it Overbrook. Since the railroad name conflicted with the borough's name, the railroad had it changed so it would match the borough's. Plus, there was already a community in Pennsylvania with the name, "Overbrook". On March 6, 1895, Mars was incorporated as a borough.
In 1904, the Pittsburgh and Butler Railway gained permission from Mars to construct it's right-of-way through the borough. The line would eventually become part of the Pittsburgh, Harmony, Butler and New Castle Railway. The line closed in 1931. The USS Mars (AFS-1) was named after the borough. The ship became part of the United States Pacific Fleet in 1963, and was decommissioned in 1998. It was then sunk in 2006 as a target vessel. The bell of the Mars was donated to the borough, and has become a permanent memorial in the downtown park.
The 1996 comedy film, Kingpin, was filmed throughout the borough. There was also a Kraft salad dressing commercial that was filmed in downtown in 2000. However, the commercial never aired on television. In 2006, Mars was featured briefly on The History Channel.
Canadian musician John Southworth named his first album Mars, Pennsylvania for the town, which he had passed through many years earlier on a school trip.
[edit] Schools
The Mars Area School District serves the boroughs of Mars, and Valencia. It also serves Adams Township and Middlesex Township in Butler County.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 1,746 people, 687 households, and 395 families residing in the borough. The population density was 3,906.5 people per square mile (1,498.1/km²). There were 715 housing units at an average density of 1,599.7/sq mi (613.5/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 98.68% White, 0.46% African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.11% from other races, and 0.23% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.40% of the population.
There were 687 households out of which 25.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.7% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.4% were non-families. 38.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 24.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the borough the population was spread out with 18.6% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 17.8% from 45 to 64, and 33.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 70.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 64.2 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $33,073, and the median income for a family was $46,136. Males had a median income of $34,083 versus $26,080 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $17,701. About 7.8% of families and 9.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.8% of those under age 18 and 14.4% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] References
- ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
[edit] External links
- Mars, Pennsylvania is at coordinates Coordinates:
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