McKees Rocks

McKees Rocks, also known as "The Rocks", is a borough in Allegheny County in western Pennsylvania, along the south bank of the Ohio River. The population was 5,920 at the time of the 2020 census. The borough is within the Sto-Rox School District, which serves McKees Rocks and neighboring Stowe Township. In the past, the city was known for its extensive iron and steel interests. It was the site of one of the pivotal labor conflicts of the early 20th century. In 1940, three decapitated bodies were found in boxcars during a routine train inspection. The McKees Rock Bridge, which carries traffic between the borough and Pittsburgh, is the longest bridge in Allegheny County, at 7,293 feet (2,223 m) The Adena culture built a large earthwork mound here, which was a burial site. This was the largest such mound in the state. This site was considered by George Washington as a possible location for Fort Pitt. It is rumored that George Washington stayed there when he was surveying the Indian mound. On October 12, 2009, Mann's Hotel was condemned due to neglect and had to be demolished because of its deteriorating condition. The name derives its name from trader Alexander McKee, who also served as an Indian agent. He was given a 1,300-acre (530 ha) tract of land in 1764 for his services during the French and Indian War. In 1892, it was incorporated as a borough. After industrial restructuring caused a loss of jobs in the city, the population declined to 6,104 at the 2010 census.

History

The borough derives its name from trader Alexander McKee, who also served as an Indian agent. In 1900, 6,353 people resided in the borough; in 1910, 14,702; in 1920, 16,713; and in 1940, 17,021 people inhabited McKees Rocks. After industrial restructuring caused a loss of jobs in the city, the population declined, to 6,104 at the 2010 census. This site was considered by George Washington as a possible location for Fort Pitt, which he eventually ordered built on the site of the destroyed French Fort Duquesne in what is now Pittsburgh's Point State Park. In the summer and early fall of 1909, some 5,000 workers of the Pressed Steel Car Company's plant went on strike, joined by 3,000 others. The strike, led by organizers of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), was repressed by armed security guards and the state militia, resulting in at least a dozen deaths. In 1940, three decapitated bodies were found in boxcars in McKee's Rocks during a routine train inspection. Despite similarities to a series of murders that had occurred in Cleveland during the same time period, the murders were never solved. On October 12, 2009, Mann's Hotel was condemned due to neglect and had to be demolished because of its deteriorating condition. It was believed to have been built around 1803, although some sources put the construction in the 18th century. It is rumored that George Washington stayed there when he was surveying the Indian mound. The name also related to a rocky projection into the river at this site.

Geography

McKees Rocks is located at 40°2813N 80°349W (40.470218, -80.063674) It is made up of several neighborhoods, such as West Park, Meyers Ridge, and "The Bottoms" The oldest human bones in eastern North America have been discovered here during an excavation. The multimillion-dollar, 40,000 sq ft (3,700 m2) Father Ryan Cultural Arts Center opened in 2008. It offers many creative and performing arts courses to the public. The "Bottoms" neighborhood is the site of the McKees Rocks Indian Mound, designated as a National Historic Landmark. The borough has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²), of which 1.0 square mile is land and 0.1 sq mi (0.26 km²) is water. It has two borders by land: Kennedy Township to west and Stowe Township to the north. McKees Rock has connectors to two Pittsburgh neighborhoods and have connectors to both: Windgap to the southwest via Wind Gap Bridge and Brighton Heights to the northeast via Linden Ave. Bridge. It also has a small border of Kennedy Township separates the two communities in the middle of the bridge. It is home to a number of museums, including the Pennsylvania Museum of Natural History and the Pittsburgh Museum of Art. It was the birthplace of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and Pittsburgh Penguins owner Joe Paterno.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 6,622 people, 2,905 households, and 1,652 families residing in the borough. The racial makeup of the borough was 62.17% White, 35.26% African American, 0.57% Asian, and 0.34% from other races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.65% of the population. The median income for a household in the Borough was $22,278, and the median income. for a family was $29,063. About 20.5% of families and 25.3% of residents were below the poverty line, including 38.8% of those under age 18 and 17.0% ofThose age 65 or over. The borough is located on the New Jersey Turnpike, which connects to New Jersey and New Jersey via the Raritan River and the Susquehannock River. It has a population of 6,104, with 3,402 housing units. The population density is 6,377.5 people per square mile (2,458.4/km²). The borough has a median age of 38.5 years old. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the borough's population at 6,788. It is the most populous borough in New Jersey, followed by the city of Trenton and the town of Bergen County, with a total population of 5,856. The city's population was 6,938 in 2010.

In popular culture

McKees Rocks is the fictional setting of the novels Duffy's Rocks by Edward Fenton, Riot by William Trautmann, and more than a dozen novels by the crime writer K. C. Constantine. It is also the subject of the popular children's book series, "McKee's Rocks" It is the setting of several films, including "Dumb and Dumber" and "Rescue Me from the Bottom of the Sea" It has also been the setting for the TV series "The Walking Dead" and the "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" TV series, and is the inspiration for the film "The Hunger Games" series of the same name. It also appears in the movie "The Hobbit" series, which was based on the book "The Dark Knight Rises" by J.K. Rowling. The town is also featured in the film version of "The Lord of the Rings" television series, starring Heath Ledger and Tom Hanks, as well as "The Godfather" series. It was also the setting in "The Wizard of Oz" TV film, starring James Bond and Woody Allen, and the film's sequel, "The Return of the Wizard of awesomeness" The town's name is derived from the word "mckee", which means "mockery" or "mischievous" in English, and "rocks" in the U.S. version of the English language. The name is also used to refer to a group of characters in the novel "The Great Gatsby" by Charles Dickens.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in McKees Rocks, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania = 5.9. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 52. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 20. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in McKees Rocks = 3.4 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 9,835 individuals with a median age of 39.9 age the population dropped by -10.13% in McKees Rocks, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 5,606.06 residents per square mile of area (2,164.60/km²). There are average 2.19 people per household in the 2,676 households with an average household income of $26,361 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 7.30% of the available work force and has dropped -4.28% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 24.14%. The number of physicians in McKees Rocks per 100,000 population = 380.7.

Weather

The annual rainfall in McKees Rocks = 34 inches and the annual snowfall = 21.6 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 131. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 165. 85 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 22.5 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 49, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in McKees Rocks, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania which are owned by the occupant = 40.04%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 32.4 years with median home cost = $53,460 and home appreciation of 1.23%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $21.33 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $6,589 per student. There are 13.7 students for each teacher in the school, 512 students for each Librarian and 512 students for each Counselor. 5.02% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 5.84% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 2.06% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).