Warren was initially inhabited by Native Americans of the Seneca nation. French explorers had longstanding claims to the area which they acted to secure in an unambiguous fashion with a military-Amerindian expedition in 1749 that buried a succession of plaques claiming the territory as France's in response to the formation of the colonial Ohio Company—and the first of these was buried in Warren[6] but ultimately control was transferred to the British after the French and Indian War.
The first permanent structure in Warren, a storehouse built by the Holland Land Company, was completed in 1796. Daniel McQuay of Ireland was the first permanent inhabitant of European descent.
Lumber was the main industry from 1810–1840, as the abundance of wood and access to water made it profitable to float lumber down the Allegheny River to Pittsburgh.
David Beaty discovered oil in Warren in 1875 while drilling for natural gas in his wife's flower garden. Oil came to dominate the city's economy. Many of the town's large Victorian homes were built with revenue generated by the local oil and timber industries.[8]
Pittsburgh-Des Moines, which was formerly located in Warren, manufactured the Gateway Arch in St. Louis.[9][10] Pittsburgh-Des Moines (PDM) also made railroad car tanks, storage tanks and other plate work. Several miniature replicas are located within the county, including one at the new visitors center on Routes US 6 and US 62[10] next to the Pennsylvania State Police barracks.
Warren has struggled through hard economic times and a steady decline in population, which peaked at nearly 15,000 in 1940. The city is attempting to bounce back with the Impact Warren project, a riverfront development project in downtown Warren. The completed project will include new townhouses and senior citizen housing, retail and commercial development, a parking garage, convention center and bus depot.[citation needed]
Major employers include Walmart, the United Refining Company (gas supplier for Kwik Fill and Red Apple Food Mart gas stations), Allegheny National Forest, Northwest Bank, Whirley-Drinkworks, Superior Tire and Rubber Corp, Pennsylvania General Energy, Betts Industries, Inc, Blair Corporation, Sheetz, and Interlectric.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Warren has a total area of 3.1 square miles (8.0 km2), 2.9 square miles (7.5 km2) of which is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2) (6.11%) of which is water.
The Allegheny River from the Kinzua Dam to the City of Warren has been designated a "Recreational Waterway" by the United States Congress.
Climate
Climate data for Warren, Pennsylvania (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1896–present)
As of 2000 census,[17] there were 10,259 people, 4,565 households, and 2,606 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,508.3 inhabitants per square mile (1,354.6/km2). There were 5,046 housing units at an average density of 1,725.6 per square mile (666.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 98.53% White, 0.20% African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.13% from other races, and 0.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.39% of the population.
There were 4,566 households, out of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.0% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.9% were non-families. 37.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.1% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 18.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,384, and the median income for a family was $41,986. Males had a median income of $32,049 versus $22,969 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,272. About 8.0% of families and 10.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.5% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.
For public K-12 education, the Warren County School District provides four elementary schools (Eisenhower, Sheffield Area, Warren Area, and Youngsville), one middle school (Beaty-Warren), three middle-high schools (Eisenhower, Sheffield Area, and Youngsville), and one high school (Warren Area).
The Warren County Career Center is an area vocational-technical school serving only the students in the Warren County School District. The Career Center provides training in multiple vocational fields to students in grades 10 through 12.
^Commissioners: Thomas Lynch Montgomery, Henry Melchior Muhlenberg Richards, John M. Buckalew, George Dallas Albert, Sheldon Reynolds, Jay Gilfillan Weiser, report compiled by George Dallas Albert (1916). The frontier forts of western Pennsylvania. W.S. Ray, state printer. Report By the Commission to Locate the Site of the Frontier Forts of Pennsylvania. p. 4 (Introduction). Retrieved November 29, 2010. Thereupon to counteract the designs of the English, the Governor-General of Canada, the Marquis de la Galissoniere, sent Celoron in 1749 down the Allegheny and Ohio riversm to take possession of the country in the name of the King of France. His command consisted of 215 French and Canadian soldiers and 55 Indians of various tribes. ... omitted ... Provided with a number of leaden plates, the left... omitted ... by means of Chatauqua creek, a portage, Chautauqua Lake and Conewango creek, they came on the 29th, to the Allegheny river, near the point now occupied by the town of Warren, in Warren County, Pa. The first of the leaden plates was buried at this point. (Q.E.D.){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^Waples, David A. (2012). The Natural Gas Industry in Appalachia: A History from the First Discovery to the Tapping of the Marcellus Shale. pp. 20–21. ISBN 9780786470006.
^"Station: Warren, PA". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
