Editing Coraopolis, Pennsylvania (section)

==History==
===Early history===
On April 3, 1769, [[Andrew Montour]], an [[Native Americans in the United States|Indian]] [[Language interpretation|interpreter]] who had provided service to [[English people|English]] settlers during the [[French and Indian War]], was granted a [[land patent]] for approximately {{convert|350|acre|km2|1}} of what would later become the borough of Coraopolis and [[Neville Island, Pennsylvania|Neville Island]]. However, there is no evidence that Montour ever lived on this tract. The first permanent white settler in Coraopolis was Capt. Robert Vance, who settled in the vicinity of Montour's tract around 1773, just prior to the beginning of the [[American Revolutionary War|American Revolution]]. Vance, a [[Colony of Virginia|Virginian]], had been a member of the regiment commanded by [[George Washington]] at the [[Braddock expedition]] during the [[French and Indian War]]. For the protection of himself and his neighbors, of whom several arrived within a few years, Vance had a log [[stockade]] built with a stone [[blockhouse]] to protect the area against [[Native Americans in the United States|Indian]] raids. This was known as Vance Fort (or Fort Vance). The site of the fort was around present-day Broadway and Chestnut streets, near Second Avenue. Over time the community grew and developed, and it became known as Middletown in the 1800s, either because it was situated midway between [[Pittsburgh]] and [[Beaver, Pennsylvania]], or perhaps after an early settler named Alexander Middleton who supposedly ran "Middleton's Tavern" in the area.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.coraopolishistory.com/maidencityblog/stuckinthemiddle|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211155054/http://www.coraopolishistory.com/maidencityblog/stuckinthemiddle|url-status=usurped|archive-date=February 11, 2017|title=Coraopolis History Archive|access-date=February 8, 2017}}</ref>

One of the most important early industries in the area was begun by the Watson family, [[English people|English]] [[immigrants]] who arrived in [[United States|America]] in 1830. The Watsons built a [[sawmill]] on the site of the former municipal building on Fifth Avenue. Later, they operated a much larger [[Gristmill|grist mill]] on the river bank at Mill Street, until 1887.{{citation needed|date=November 2024}}

===Founding===
The [[Borough (Pennsylvania)|borough]] was incorporated on June 7, 1886. It was previously known as a [[Pennsylvania village|village]] under the name of Middletown, while the post office name was Vancefort. It was established in August 1861, and changed to Coraopolis in March 1886. Legend has it that the borough was named for a member of the Watson family, Cora Watson, who was born on February 2, 1870. However, an old newspaper uncovered by longtime resident and local historian Dr. Frank Braden, Jr. suggests it more likely took the appellation from a [[Greek language|Greek]] word for "maiden city". According to page 7 of the book ''Coraopolis'', by Gia Tatone, Coraopolis Historical Society (2007), "The newspaper [Dr. Frank Braden, Jr. uncovered] was simply called the ''News'' and was published in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, on June 5, 1897. The newspaper discusses the confusion that was occurring with the post offices in regard to the name Middletown, because several other areas in the state of Pennsylvania shared the same name. With a borough now being established, the Reverend Josiah Dillon, a pioneer clergyman, suggested the name to be changed to Coraopolis. Dillon knew [[Greek language|Greek]] and was also the first [[Burgess (title)|burgess]] ([[mayor]]) at the time. So he suggested combining ''[[wikt:kore|Kore]]'' meaning 'maiden' and ''[[Polis|opolis]]'' meaning 'city' ('maiden city') to achieve ''Koreopolis''. However, when [[Greek language|Greek]] letters and pronunciation were turned to [[English language|English]], it is said the spelling therefore accidentally got changed."<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4dv4SX4LDLEC|title=Coraopolis|author=Gia Tatone|publisher=Coraopolis Historical Society|year=2007|isbn=9780738554839|via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref> The borough was built on land then owned by James Harvey McCabe and when the borough charter was granted, he was elected first burgess. "and, under his careful and interested administration the departments of the new government and were, in an astonishing short time, working with great lubricity and resulting high efficiency. As he took the lead in the matter of establishing the new form of government, so it was his energetic championing of the projected laying of the tracks of the Pittsburg and Lake Erie through the borough that made that enterprise possible, his active assistance in securing rights of way being an important factor in its success."<ref>{{cite book|title=The History of Pennsylvania|page=1577}}</ref>

===Growth to modern day===
Community development in Coraopolis moved along gradually with the building of the [[Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad]] in 1877. Several Coraopolis residents were stockholders in this enterprise. Eventually the P&LE spun off the Montour Railroad as a subsidiary to bring coal in from the many mines south of town. Its headquarters and main yard remained in Coraopolis. The Montour at its peak ran 50 miles to Clairton with mines all along the way. The railroad ran until the 1980s, when the coal ran out and it was closed.{{citation needed|date=November 2024}}  Its old right of way is now part of the [[Montour Trail]].

In 1892, community development took off with the construction of the first high-speed electric street railway in the United States. The railway ran from downtown Pittsburgh through McKees Rocks, Neville Island and Coraopolis to Sewickley. Streetcars ran until 1955. Along with the railway came [[Consolidated Lamp and Glass Company]] to Coraopolis, moving from its location in [[Fostoria, Ohio]]. Consolidated Glass employed up to 350 people, and was located in Coraopolis from 1895 until 1963. Other Coraopolis residents worked for the new industries established on Neville Island. Shafer Bus Line was headquartered in Coraopolis and served the western part of Allegheny County south of the Ohio River until 1960, when it was bought out by the government agency PennDot, which continues to run buses between Coraopolis, the Airport and downtown Pittsburgh. Standard Steel Spring Company, which was bought out by North American Rockwell Steel Corporation, operated from 1900 until 1960, when it moved to Mishewaka, Indiana.  The plant made springs, bumpers and frames for vehicles.  It employed 10,000 men working three shifts a day seven days a week.

Coraopolis' first municipal building was built in 1897 on State Avenue and was used until 1929, when next building was constructed on Fifth Ave. Coraopolis dedicated a new municipal complex on Fourth Ave in 2017 that houses all municipal departments, including the police and fire stations.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lovecoraopolis.com/municipal-building/|title=Coraopolis Municipal Building}}</ref>

Two significant contributions to modern educational practice took place in the area. In 1955, Dr. Harry Houtz published a six-year study in the ''National Education Journal'' demonstrating that [[phonics]] was a more effective way of teaching reading, and in 1957, Herbert Snell published his study of performance-based academic tracking in junior high, which became widely adopted. Coraopolis and [[Neville Township, Pennsylvania|Neville Township]] merged their schools to form [[Cornell School District (Allegheny County, Pennsylvania)|Cornell School District]] in 1971, and all students reported to the new Cornell Educational Center in 1976.

Coraopolis is the birthplace of actors [[Michael Keaton]] and [[Bill Hinzman|S. William Hinzman]]. [[Jerry Gibson]], a Negro league baseball player, played here for the [[Coraopolis Grays]]. The corporate headquarters for American Bridge Company are located in Corapolis.

Coraopolis is experiencing a period of revitalization highlighted by new storefront businesses and façade improvements in the central business district. In 2017, two new brewpubs, a craft distillery, a coffee shop, a restaurant, and several other small businesses opened their doors. Coraopolis also shares a new athletic complex with neighboring Robinson and Moon Townships that will feature soccer, rugby, and lacrosse fields, when completed.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.county.allegheny.pa.us/parks/about/montour-junction.aspx|title=Montour Junction Athletic Complex|access-date=2018-01-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190510192338/https://www.county.allegheny.pa.us/parks/about/montour-junction.aspx|archive-date=2019-05-10|url-status=dead}}</ref> The 1896 [[Richardsonian Romanesque]] train station is also being restored, and will become a community center and event space once completed.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.coraopolistrainstationproject.org/|title=Coraopolis Train Station Project}}</ref>