Editing New Castle, Pennsylvania (section)

==History==
===18th century===
In 1798, John Carlysle Stewart, a [[civil engineer]], traveled to western Pennsylvania to resurvey the "donation lands", which had been reserved for veterans of the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]]. He discovered that the original survey had neglected to stake out approximately {{convert|50|acre}} at the confluence of the [[Shenango River]] and [[Neshannock Creek]], at that time a part of [[Allegheny County, Pennsylvania|Allegheny County]]. The Indian town of [[Kuskusky]] was listed on early maps in this location.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=McConnell |first1=Michael |date=January 1992 |title=Kuskusky Towns and Early Western Pennsylvania Indian History, 1748-1778 |url=https://journals.psu.edu/pmhb/article/view/44738/44459 |journal=Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography |volume=116 |issue=1 |pages=33–58 |access-date=October 10, 2018}}</ref> Claiming the land for himself, he laid out in April 1798 what was to become the town of New Castle. It comprised approximately that same {{convert|50|acre}}, in what was then part of Allegheny County.
===19th century===
In 1825, New Castle became a [[borough (Pennsylvania)|borough]], having a population of about 300. The city later became a part of [[Mercer County, Pennsylvania|Mercer County]]. On April 5, 1849, the governor of Pennsylvania signed an act creating Lawrence County, named in honor of U.S. Navy Captain [[James Lawrence]]. New Castle became a city in 1869 and was headed by its first mayor, Thomas B. Morgan. At that time, the population had increased to about 6,000.{{citation needed|date=April 2016}}

In 1849, a group of [[Amish|Old Order Amish]] families from [[Mifflin County, Pennsylvania]], settled just north of New Castle in [[New Wilmington, Pennsylvania|New Wilmington]]. Later migrations from [[Holmes County, Ohio]], would make this Amish community one of the largest in Pennsylvania. Approximately 2,000 Amish live and work presently in the townships north of New Castle.{{citation needed|date=April 2016}}

Business in New Castle began to flourish in the early 19th century with the construction of the [[Beaver and Erie Canal]] system, which made its way through the city. Numerous manufacturing plants became located in New Castle because of the availability of transportation facilities and ready access to raw material markets. The canal system was later supplemented and then replaced by railroads which offered greater speed and capacity for freight, as well as year-round service.{{citation needed|date=April 2016}}

In the 1870s, the city became a major hub of the [[Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad]]. New Castle's population swelled from 11,600 in 1890 to 28,339 in 1900, and to 38,280 in 1910, as immigrants, particularly from [[Italy]], flocked to the city to work in the mills and nearby [[limestone]] quarries.<ref name="WAT">Watkins, John, ''The Big Stunts of Great Detectives: The Scrapbook'', Vol. 4, No. 6, New York: Frank A. Munsey (December 1907), p. 1098.</ref> Italian laborers of the era were frequent victims of the [[Black Hand (extortion)|Black Hand]] society, which employed blackmail and extortion to rob the workers of their pay. In 1907 the headquarters of the Black Hand for the entire region was discovered in the village of [[Hillsville, Pennsylvania|Hillsville]] a few miles west of New Castle.<ref name="WAT"/> By this time New Castle was one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, and with the construction of the largest [[tin plate]] mill in America, the city became the tin plate capital of the world. The tin plate industry marked a new increase in the city's prosperity.{{citation needed|date=April 2016}}

{{external media | width = 210px | float = right | headerimage=[[File:Stairs at the Lawrence County Courthouse.jpg|210px]] | video1 = [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0E7aKK_QmR8 Portrait of an American City: 200 Years of New Castle History], Lawrence County Historical Society (2:56)
}}

===20th century===
[[File:Scottish Rite Cathedral, New Castle.jpg|thumb|The [[Scottish Rite Cathedral (New Castle, Pennsylvania)|Scottish Rite Cathedral]] was built in 1925]]
In 1908, New Castle was linked to [[Pittsburgh]] by the [[Pittsburgh, Harmony, Butler and New Castle Railway]], an [[interurban]] trolley line. Steel and paper mills, foundries, a bronze bushing factory, and car-construction plants contributed to the region's economy. Shenango China produced commercial china and created the fine Castleton China line for the [[White House]], including dinnerware for [[President of the United States of America|Presidents]] [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] and [[Lyndon B. Johnson]]. Other ceramic factories produced bathroom fixtures and industrial refractory materials.{{citation needed|date=April 2016}}

In the 1920s, New Castle enjoyed its greatest prosperity. The landscape of the city was transformed with the building of many beautiful structures, some of which still stand, such as the Scottish Rite Cathedral, St. Mary's Church, and the Castleton Hotel. The city also established its identity. New Castle is known both as the "hot dog capital of the world" and the "fireworks capital of America". Its [[chili dog]]s are the product of [[Greek Americans|Greek immigrants]] who came to New Castle in the early 20th century and established restaurants along with their homes. The renown for [[fireworks]] is credited to two local fireworks companies of international stature, S.Vitale Pyrotechnic Industries, Inc. (Pyrotecnico) and Zambelli Internationale.{{citation needed|date=April 2016}} The first fireworks manufacturer in New Castle was Leopold Fazzoni, who owned and operated the Fazzoni Brothers Fireworks Company. Fazzoni came to New Castle from Italy in 1886 and worked in the tin mills to earn enough money to start his own business. He was issued the first certificate for fireworks manufacturing in the state. Of the people who worked with the Fazzoni family, many founded their own businesses, such as Paul Rozzi, Jacob Conti, Constantino Vitale, and Joseph Zambelli.{{citation needed|date=April 2016}}

Despite recent economic challenges, the city continues to serve as the headquarters of [[Pyrotecnico]] Fireworks, the winner of the 2008 Gold Jupiter, awarded at the world's most prestigious fireworks venue: LaRonde in [[Montreal]], Canada. The company was started by Constantino Vitale in Italy in 1889, who immigrated to New Castle in the 1920s, continuing his business there. Five generations of the Vitale family have transformed the company. In the 1990s the company's name was changed to Pyrotecnico and has grown to be a world leader in the industry. Also located in New Castle is [[Zambelli Fireworks]], which was founded in New Castle. [[Zambelli Fireworks]] is one of the world's leading [[fireworks]] and [[pyrotechnics]] companies. These fireworks companies have been featured in venues such as presidential celebrations and Super Bowls. Pyrotecnico and Zambelli Fireworks have changed the face of the fireworks industry. This has gained the city the nickname of "Fireworks Capital of America". New Castle has recently opened Zambelli Plaza near the [[Cascade Center]] in 2007 in honor of the Zambelli family's accomplishments.<ref>{{cite news |last=Santangelo |first=Denice M. |title=George R. Zambelli Known as Mr. Fireworks |url=http://www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/lnacademic/? |access-date=October 5, 2012 |newspaper=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |date=December 30, 2003}}</ref>

In the 1930s, the city, along with most cities of America, suffered during the [[Great Depression in the United States|Great Depression]]. During this time, the federal government established the [[Works Progress Administration]] (WPA) and the [[Civilian Conservation Corps]] (CCC). These programs offered jobs to many displaced workers. Many of the stone walls built by the WPA and the CCC still stand as a reminder of the historic demise of the economy.{{citation needed|date=April 2016}} In the 1940s, industry temporarily surged during wartime.{{citation needed|date=April 2016}}

In 1950, the population peaked at 48,834, but became part of the [[Rust Belt]], with population dwindling to 28,334 by 1990. New Castle is the county seat of Lawrence County which has a population of approximately 91,000.

In 1998, New Castle was a host city for the History Channel Great Race. Over 15,000 spectators gathered downtown for the festivities. The city celebrated its 200th birthday in 1998 with a downtown fireworks festival that attracted over 30,000 people.{{citation needed|date=April 2016}}

The [[Lawrence County Courthouse (Pennsylvania)|Lawrence County Courthouse]], [[North Hill Historic District (New Castle, Pennsylvania)|North Hill Historic District]], and [[Scottish Rite Cathedral (New Castle, Pennsylvania)|Scottish Rite Cathedral]] are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>