Editing Wheatland, Pennsylvania (section)

==History==
[[File:2022-06-05 16 19 54 View south along Pennsylvania State Route 760 (Broadway Avenue) at Pennsylvania State Route 418 (Council Street) in Wheatland, Mercer County, Pennsylvania.jpg|thumb|right|[[Pennsylvania Route 760]] passing through Wheatland]]

Prior to the construction of the first iron furnace in the area, the land that would become Wheatland was primarily rural, and split between two family farms, the Shilling family, who arrived first, founded by [[American pioneer|pioneer]] George Shilling, and the Canon family, who arrived later in 1797 and where founded by Squire Canon, and joined by a [[Presbyterianism|Presbyterian]] [[The Reverend|Reverend]] James Satterfield.<ref name="early history">{{cite web |title=Wheatland Borough |url=https://www.livingplaces.com/PA/Mercer_County/Wheatland_Borough.html |website=livingplaces.com |access-date=3 May 2024}}</ref> Additionally, Dr. John Mitcheltree, the pioneer [[physician]] of the entire [[Shenango valley]] during its early settling also resided in what would become Wheatland.<ref name="early history" />

Wheatland would be [[platted]] in 1865 and would be incorporated on February 12, 1872.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mercer County |url=https://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/dam/rg/di/IncorporationDatesForMunicipalities/pdfs/mercer.pdf?catid=43 |website=[[Mercer County, Pennsylvania|Mercer County]] |access-date=2 May 2024}}</ref> Wheatland was designed as a [[company town]] for the Wheatland Iron Co. and the Wheatland
Bessemer Steel Co. and would remain a manufacturing hub throughout much of its early history, diversifying with the opening of a Sawhill Manufacturing Co. [[lumbermill]] in 1940.<ref>{{cite web |title=Introduction to Mercer County, Pennsylvania |url=https://www.mcrpc.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/chapter1.pdf |website=mcrpc.com |access-date=2 May 2024}}</ref>

On November 10, 1908, [[Farrell, Pennsylvania|South Sharon Borough]] attempted to annex a portion of Wheatland, from Kedron street in the south to Bond street in the north, and from Beechwood avenue in the east to Hamilton avenue in the west.<ref name="failed expansion">{{cite web |title=South Sharon Borough Ordinance 100 |url=https://www.localgeohistory.pro/en/pa/event/south-sharon-borough-ordinance-100/ |website=localgeohistory.pro |access-date=3 May 2024}}</ref> However, the [[Pennsylvania courts of common pleas|Court of Common Pleas]] of Mercer County overruled the attempt on May 7, 1912.<ref name="failed expansion" /> On December 18, 1918, Wheatland borough annexed a 30.85 [[acre]] portion of [[Hickory Township, Mercer County, Pennsylvania|Hickory Township]] via borough ordinance that was approved by the [[Court of quarter sessions|Court of Quarter Sessions]] of the Peace of Mercer County in January 1919.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wheatland Borough 1918 Ordinance |url=https://www.localgeohistory.pro/en/pa/event/wheatland-borough-1918-ordinance/ |website=localgeohistory.pro |access-date=2 May 2024}}</ref> On June 7, 1952, Wheatland borough annexed another parcel from Hickory Township approved by the Court in September 1952, bringing the borough to its final borders prior to absorption.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wheatland Borough 1952 Ordinance |url=https://www.localgeohistory.pro/en/pa/event/wheatland-borough-1952-ordinance/ |website=localgeohistory.pro |access-date=2 May 2024}}</ref>

Wheatland suffered catastrophic damage on [[1985 United States-Canadian tornado outbreak|May 31, 1985]], when an [[Fujita scale|F5]] [[tornado]] struck the area. In Wheatland, over 100 buildings were leveled, and 18 fatalities are associated with this tornado, with most being in [[Niles, Ohio]].

From 2002 to 2007 Wheatland attempted to form an independent [[School District]], instead of being serviced by the [[Farrell Area School District]].<ref name="independent school district">{{cite web |title=Wheatland Borough Proposed 2002 Independent School District |url=https://www.localgeohistory.pro/en/pa/event/wheatland-borough-proposed-2002-independent-school-district/ |website=localgeohistory.pro |access-date=2 May 2024}}</ref> This effort would see serious backlash from local residents, many of whom had moved to Wheatland for the sole purpose of being serviced by the Farrell School District, and a lawsuit ensued to instead have Wheatland be serviced by the [[West Middlesex Area School District]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Pinchot |first1=Joe |title=WhEAT petition dismissed |url=http://www2.sharonherald.com/localnews/recentnews/0302/ln022603a.html |website=[[The Herald (Sharon)|The Herald]] |access-date=2 May 2024}}</ref>
The suit eventually reached the [[Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania]] where Judges [[Renée Cohn Jubelirer]], [[Doris Smith-Ribner]], and [[James Gardner Colins]] struck down the secession, keeping Wheaton in the Farrell district, on account that the petition to do so, which reported 50.4% of taxpayers in favor, misrepresented what a "taxpayer" entailed in 2006.<ref>{{cite web |last1=COLINS |first1=JAMES GARDNER |last2=SMITH-RIBNER |first2=DORIS A. |last3=JUBELIRER |first3=RENÉE COHN |title=In Re: Establishment of Independent : School District Consisting of the : Borough of Wheatland, Mercer County, : Pennsylvania |url=https://www.pacourts.us/assets/opinions/Commonwealth/out/533CD06_12-11-06.pdf?cb=1 |website=[[Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania]] |access-date=2 May 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=In re Independent School Dist |url=https://casetext.com/case/in-re-independent-school-dist-1 |website=[[Casetext]] |access-date=2 May 2024}}</ref><ref name="independent school district" />

From 1990 to 2009 Wheatland's mayor was Thomas R. Stanton who led efforts to preserve the borough's independence, personally negotiating for state resources to help residents and improve infrastructure with his governance dominating the politics of the borough in its final decades.<ref name="Stanton">{{cite web |last1=Davidson |first1=Tom |title=Hizzoner steps aside: Tom Stanton ends his 2 decades as Wheatland's mayor |url=https://www.sharonherald.com/community/hizzoner-steps-aside-tom-stanton-ends-his-2-decades-as-wheatlands-mayor/article_74e2fdef-94f2-5960-8c11-9ea122ade166.html |website=[[The Herald (Sharon)|The Herald]] |access-date=3 May 2024}}</ref> During is departure Stanton campaigned in the borough council for support of his incoming replacement, Brian P. Estock, and ran for a single term on the borough council to help ease his transition.<ref name="Stanton" />

In 2004 local politicians proposed the creation of [[Shenango Valley City]], consisting of Wheatland, as well as Hermitage, [[Sharon, Pennsylvania|Sharon]], Farrell, and [[Sharpsville, Pennsylvania|Sharpsville]] with the issue being put on the ballot in the form of a referendum.<ref name="2004 merger">{{cite web |last1=Gwin |first1=Harold |title=Here are some answers to questions on consolidation in Shenango Valley |url=http://web.archive.org/web/20190702142509/https://www.vindy.com/news/2004/oct/30/here-are-some-answers-to-questions-on/ |website=[[The Vindicator (Ohio newspaper)|The Vindicator]] |access-date=2 May 2024}}</ref> Then [[Governor of Pennsylvania]], [[Ed Rendell]] voiced support for the measure and would be joined by [[Kathleen McGinty]], Secretary of the [[Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection|Department of Environmental Protection]], and [[Dennis Yablonsky]], Secretary of the [[Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development|Department of Community and Economic Development]] with the trio touring the region to urge for voters to pass the motion.<ref name="2004 merger" /> The city would largely be an expansion of Hermitage, whose city government would be retained including the office of mayor and its nine-member city council.<ref name="2004 merger" /> The merger would have kept the various independent school districts intact.<ref name="2004 merger" /> The effort would ultimately be defeated, and via the ordinance the issue of merger could not be brought up again until 2009.<ref>{{cite web |title=Shenango Valley City Proposed 2004 Creation |url=https://www.localgeohistory.pro/en/pa/event/shenango-valley-city-proposed-2004-creation/ |website=localgeohistory.pro |access-date=2 May 2024}}</ref>

In 2018 Wheatland formed a commission on the possibility of continuing its independence in a 137–73 vote.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Poole |first1=Eric |title=Successful write-ins mean Wheatland home-rule study commission will be established |url=https://www.sharonherald.com/news/successful-write-ins-mean-wheatland-home-rule-study-commission-will-be-established/article_6388e34e-e7c9-11e8-9886-d7884f712a8a.html |website=[[The Herald (Sharon)|The Herald]] |access-date=3 May 2024}}</ref> On November 8, 2022, a referendum was held over annexation into Hermitage which passed, stipulating automatic annexation on January 1, 2024.<ref>{{cite web |title=JOINT AGREEMENT FOR THE MERGER OF MUNICIPALITIES |url=https://www.hermitage.net/DocumentCenter/View/2398/Final-Joint-Agreement |website=hermitage.net |access-date=3 May 2024}}</ref> On top of the lack of feasibility to continue to financially support the borough, one of the leading causes for annexation was Hermitage's more pro-business outlook.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Xian |first1=Min |title=Why a thorny union of two Pa. municipalities can still succeed despite lack of legal remedy|url=https://www.centredaily.com/news/state/pennsylvania/article288185225.html |website=[[Centre Daily Times]] |access-date=3 May 2024}}</ref> Wheatland Borough Council would have its last ever meeting on December 12, 2023, lasting just 10 minutes, councilors and six-year mayor Ronald Viglio reflected on their service to their community, and where joined with officials from Hermitage thanking them for "friendship and kindness" in the annexation process.<ref name="Last Mayor" /> The borough was merged into Hermitage on January 1, 2024.<ref name="Last Mayor" /> The former borough council hall will be preserved as a museum on the history of Wheatland.<ref name="Last Mayor" />