Editing Lonaconing, Maryland

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                   = Lonaconing
| settlement_type        = [[Town]]
| nickname               = 
| motto                  = 
| image_skyline          = 2016-06-18 15 25 01 View north along Maryland State Route 36 (Main Street) at Douglas Avenue in Lonaconing, Allegany County, Maryland.jpg
| imagesize              = 
| image_caption          = Central Lonaconing along MD 36
| image_flag             = 
| image_seal             = Seal of Lonaconing, Maryland.png
| image_map              = Allegany_County_Maryland_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Lonaconing_Highlighted.svg
| mapsize                = 250px
| map_caption            = Location of Lonaconing, Maryland
| image_map1             = 
| mapsize1               = 
| map_caption1           = 
| pushpin_map            = Maryland#USA
| subdivision_type       = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name       = {{Flagu|United States|size=23px}}
| subdivision_type1      = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1      = {{Flag|Maryland|size=23px}}
| subdivision_type2      = [[List of counties in Maryland|County]]
| subdivision_name2      = {{Flagicon image|Flag of Allegany County, Maryland.png|size=23px}} [[Allegany County, Maryland|Allegany]]
| government_footnotes   = 
| government_type        = 
| leader_title           = 
| leader_name            = 
| leader_title1          = 
| leader_name1           = 
| established_title      = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
| established_date       = 1890<ref name="MDManual">{{cite web|title=Lonaconing|url=http://msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/37mun/lonaconing/html/l.html|website=Maryland Manual|access-date=June 25, 2017}}</ref>

<!-- Area -->
| unit_pref              = Imperial
| area_footnotes         = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_24.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=April 26, 2022}}</ref>
| area_total_km2         = 0.94
| area_land_km2          = 0.94
| area_water_km2         = 0.00
| area_total_sq_mi       = 0.36
| area_land_sq_mi        = 0.36
| area_water_sq_mi       = 0.00

| population_as_of       = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_est         = 
| pop_est_as_of          = 
| population_footnotes   = 
| population_total       = 1001
| population_density_km2 = 1067.89
| population_density_sq_mi = 2765.19

| timezone               = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
| utc_offset             = -5
| timezone_DST           = EDT
| utc_offset_DST         = -4
| elevation_footnotes    = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft           = 1499
| coordinates            = {{coord|39|33|57|N|78|58|44|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type       = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code            = 21539
| area_code              = [[Area codes 301 and 240|301, 240]]
| blank_name             = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info             = 24-47875
| blank1_name            = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info            = 2391273<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2391273}}</ref>
| website                = 
| footnotes              = 
}}
'''Lonaconing''' is a town in [[Allegany County, Maryland|Allegany County]], [[Maryland]], United States, located along the [[Georges Creek Valley]]. It is part of the [[Cumberland, Maryland|Cumberland]], [[Maryland|MD]]-[[West Virginia|WV]] [[Metropolitan Statistical Area]]. The population was 1,214 at the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]].

== History ==
The first non-[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] settlers in the late 18th century were [[Exploration|explorers]], hunters and farmers. Surnames of some of the first settlers were Dye, Duckworth, Green, Grindle, Fazenbaker, Grove, VanBuskirk, Knapp, and Miller. The first stone house, built in 1790, in [[Knapps Meadow, Maryland|Knapps Meadow]], just north of Lonaconing, was owned by Samuel VanBuskirk. The house still stands and is a private residence as of 2016. [http://sites.rootsweb.com/~mdallegh/Lonaconing.htm] The [[Lonaconing Historic District]] was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1983.<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2008a}}</ref>

Lonaconing is the birthplace of [[Baseball Hall of Fame]] pitcher [[Lefty Grove|Robert Moses ("Lefty") Grove]], (1900-1975), who played notably for the old [[Baltimore Orioles (minor league)|Baltimore Orioles]], 1920–1925, during their famous string of six straight championships in the "Triple A" (AAA) [[minor league baseball|minor league level]] of the [[International League]], and later for [[Connie Mack|Connie Mack's]] [[Philadelphia Athletics]], (1925-1933) and the [[Boston Red Sox]], 1934–1941, of the [[American League]]. Grove's "Most Valuable Player" Award is the only one not on display at the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame]] in [[Cooperstown, New York]], as it is displayed at the [[George's Creek, Maryland|George's Creek Library]] of the [[Western Maryland Regional Library]] system.

On January 20, 2021, the fourth largest [[Powerball]] and sixth [[Lottery jackpot records|largest lottery jackpot]] ticket in U.S. history was sold at Coney Market, a convenience store in Lonaconing, to an anonymous winner.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Diaz|first=Johnny|date=January 21, 2021|title=Who Won the $731 Million Powerball?|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/21/us/powerball-winning-ticket.html|access-date=January 23, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
<!--The [[1964 Savage Mountain B-52 crash]] was near the town.{{Specify|Did the town of Lonaconing do anything regarding the crash?|date=November 2009}}-->

===Lonaconing glassware manufacturers===
* 1914-1915: Dugan Glass
* 1914-1918: Lonaconing Glass
* 1919-1929: Utility Glass Works
* 1930-1934: Sloan Bros Glass Company

===Early mining railroads===
[[Iron]] and [[coal mining|coal]] companies in Lonaconing built [[railroad]]s in the 1840s, in anticipation of connecting with the [[Baltimore and Ohio Railroad]] (B&O) and the [[Chesapeake and Ohio Canal]]. Some of these mining companies owned and operated their own railroad equipment. The Georges Creek Rail Road was built south from Lonaconing to connect with the Baltimore & Ohio at Piedmont(WV)<ref>Stakem, Patrick H. Lonaconing Residency
Iron Technology & the Railroad, 2010, PRB Publishing, ASIN: B004L62DNQ</ref> All of the rail lines were absorbed into the [[Cumberland and Pennsylvania Railroad]] (C&P) by 1870.<ref>Patrick H. Stakem (2002). [https://books.google.com/books?id=_0vgJGSwS-wC&pg=PA11 "Cumberland & Pennsylvania Railroad Revisited."] p. 11. (Laurel, MD: Pat Stakem, 2002.) {{ISBN|0-9725966-0-7}}.</ref>

===The Lonaconing Furnace (1836–1855)===
The [[Georges Creek Coal and Iron Company]] constructed and operated a [[blast furnace]]<ref>The Lonaconing journals: The founding of a coal and iron community, 1837-1840 (Transactions of the American Philosophical Society; 1977, v. 67, pt. 2) {{ISBN|0-87169-672-X}}</ref> in Lonaconing from 1836 to 1855 along with constructing and operating the related [[Georges Creek Railroad]] from 1851 to 1863. The [[Lonaconing Furnace]] was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.<ref name="nris"/>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1900= 2181
|1910= 1553
|1920= 2054
|1930= 2426
|1940= 2429
|1950= 2289
|1960= 2007
|1970= 1572
|1980= 1420
|1990= 1122
|2000= 1205
|2010= 1214
|2020= 1001
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

===2010 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name ="wwwcensusgov">{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 25, 2013}}</ref> of 2010, there were 1,214 people, 463 households, and 303 families living in the town. The [[population density]] was {{convert|2961.0|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 525 housing units at an average density of {{convert|1280.5|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the town was 98.1% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.3% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.2% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], and 1.4% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.5% of the population.

There were 463 households, of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.3% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.6% were non-families. 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.08.

The median age in the town was 40.5 years. 23.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.3% were from 25 to 44; 22.9% were from 45 to 64; and 20.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 47.2% male and 52.8% female.

===2000 census===
As of the census<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2000, there were 1,205 people, 482 households, and 290 families living in the town. The population density was {{convert|2,875.8|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 559 housing units at an average density of {{convert|1,334.1|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the town was 98.67% White, 0.66% African American, 0.08% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.08% from other races, and 0.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.50% of the population. At 16.1 percent [[Scottish American|Scottish]], Lonaconing is the most Scottish town in the United States.

There were 482 households, out of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.8% were non-families. 36.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.9% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 19.5% from 45 to 64, and 22.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $27,434, and the median income for a family was $37,083. Males had a median income of $27,315 versus $19,423 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $13,890. About 12.8% of families and 19.6% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 30.3% of those under age 18 and 17.7% of those age 65 or over.

==Geography==

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|0.41|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, all land.<ref name="Gazetteer files">{{cite web|title=US Gazetteer files 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 25, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120702145235/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |archive-date=July 2, 2012 }}</ref>

== Schools ==
Westmar Middle School was opened in the fall of 2007 when it was relocated to Lonaconing after the closure of the Westmar Middle School facility in Westernport.  Prior to the fall of 2007, the building was occupied by Westmar High School, originally Valley High School, which was established in 1953 and renamed "Westmar" during the 1989–1990 school year, three years after the consolidation of Bruce High School in 1986.  Westmar High School closed, vacating the building for future use a middle school, following the 2006–2007 school year after which the populations of Westmar and Beall High schools consolidated into the newly built [[Mountain Ridge High School (Frostburg, Maryland)|Mountain Ridge High School]] in [[Frostburg, Maryland|Frostburg]].

Georges Creek Elementary was opened in 1975 with the closing of Central School. It combined populations with Barton Elementary in 2000. The school has approximately 380 students.

==Transportation==
[[File:2019-05-17 15 39 50 View south along Maryland State Route 36 (Main Street) at Union Street in Lonaconing, Allegany County, Maryland.jpg|thumb|right|MD 36 southbound in Lonaconing]]
The main method of travel to and from Lonaconing is by road. The only significant highway serving the town is [[Maryland Route 36]], which also serves as Main Street. MD 36 heads northward towards [[Frostburg, Maryland|Frostburg]] and [[Interstate 68 in Maryland|Interstate 68]], while to the south, it terminates at the town of [[Westernport, Maryland|Westernport]].

==Notable person==
* [[Lefty Grove|Robert Moses (Lefty) Grove]] (1900-1975), professional baseball pitcher, member of the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame]] who's 1941 American League MVP award is housed at the George's Creek Library in town.

== See also ==
* [[Big Savage Mountain]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Lonaconing, Maryland}}
* [http://www.whilbr.org/GeorgesCreek/index.aspx George's Creek Mine payroll, 1906] from Western Maryland Public Libraries

{{Allegany County, Maryland}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Maryland]]
[[Category:Towns in Allegany County, Maryland]]
[[Category:Georges Creek Valley]]
[[Category:Cumberland, MD-WV MSA]]
[[Category:Scottish-American culture in Maryland]]