Editing Lower Mifflin Township, Pennsylvania

{{short description|Township in Pennsylvania, US}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{more citations needed|date=July 2018}}
{{other Pennsylvania townships|Mifflin Township, Pennsylvania (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox settlement
 | official_name            = Lower Mifflin Township, Pennsylvania
 | settlement_type          = [[Township (Pennsylvania)|Township]]
 | nickname                 = 
 | motto                    = 
<!-- Images -->
 | image_skyline            = Colonel Denning State Park Lake.jpg
 | imagesize                = 
 | image_caption            = [[Colonel Denning State Park]]
 | image_flag               = 
 | image_seal               = 
<!-- Maps -->
 | image_map                = Map of Cumberland County Pennsylvania Highlighting Lower Mifflin Township.PNG
 | mapsize                  = 250x200px
 | map_caption              = Map of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania highlighting Lower Mifflin Township
 | image_map1               = Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Cumberland County.svg
 | mapsize1                 = 250x200px
 | map_caption1             = Map of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
<!-- Location -->
 | subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
 | subdivision_name         = United States
 | subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
 | subdivision_name1        = [[Pennsylvania]]
 | subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Pennsylvania|County]]
 | subdivision_name2        = [[Cumberland County, Pennsylvania|Cumberland]]
<!-- Government -->
 | government_footnotes     = 
 | government_type          = Board of Supervisors
 | leader_title             = 
 | leader_name              = 
 | leader_title1            = 
 | leader_name1             = 
 | leader_title2            = 
 | leader_name2             = 
 | established_title        = Settled
 | established_date         = 
 | established_title1       = Incorporated
 | established_date1        = 
<!-- Area -->
 | unit_pref                = Imperial
 | area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2016">{{cite web|title=2016 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2016_Gazetteer/2016_gaz_place_42.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=August 13, 2017}}</ref>
 | area_magnitude           = 
 | area_total_km2           = 61.91
 | area_land_km2            = 61.56
 | area_water_km2           = 0.36
 | area_total_sq_mi         = 23.91
 | area_land_sq_mi          = 23.77
 | area_water_sq_mi         = 0.14
<!-- Population -->
 | population_as_of         = [[2010 United States Census|2010]]
 | population_footnotes     = 
 | population_total         = 1783
 | population_density_km2   = 28.92
 | population_density_sq_mi = 74.89
<!-- General information -->
 | timezone                 = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
 | utc_offset               = -5
 | timezone_DST             = EDT
 | utc_offset_DST           = -4
<!-- Area/postal codes & others -->
 | postal_code_type         = 
 | postal_code              = 
 | area_code                = [[Area code 717|717]]
 | website                  = 
 | footnotes                = 
 | pop_est_as_of            = 2016
 | pop_est_footnotes        = <ref name="USCensusEst2016"/>
 | population_est           = 1780
 | blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
 | blank_info               = 42-041-44984
}}

{{US Census population
|2000= 1620
|2010= 1783
|estyear=2016
|estimate=1780
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2016">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.2016.html|title=Population and Housing Unit Estimates|accessdate=June 9, 2017}}</ref>
|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|accessdate=June 4, 2016}}</ref>
}}

'''Lower Mifflin Township''' is a [[township (Pennsylvania)|township]] in [[Cumberland County, Pennsylvania|Cumberland County]], [[Pennsylvania]], United States. The population was 1,783 at the 2010 census.<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/0600000US4204144984| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Lower Mifflin township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| accessdate=June 22, 2015| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213125228/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/0600000US4204144984| archive-date=February 13, 2020| url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Geography==
The township is in northwestern Cumberland County, bordered to the north by [[Perry County, Pennsylvania|Perry County]]. The county boundary follows the crest of [[Blue Mountain (Pennsylvania)|Blue Mountain]], which in this area makes a large double bend known as Doubling Gap. [[Colonel Denning State Park]] is located within the bend, in the valley of Doubling Gap Creek, which flows south out of the mountain area and across the township to [[Conodoguinet Creek]], which forms the southern boundary of the township and is a tributary of the [[Susquehanna River]].

The [[Pennsylvania Turnpike]] ([[Interstate 76 (east)|Interstate 76]]) crosses the southern end of the township, but with no direct access.

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the township has a total area of {{convert|61.9|sqkm|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|61.6|sqkm|order=flip}} is land and {{convert|0.4|sqkm|order=flip|1}}, or 0.58%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010"/>
[[File:Center Lutheran Lower Mifflin CumberCo PA.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|left|Center Lutheran Church]]

==Demographics==
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2000, there were 1,620 people, 586 households, and 471 families residing in the township. The [[population density]] was {{convert|67.5|PD/sqmi}}. There were 616 housing units at an average density of {{convert|25.7|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the township was 98.77% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.56% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.06% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.62% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.68% of the population.

There were 586 households, out of which 39.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.1% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 6.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.5% were non-families. 15.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the township the population was spread out, with 28.7% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 9.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.4 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $42,578, and the median income for a family was $43,846. Males had a median income of $31,528 versus $23,047 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the township was $17,687. About 5.1% of families and 5.7% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 3.3% of those under age 18 and 14.1% of those age 65 or over.

==Historical Context==
Mifflin Township, which comprised the current area of Upper Mifflin and Lower Mifflin Townships, was established in 1797 from Newton Township, Cumberland County. In 1892 Mifflin Township separated and became Lower Mifflin Township and Upper Mifflin Township. Early settlers of Cumberland County were mostly of Scots-Irish descent. By the end of the 1700s the majority of settlers had shifted from Scots-Irish to German.
During the French and Indian War in the 1750s it was feared that Indian tribes in Western Pennsylvania would raid settlements in Cumberland County. Between 1755 and 1758 several forts were established in the County to protect the residents. These included Mitchel’s Fort at Three Square Hollow in Upper Mifflin Township, and McComb’s Blockhouse near Doubling Gap in Lower Mifflin Township.
In 1865, prospectors drilling for oil in Lower Mifflin Township struck a large high quality aquifer. Due to the water’s purity, it was bottled and used for medicinal purposes in 1885. Later, the Cloverdale Spring Company was formed and used the water for its soft drink business. A bottling plant was built near Newville in 1919 which became the Allegheny Pepsi Cola Bottling Company in 1961.
The State acquired the area of Colonel Denning State Park in Doubling Gap as a recreation area in 1930. The Civilian Conservation Corps developed it as a park in 1936. The park is named for William Denning who lived near Newville and manufactured cannons for the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. Tuscarora State Forest is also administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and was named for the Iroquois-nation tribe that once inhabited the area.

==References==

* [https://www.cumberlandcountypa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/32134/Lower-Mifflin-Township-Comprehensive-Plan-Adopted-July-2018?bidId=# Lower Mifflin Township. Comprehensive Plan. Adopted July 2018]

<references />

{{Cumberland County, Pennsylvania}}

{{coord|40|14|00|N|77|26|59|W|type:city_region:US-PA_source:GNIS-enwiki|display=title}}

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[[Category:Harrisburg–Carlisle metropolitan statistical area]]
[[Category:Townships in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Townships in Pennsylvania]]