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53-515: Due to its location in a rural area, it had a relatively large percentage of African-American workers who had been enslaved from the Revolution. It was called "Black Town" in the early 19th century before incorporation under its current name. Refugee African Americans escaping from slavery in the South also settled here, and the area was known as "Little Africa". Mercersburg was platted in 1780. The borough

106-696: A surveying mistake or a scrivener's error. Such plats can sometimes serve to relocate lot-lines or other features, but laws usually tightly restrict such use. A vacating plat functions to legally void a prior plat or portion of a plat. The rules normally allow such plats only when all the platted lots remain unsold and no construction of buildings or public improvements has taken place. Other names associated with parcel maps are: land maps, tax maps, real estate maps, landowner maps, lot and block survey system and land survey maps. Parcel maps, unlike any other public real estate record, have no federal, state or municipal oversight with their development. Plats contain

159-507: A combined question and a MENA category, while also collecting additional detail to enable data disaggregation. The OMB states, "many federal programs are put into effect based on the race data obtained from the decennial census (i.e., promoting equal employment opportunities; assessing racial disparities in health and environmental risks). Race data is also critical for the basic research behind many policy decisions. States require this data to meet legislative redistricting requirements. The data

212-518: A local governing body, such as a public works department, urban planning commission, zoning board, or another organ of the state must normally review and approve them. The creation of a plat map marks an important step in the process of incorporating a town or city according to United States law. Because the process of incorporation sometimes occurred at a courthouse , the incorporation papers for many American cities may be stored hundreds of miles away in another state . For example, to view

265-744: A number of informational elements: [REDACTED] The dictionary definition of plat at Wiktionary [REDACTED] Media related to Survey drawings at Wikimedia Commons Asian (U.S. Census) In the United States census , the US Census Bureau and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) define a set of self-identified categories of race and ethnicity chosen by residents, with which they most closely identify. Residents can indicate their origins alongside their race, and are asked specifically whether they are of Hispanic or Latino origin in

318-519: A person's origins considered in the census. Thus, in addition to their race or races, all respondents are categorized by membership in one of two ethnic categories, which are "Hispanic or Latino" and "Not Hispanic or Latino." However, the practice of separating "race" and "ethnicity" as different categories has been criticized both by the American Anthropological Association and members of US Commission on Civil Rights . In 1997,

371-520: A race. Enumerators were instructed that all people born in Mexico, or whose parents were born in Mexico, should be listed as Mexicans, and not under any other racial category. In prior censuses and in 1940, enumerators were instructed to list Mexican Americans as white, perhaps because some of them were of white background (mainly Spanish), many others mixed white and Native American and some of them Native American. The supplemental American Indian questionnaire

424-675: A separate question. The racial categories represent a social-political construct for the race or races that respondents consider themselves to be and, "generally reflect a social definition of race recognized in this country". The OMB defines the concept of race as outlined for the census to be not "scientific or anthropological", and takes into account "social and cultural characteristics as well as ancestry", using "appropriate scientific methodologies" that are not "primarily biological or genetic in reference." The race categories include both racial and national-origin groups. Race and ethnicity are considered separate and distinct identities, with

477-416: A single parcel. In order to do this, the landowner will usually need to make a survey of the parcels and submit the survey to the governing body that would have to approve the consolidation. A plat of subdivision or plan of subdivision appears when a landowner or municipality divides land into smaller parcels. If a landowner owns an acre of land, for instance, and wants to divide it into three pieces,

530-482: A surveyor would have to take precise measurements of the land and submit the survey to the governing body, which would then have to approve it. A plat of subdivision also applies when a landowner/building owner divides a multi-family building into multiple units. This can apply for the intention of selling off the individual units as condominiums to individual owners. A correction plat or amending plat records minor corrections to an existing plat, such as correcting

583-417: Is an independent college preparatory school that was founded in 1893. It has produced several Rhodes scholars, three Medal of Honor recipients, a Nobel laureate, two Academy Award winners, and 54 Olympians (including 12 gold medalists). Its campus, located east of the square in downtown Mercersburg, spans 300 acres (120 ha). It has 430 students (grades 9-12) from 26 states and 40 nations. Marshall College

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636-530: Is from the Indian subcontinent ) were counted as White. There was a questionnaire that was asked of only a sample of respondents. These questions were as follows: Questions on Spanish or Hispanic Origin or Descent Is this person's origin or descent? Mexican Puerto Rican Cuban Central American Other Spanish No, none of these This year added several options to the race question, including Vietnamese, Indian (East), Guamanian, Samoan, and re-added Aleut. Again,

689-629: Is located within the borders of Franklin County in south-central Pennsylvania. It includes the borough of Mercersburg and Montgomery, Peters, St. Thomas and Warren townships. The school district primarily encompasses a rural agricultural area with a total population of approximately 17,000 people. The district consists of four K-5 elementary schools (Saint Thomas, Mountain View, Mercersburg, Montgomery), one grades 6-8 middle school (James Buchanan MS) and one grade 9-12 high school ( James Buchanan High School ). Tuscarora,

742-591: Is needed to monitor compliance with the Voting Rights Act by local jurisdictions". Data on ethnic groups are important for putting into effect a number of federal statutes (i.e., enforcing bilingual election rules under the Voting Rights Act and monitoring/enforcing equal employment opportunities under the Civil Rights Act ). Data on ethnic groups is also needed by local governments to run programs and meet legislative requirements (i.e., identifying segments of

795-836: The Secretary of State , directed US Marshals to collect data from all 13 original states, and from the Southwest Territory . The census was not conducted in Vermont until 1791, after that state's admission to the Union as the 14th state on March 4 of that year. Some doubt surrounded the numbers, as President George Washington and Thomas Jefferson maintained the population was undercounted. The potential reasons Washington and Jefferson may have thought this could be refusal to participate, poor public transportation and roads, spread-out population, and restraints of current technology. No microdata from

848-469: The US Constitution and applicable laws. The law required that every household be visited, that completed census schedules be posted in two of the most public places within each jurisdiction, remain for the inspection of all concerned, and that "the aggregate amount of each description of persons" for every district be transmitted to the president . The US Marshals were also responsible for governing

901-417: The "Color or Race" question was slightly modified, removing the term "Mulatto". Also, there was an inclusion of an "Indian Population Schedule" in which "enumerators were instructed to use a special expanded questionnaire for American Indians living on reservations or in family groups off of reservations." This expanded version included the question "Fraction of person's lineage that is white." The 1910 census

954-513: The 1790 population census are available, but aggregate data for small areas and their compatible cartographic boundary files, can be downloaded from the National Historical Geographic Information System . However, the categories of "Free white males" of 16 years and upward, including heads of families under 16 years, "Free white females", including heads of families, All other free persons, and "Slaves," existed in

1007-414: The 2000 and 2010 censuses. The following questions were asked of a sample of respondents for the 1990 census : The 1990 census was not designed to capture multiple racial responses, and when individuals marked the "other" race option and provided a multiple write-in. The response was assigned according to the race written first. "For example, a write-in of 'black-white' was assigned a code of 'black,' while

1060-644: The American Revolution, Pennsylvania had abolished slavery. In this area were communities of free African Americans who had worked in agriculture. It was relatively easy for refugees to join their communities after passing over the border of Maryland. This settlement was called "Black Town" in early years, before being incorporated in 1831. The rural area outside of town was referred to by locals as "Little Africa" because of its relatively large concentration of African Americans in this time period. Some were refugees who had settled here after escaping from slavery in

1113-584: The Maryland border. PA 416 leads northeast 7 miles (11 km) to U.S. Route 30 near St. Thomas and southeast 10 miles (16 km) to the Maryland border. Hagerstown, Maryland , is 17 miles (27 km) to the southeast via PA 416 and Maryland Route 58 , while Chambersburg , the Franklin County seat, is 16 miles (26 km) to the northeast via PA 416 and US 30. As of the census of 2000, there were 1,540 people, 686 households, and 439 families residing in

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1166-464: The OMB built on the 1997 guidelines and suggested the addition of a Middle Eastern or North African (MENA) racial category and considered combining racial and ethnic categories into one question. In March 2024, the Office of Management and Budget published revisions to Statistical Policy Directive No. 15: Standards for Maintaining, Collecting, and Presenting Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity that included

1219-405: The OMB issued a Federal Register notice regarding revisions to the standards for the classification of federal data on race and ethnicity. The OMB developed race and ethnic standards in order to provide "consistent data on race and ethnicity throughout the federal government ". The development of the data standards stem in large measure from new responsibilities to enforce civil rights laws. Among

1272-478: The South. In later years, black folks moved away from here as they were at risk from slavecatchers , especially after passage of the Fugitive Slave Act in 1850, which had more stringent rules against free states. Many African Americans moved to Philadelphia, which had a large and free black community, which helped new arrivals get settled. Philadelphia also provided more job opportunities. In 2010, 6.49% of

1325-423: The age of 18 living with them, 48.8% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.0% were non-families. 32.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.80. In the borough the population was spread out, with 23.6% under

1378-462: The age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 88.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.8 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $ 32,619, and the median income for a family was $ 46,042. Males had a median income of $ 30,602 versus $ 23,000 for females. The per capita income for

1431-446: The borough was $ 18,934. About 7.2% of families and 8.6% of the population were below the poverty line , including 7.5% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those age 65 or over. The Tuscarora School District covers an area of 201 square miles (520 km), stretching north-south from just south of 40 degrees north latitude to the Maryland border and from east of the 78 degree west longitude line to just west of Chambersburg. The district

1484-461: The borough. The population density was 1,581.0 inhabitants per square mile (610.4/km). There were 770 housing units at an average density of 790.5 per square mile (305.2/km). The racial makeup of the borough was 92.08% White , 6.49% African American , 0.58% Asian , 0.52% from other races , and 0.32% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.36% of the population. There were 686 households, out of which 30.8% had children under

1537-418: The census form. In 1800 and 1810, the age question regarding free white males was more detailed with five cohorts and included All other free persons, except "Indians not taxed", and "Slaves". The 1820 census built on the questions asked in 1810 by asking age questions about slaves. Also the term "colored" entered the census nomenclature. In addition, a question stating "Number of foreigners not naturalized"

1590-418: The census. About one-third of the original census data has been lost or destroyed since documentation. The data was lost in 1790–1830, and included data from Connecticut , Delaware , Georgia , Maine , Maryland , Massachusetts , New Hampshire , New Jersey , New York , North Carolina , Pennsylvania , Rhode Island , South Carolina , Vermont , and Virginia . However, the census was proven factual and

1643-483: The changes, The OMB issued the instruction to "mark one or more races" after noting evidence of increasing numbers of mixed-race children and wanting to record diversity in a measurable way after having received requests by people who wanted to be able to acknowledge theirs and their children's full ancestry, rather than identifying with only one group. Prior to this decision, the census and other government data collections asked people to report singular races. As of 2023,

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1696-630: The decision and make sure the federal government treated Hispanics as white. The State Department, the Census Bureau, the Labor Department, and other government agencies therefore made sure to uniformly classify people of Mexican descent as white. This policy encouraged the League of United Latin American Citizens in its quest to minimize discrimination by asserting their whiteness. The 1940 census

1749-536: The design of the population questionnaire. Residents were still listed individually, but a new questionnaire sheet was used for each family. Additionally, this was the first year that the census distinguished among different Asian ethnic groups, such as Japanese and Chinese , due to increased immigration. This census also marked the beginning of the term "race" in the questionnaires. Enumerators were instructed to write "White", "Black", "Mulatto", " Quadroon ", "Octoroon", "Chinese", "Japanese", or " Indian ". During 1900,

1802-525: The distance and bearing between section corners, sometimes including topographic or vegetation information. City, town or village plats show subdivisions broken into blocks with streets and alleys. Further refinement often splits blocks into individual lots , usually for the purpose of selling the described lots; this has become known as subdivision . After the filing of a plat, legal descriptions can refer to block and lot-numbers rather than portions of sections . In order for plats to become legally valid,

1855-456: The existence of most of this data can be confirmed in many secondary sources pertaining to the first census. Census data included the name of the head of the family and categorized inhabitants as: free white males at least 16 years of age (to assess the country's industrial and military potential), free white males under 16 years of age, free white females, all other free persons (reported by sex and color), and slaves . Thomas Jefferson , then

1908-480: The free inhabitants schedule about color was a column that was to be left blank if a person were white, marked "B" if a person were black, and marked "M" if a person were mulatto . Slaves were listed by owner, and classified by gender and age, not individually, and the question about color was a column that was to be marked with a "B" if the slave were black and an "M" if mulatto. For 1890, the Census Office changed

1961-597: The name of the mountain on the western boundary, was named for the Tuscarora Nation , an Iroquoian -speaking tribe. They had lived in this area for a period after migrating from the Carolinas about 1713 after disastrous warfare. They continued to migrate north to present-day New York, where about 1722 they declared their migration over. They were accepted as the sixth nation of the Iroquois League , or Haudenosaunee ,

2014-603: The original United States General Land Office plat for the city of San Francisco, California , filed in 1849, one must visit the Museum of the Oregon Territory in Oregon City, Oregon , as at that time Oregon City was the site of the closest federal land office to San Francisco. A plat of consolidation or plan of consolidation originates when a landowner takes over several adjacent parcels of land and consolidates them into

2067-460: The population was of African American descent, a total of 1,561 persons. The Mercersburg Historic District , Lane House , and Mercersburg Academy are listed on the National Register of Historic Places . Mercersburg is located in southwestern Franklin County and has a total area of 0.89 square miles (2.3 km), all land. Mercersburg is located at the eastern foot of Cove Mountain on

2120-652: The population who may not be receiving medical services under the Public Health Service Act ; evaluating whether financial institutions are meeting the credit needs of minority populations under the Community Reinvestment Act ). The 1790 United States census was the first census in the history of the United States. The population of the United States was recorded as 3,929,214 as of Census Day, August 2, 1790, as mandated by Article I, Section 2 of

2173-621: The powerful confederacy of five nations that occupied much of the territory west of the Hudson River and into northern Pennsylvania. Colonists adopted the Lenape language term for Conococheague Creek , which flows through the district on its way from the Path Valley south to the Potomac River . The local Delaware people , properly known as Lenape, named it for "clear water". Mercersburg Academy

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2226-451: The race of interracial persons. A person with both white and black ancestry (termed "blood") was to be recorded as "Negro", no matter the fraction of that lineage (the " one-drop rule "). A person of mixed black and American Indian ancestry was also to be recorded as "Neg" (for "Negro") unless they were considered to be "predominantly" American Indian and accepted as such within the community. A person with both white and American Indian ancestry

2279-507: The racial question, and also removed Hindu and Korean from the race choices. The 1960 census re-added the word "color" to the racial question, and changed "Indian" to "American Indian", as well as adding Hawaiian, Part-Hawaiian, Aleut, and Eskimo. The "Other (print out race)" option was removed. This year's census included "Negro or Black", re-added Korean and the Other race option. East Indians (the term used at that time for people whose ancestry

2332-427: The term "color" was removed from the racial question, and the following questions were asked of a sample of respondents: Questions on Spanish or Hispanic Origin or Descent Is this person of Spanish/Hispanic origin or descent? No, not Spanish/Hispanic Yes, Mexican, Mexican American, Chicano Yes, Puerto Rican Yes, Cuban Yes, other Spanish/Hispanic The racial categories in this year are as they appear in

2385-752: The west side of the Great Appalachian Valley . The borough is 7.5 miles (12.1 km) north of the Mason–Dixon line , which serves as the state border with Maryland . Whitetail Ski Resort and golf course are located 7 miles (11 km) south of the town. Pennsylvania state highways 16 , 75 , and 416 all pass through Mercersburg. PA 16 leads east 10 miles (16 km) to Greencastle and 11 miles (18 km) to Interstate 81 , and northwest through Cove Gap and over Tuscarora Mountain 10 miles to McConnellsburg . PA 75 leads north 6 miles (10 km) to Fort Loudon and south 7.5 miles (12.1 km) to

2438-443: Was back, but in abbreviated form. It featured a question asking if the person was of full or mixed American Indian ancestry. President Franklin D. Roosevelt promoted a Good Neighbor policy that sought better relations with Mexico. In 1935, a federal judge ruled that three Mexican immigrants were ineligible for citizenship because they were not white, as required by federal law. Mexico protested, and Roosevelt decided to circumvent

2491-755: Was founded in Mercersburg in 1836. It later merged with Franklin College, in Lancaster County . It is known for the Mercersburg Theology of the German Reformed Church. Plat In the United States , a plat ( / p l æ t / or / p l ɑː t / ) ( plan ) is a cadastral map , drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Surveys to show

2544-423: Was included. In the 1830 census, a new question, which stated, "The number of White persons who were foreigners not naturalized" was included. The 1850 census had a dramatic shift in the way information about residents was collected. For the first time, free persons were listed individually instead of by head of household. Two questionnaires were used - one for free inhabitants and one for slaves. The question on

2597-530: Was named after Hugh Mercer , a general and hero in the American Revolutionary War . A post office has been in operation at Mercersburg since 1812. Located near the southern border of Pennsylvania, the rural community became a place of refuge during the antebellum years for escaped African Americans who had been enslaved in the South. Some came to the area via the Underground Railroad . After

2650-421: Was similar to 1910, but excluded a separate schedule for American Indians. "Hin", "Kor", and "Fil" were also added to the "Color or Race" question, signifying Hindu (Asian Indian), Korean, and Filipino, respectively. The biggest change in this census was in racial classification. Enumerators were instructed to no longer use the "Mulatto" classification. Instead, they were given special instructions for reporting

2703-527: Was similar to that of 1900, but it included a reinsertion of "Mulatto" and a question about the "mother tongue" of foreign-born individuals and individuals with foreign-born parents. "Ot" was also added to signify "other races", with space for a race to be written in. This decade's version of the Indian Population Schedule featured questions asking the individual's proportion of white, black, or American Indian lineage. The 1920 census questionnaire

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2756-415: Was the first to include separate population and housing questionnaires. The race category of "Mexican" was eliminated in 1940, and the population of Mexican descent was counted with the white population. 1940 census data was used for Japanese American internment . The Census Bureau's role was denied for decades, but was finally proven in 2007. The 1950 census questionnaire removed the word "color" from

2809-410: Was to be recorded as American Indian, unless their Indigenous ancestry was small, and they were accepted as white within the community. In all situations in which a person had white and some other racial ancestry, they were to be reported as that other race. People who had minority interracial ancestry were to be reported as the race of their father. For the first and only time, "Mexican" was listed as

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