Slippery Rock is a borough in Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,625 at the 2010 census. It is home to the Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania.
Geography
Slippery Rock is located in northwest Butler County. The borough has a total area of 1.7 square miles, all of it land. Slippery Rock Creek, the borough's namesake, runs through a valley 2 miles south of the borough.
Since the 1960s Slippery Rock has been well served by the Interstate Highway system as Interstate 79(north-south) and Interstate 80 (east-west) cross 12 miles to the north. The closest access to I-79 is 4 miles to the west on Pennsylvania Route 108. PA 258 (N. Main Street) leads northwest 7.7 miles to I-79. The terrain around Slippery Rock is hilly, and the strip mining of coal has been a prominent commercial activity in the surrounding area, which is largely agricultural.
Demographics
As of 2000, there were 3,068 people, 977 households, and 387 families residing in the borough. The population density was 1,820.4 people per square mile. There were 1,039 housing units at an average density of 616.5 per square mile. The racial makeup of the borough was 91.30% White, 3.26% African American, 0.20% Native American, 3.29% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.68% from other races, and 1.21% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.11% of the population. The median income for a household in the borough was $24,554, and the median income for a family was $42,450. Males had a median income of $37,188 versus $30,104 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $13,538. About 10.1% of families and 42.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.0% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.
SLIPPERY ROCK TOWNSHIP HISTORY
PRIOR to 1800 Butler County formed a portion of Allegheny, its territory being divided into four townships, one of which was named Slippery Rock. Its area comprised the northwestern quarter of the county. In 1804, when the county was divided into thirteen townships, its territory was considerably reduced. A further reduction took place in the final re-subdivision in 1854, when it was cut down to its present area. The township derives its name from Slippery Rock Creek, which flows in a westerly direction through its territory.
The elevations of the divide between this creek and the Wolf Creek range are from 1,150 to 1,300 feet above ocean level. The soil partakes of the character of the limestone on which it rests.
Coal is abundant and gas reservoirs are numerous. A coal bank on the Isaac Davidson farm is supposed to have been opened in the thirties. On the Lewis Patterson farm, Stephen Osmer opened a mine, which was abandoned in 1845 Thomas McGaffic opened a bank on the same farm, after the war, which was a producer down to 1887. On the Ezekiel Wilson farm is an old slope near where the Edward Christley mine was worked. The W. S. Bingham Hank was opened in the eighties. Banks were at one time working on the John Wolford and the Nathaniel Cooper farms, but were abandoned years ago. Coal is still mined on the farm of John Reed, north of Centreville.
Fifty years ago two salt wells were drilled on the Edmund Smith farm, north of Centreville. Gas flowed with the water, and it was determined to use the vapor for fuel. The result was disastrous, pans and machinery were blown up,
The population in 1810 was 458; in 1820, 865; 1830, 1,541; 1810, 1,507: 1850, 1,490; 1860, six years after the re-subdivision of the county, 993; 1870, 879; 1880, 1,424; 1890, 1,247.