Stonycreek Township gained worldwide attention on September 11, 2001, when United Airlines Flight 93 crashed there. Flight 93 was one of four airliners hijacked that day as part of the al-Qaeda terrorist attack on the United States. It is widely held that the Flight 93 hijackers intended to use the craft to target the United States Capitol building or the White House in Washington, D.C. The crash here was a result of a struggle over control of the plane between hijackers and passengers, who learned of the plane's intended fate through cellphone calls to and from family members. All 44 people aboard the plane, including four hijackers, were killed. The community intends to preserve the Flight 93 crash site as a historical memorial.
The original temporary memorial to the passengers and crew of Flight 93 was located on a hill, about 500 yards from the crash site. On July 8, 2010, a new temporary entrance and memorial were opened at an area called "The Western Overlook". It is where the FBI set up their command center and where family members first saw the aftermath of the crash, bringing their own memorials, where visitors can leave them today. The initial phase of permanent construction of the Flight 93 National Memorial, including the visitor's center, was to be completed by the 10th anniversary in 2011. The first phase of the permanent memorial was completed, opened, and dedicated on September 10, 2011. The current design for the memorial is a modified version of the entry Crescent of Embrace by Paul and Milena Murdoch. The memorial was built around the crash site, following the plane's flight path, and protects the area of impact, known as the "Sacred Ground", which will remain protected and accessible only to family members of the passengers and crew.
Geography
Stonycreek Township is located approximately at 40.01°N by 78.88°W, about WSW of Indian Lake, Pennsylvania. According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 61.4 square miles, of which 61.2 square miles is land and 0.3 square miles is water. It is bordered to the northeast by Shade Township, to the northwest by Quemahoning Township, to the west by Somerset Township, to the southwest by Brothersvalley Township, and to the east by Allegheny Township. Pennsylvania Route 31 runs along the township's southwestern border with Brothersvalley Township and passes into Allegheny Township to the east. U.S. Route 30 / the Lincoln Highway runs along the township's northeastern border with Shade Township. Pennsylvania Route 160 passes through Stonycreek Township as it heads northeast from Brothersvalley Township to Shade Township. Route 160 & Route 31 intersect in Roxbury, and Route 160 & U.S. Route 30 / the Lincoln Highway intersect in Reels Corner.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,221 people, 820 households, and 634 families residing in the township. The population density was 36.3 people per square mile. There were 1,033 housing units at an average density of 16.9/sq mi. The racial makeup of the township was 98.96% White, 0.09% African American, 0.32% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.05% from other races, and 0.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.23% of the population. There were 820 households out of which 35.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.3% were married couplesliving together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.6% were non-families. 18.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.10. In the township the population was spread out with 26.5% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.5 males. The median income for a household in the township was $33,828, and the median income for a family was $38,418. Males had a median income of $30,236 versus $21,714 for females. The per capita income for the township was $14,463. About 9.6% of families and 10.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.9% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those age 65 or over.
