Disappearing cities and boroughs of the Keystone State: Monessen, Pennsylvania

The New York Times, 7/4/2016

Thirty years have passed, almost to the day, since the last blasts of the steel furnaces that were the reason for this city’s existence. The steel mill is gone — used to film “RoboCop,” then demolished. Most of the people are gone, too, and those who remain are struggling to find a new purpose for this place. 

[snip] 

In fact, about 71 percent of the steel used last year in the United States was made in the United States, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute. The mills in Monessen and other cities along the Monongahela River were not replaced by Chinese factories but by smaller, more efficient factories in other parts of the country.

Source:  Wikipedia

Monessen's population peaked at 20,268 in 1930.  Its 2016 estimated population is 7,413 -- a drop of 12,855 (63%).

The City of Monessen, "The Heart of the Mon Valley", is located in Westmoreland County, 27 miles south of downtown Pittsburgh on the Monongahela River.

Related reading:

Donald Trump's Economic Nostalgia.  (The New York Times, 6/26/2016)

Before Nafta was even a gleam in a trade negotiator’s eye, Pittsburgh had already lost the biggest chunk of its steelworking jobs. The culprit in that era was both international competition and the introduction of mini-mills, which allowed the production of steel with far fewer man-hours. Because of that and other technological innovations that improved productivity, total American steel output is about the same now as it was in 1990, even with far fewer workers.

Pro-Trump Democratic Mayor Mavrakis Defeated in Party’s Primary.  (National Tribune, 5/27/2017) 

Other disappearing cities and boroughs of the Keystone State

Aliquippa.  (1/12/2019)
Ambridge.  (1/17/2019)
Arnold.  (1/18/2019)
Braddock.  (1/19/2019)
Bradford, (1/20/2019)
Carbondale.  (1/21/2019)
Charleroi.  (1/22/2019)
Chester.  (1/23/2019)
Clairton.  (1/24/2019)
Coraopolis.  (1/25/2019)
Dickson City.  (1/26/2019)
Donora.  (1/27/2019)
Duquesne.  (1/28/2019)
Farrell.  (1/29/2019)
Homestead.  (1/30/2019)
Johnstown.  (1/6/2019)
McKees Rocks.  (1/31/2019)
McKeesport.  (2/1/2019)
Pittsburgh.  (1/13/2019)
Scranton.  (1/14/2019)

Other U.S. disappearing cities:
Baltimore, Maryland.  (12/31/2018)
Benton Harbor, Michigan.  (1/15/2019)
Buffalo, New York, (1/8/2019)
Cairo, Illinois.   (1/5/2019)
Cleveland, Ohio (1/2/2019)
Detroit, Michigan.  (1/1/2019)
East St. Louis, Illinois.  (1/11/2019)
Flint, Michigan.  (1/7/2019)
Gary, Indiana.  (1/4/2019)
St. Louis, Missouri.  (1/2/2019)
Wheeling, West Virginia.  (1/16/2019)
Youngstown, Ohio.  (1/9/2019)