A Brief History of Whitaker
Whitaker is a borough in Allegheny County on the Monongahela River three miles from downtown Pittsburgh. The neighborhood got its name from James Whitaker, a pioneer settler. Whitaker moved to the area in 1767, when it was known as Mifflin Township. Thomas Mifflin was a merchant and politician born in the Philly area. He served as a delegate and President of the Continental Congress and the first governor of Pennsylvania. He also had a scandalous life—his involvement as the first Quartermaster General of the Continental Army that ruined his reputation and led to the end of his relationship with George Washington.
Facts about Whitaker
Whitaker is bordered by Munhall and West Mifflin and the Mon River separates Whitaker from Braddock and Rankin. Whitaker and Rankin are connected via the Rankin Bridge however. Actor Jeff Goldblum of Jurassic Park fame called Whitaker home. Whitaker has a population of just over 1,200. As of the last census, there were 560 households and 384 families. The age group most represented in Whitaker is 25 to 44, with 30 percent fitting into that age. Whitaker’s total area is just .4 square miles. The median income for the borough is $39,250 for families in the community. The mayor of Whitaker is Daniel R. Lassige.
Who remembers ED MARGO? Mayor of Whitaker back in the sixties. He was the law up there. He could have you thrown in Rankin jail.