History of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania
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[edit] Early inhabitants
The first recorded inhabitants of Lycoming County were the Iroquoian speaking Susquehannocks. Their name meant "people of the muddy river" in Algonquin. Decimated by diseases and warfare, they had died out, moved away, or been assimilated into other tribes by the early 18th century. The lands of the West Branch Susquehanna River Valley were then chiefly occupied by the Munsee phratry of the Lenape (or Delaware), and were under the nominal control of the Five (later Six) Nations of the Iroquois.
[edit] Ostuagy
Madame Montour's village of Ostuagy was a vitally important location during the settlement of what is now Lycoming County. Her village at the mouth of Loyalsock Creek on the West Branch Susquehanna River was an important stopping point for the Moravian missionaries who were spreading the gospel throughout the wilderness of Pennsylvania during the 1740s. Count Zinzendorf, a missionary being guided by Conrad Weiser with the permission of Chief Shikellamy came to Ostuagy in 1742.
Madame Montour was known to be a friend of the British. She welcomed the white men who were beginning to migrate into the West Branch Susquehanna River Valley. She also had a great amount of influence with the various Indian tribes they were feeling the pressure of colonial expansion. Madame Montour remained loyal to the British despite several attempts by the French to bring her over to their side. Historians note that this was remarkable due to the fact the that British colonial government sometimes went as long as a year without paying her for her services.
Elizabeth Catherine Montour was the mother of three children. A son, Louis, served as an translator during the French and Indian War. He was killed during the war. Her daughter, Margaret, later to be known as "French Margaret" went on to become the leader of "French Margaret's Town" an Indian settlement at the mouth of Lycoming Creek just a few miles up the West Branch Susquehanna River from Madame Montour's village. Her son, Andrew took over leadership of Otstuagy upon her death in the late 1740s. Andrew inherited his mother’s gift for languages. He spoke French, English, Lenape, Shawnee and the Iroquoian languages. Comfortable with both Native Americans and Europeans, he made a good living as a translator for both settlers and local tribes. In 1742 when Count Zinzendorf met Montour he wrote that Montour looked "decidedly European, and had his face not been encircled with a broad band of paint we would have thought he was one." He also served as an translator with Conrad Weiser and Chief Shikellamy. He was granted 880 acres of land by the Province of Pennsylvania in the Montoursville area. He later was appointed as a captain in George Washington's Army at Fort Necessity during the French and Indian War. Andrew Montour left Montoursville at some point and moved to Juniata County before finally settling on Mountour's Island in the Allegheny River near Pittsburgh.
[edit] Colonial settlement
The British purchased land from the Iroquois in the Treaty of Fort Stanwix of 1768, opening what is now Lycoming County to settlement. However, the Line of Property (or Purchase Line) border defined by "Tiadaghton Creek" dividing colonial and Native American lands was disputed. The colonists claimed this was Pine Creek, the Iroquois and other tribes Lycoming Creek. The area between Pine and Lycoming Creeks was disputed territory. The illegal settlers there were part of the "Fair Play Men" system of self-government, with their own Declaration of Independence from Britain on July 4, 1776.
In the American Revolutionary War, settlements throughout the Susquehanna valley were attacked by Loyalists and Native Americans allied with the British. After the Wyoming Valley battle and massacre in the summer of 1778 (near what is now Wilkes-Barre) and smaller local attacks, the "Big Runaway" occurred throughout the West Branch Susquehanna valley. Settlers fled feared and actual attacks by the British and their allies. Homes and fields were abandoned, with livestock driven along and a few possessions floated on rafts on the river east to Muncy, then further south to Sunbury. The abandoned property was burnt by the attackers. Some settlers soon returned, only to flee again in the summer of 1779 in the "Little Runaway". Sullivan's Expedition helped stabilize the area and encouraged resettlement, which continued after the war.[1]
[edit] Fair Play Men
The Fair Play Men were illegal settlers (squatters) who established their own system of self-rule from 1773 to 1785 in the West Branch Susquehanna River valley of Pennsylvania in what is now the United States. Because they settled in territory claimed by Native Americans, they had no recourse to the Pennsylvania colonial government. Accordingly they established what was known as the "Fair Play System", with three elected commissioners who ruled on land claims and other issues for the group. In a remarkable coincidence, the Fair Play Men made their own Declaration of Independence from Britain on July 4, 1776 beneath the "Tiadaghton Elm" on the banks of Pine Creek.[1]
[edit] Formation of the county
Lycoming County was formed from Northumberland County on April 13, 1795. At the time is was formed the county was much larger than it is today. It took up most of the land that is now north central Pennsylvania. The following counties have been formed from land that was once part of Lycoming County: Armstrong, Bradford, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Indiana, Jefferson, McKean, Potter, Sullivan, Tioga, Venango, Warren, Forest, Elk and Cameron. Lycoming County was originally named Jefferson County in honor of Thomas Jefferson. This name proved to be unsatisfactory. The name change went through several steps. First a change to Lycoming County was rejected, next the name Susquehanna County was struck down as was Muncy County, before the legislature revisted and settled on Lycoming County for Lycoming Creek the stream that was the center of the pre-Revolutionary border dispute.
[edit] Selection of the county seat
The selection of Williamsport as county seat was a major controversy in the early history of Lycoming County. It involved a bitter rivalry between an old frontier town and an upstart town that was built on a swamp. The first commissioners and officers of Lycoming County had their first offices and held their first court in Jaysburg (now part of the Newberry section of Williamsport). Jaysburg was on the western side of Lycoming Creek on a high piece of land. The land to the east of Lycoming Creek was known as "Deer Park" and was quite swampy. Jaysburg was at the time the only sizeable village west of Muncy. Although Muncy was and still is in Lycoming County it was not considered as an option for county seathood, possibly due to its proximity to the southern and eastern borders of the county. Jaysburg's buildings were sufficient enough to serve as the first courthouse and jail in the history of Lycoming County. It seemed to be the most logical place for establishing a county seat and many of its residents quite sure that their town would indeed be the county seat. This was not to be. The county seat was awarded to a new community across the creek and Jaysburg soon disappeared from the map and its land was absorbed by the new city of Williamsport.
One of the first county judges, William Hepburn, owned the land on the opposite shore of Jaysburg that was known as Deer Park. Another land speculator, Michael Ross owned 285 acres of land in what is now the central part of Williamsport. Ross had laid out a town on his property and a few homes were being built. Ross and Hepburn would team together to create Williamsport from land that was swampy and thought to be uninhabitable by the Susquehannocks who had originally inhabited the West Branch Susquehanna River Valley. Ross wanted to sell his properties and rightly believed that they would quickly sell if his town was made county seat. Hepburn desired for politcal power, had little money by which to gain that power, but had a lot of land, land that could also be sold if Williamsport were to become the county seat.
The citizens of Jaysburg saw the attempts by Hepburn and Ross as a threat and they fought back. They believed that Jaysburg was much better suited to be the seat of government. It was already well established and held the higher and drier land. They firmly believed that Williamsport would be frequently flooded and that the swamps would carry deadly diseases. The Jayburgers sought to prove their point by sending an affidavit to the state capital stating that the land was prone to flooding and thereby unsuitable to be the county seat. A resident of Northumberland wrote a sworn affidavit that he had once "tied up" his boat on a point of land on what is now East Third and State Streets in downtown Williamsport. He accessed it by way of a "gut" or an arm of the river that backflowed into the land. The affidavit was the proof that the Jaysburg interests needed to discredit Williamsport as a possible location for the county seat. Hepburn and Ross heard of this potentially financially devastating document and sought to have it destroyed before it reached the state government. It is supposed that men working for Hepburn and Ross met up with the messenger bearing the affidavit at the Russell Inn on the corner of East Third and Mulberry Streets in Williamsport and got him intoxicated. Then they are said to have cut open his saddle bags and made off with the documents. [1]
The state commissioners by this time had begun to grow very weary of the rivalry between Jaysburg and Williamsport. They began to consider a third possibility for the county seat, a new village that was further up the West Branch Susquehanna River west of the mouth of Pine Creek in what is now Clinton County. The town of Dunnsburg even went as far as offering, free of charge, lots on which to build the buildings that would be required by the county government. It appeared as if the state commissioners would choose neither Williamsport nor Jaysburg, instead choosing the outpost of Dunnsburg. This is when Judge Hepburn and Michael Ross set out their plan that ulitmately lead towards Williamsport being named the county seat.
Hepburn convinced Ross to offer lots of his property to the state commissioners for the building of a county courthouse and jail. This he believed would induce the state commissioners to give the seathood to Williamsport. Ross is stated to have had litte interest in politics, but being a good businessman was interested in selling his land. Ross agreed to Hepburn's suggestion and the lots were offered to the state commission. The state commission accepted the lots and Williamsport was finally named the county seat of Lycoming County.
When Williamsport was established as the county seat it was little more than a few cabins spread here and there in the aforementioned swampy areas. Jayburg served as the defacto county seat for several years after Williamsport was "officially" named the seat of government for Lycoming County. This delay became a cause for concern to the residents of county and the state government in Philadelphia. The county commissioners delayed in constructing a courthouse and jail in Williamsport until 1799. The jail was finally opened in 1801. Next the commsissioners approved the construction of the county courthouse in Williamsport. Construction also began in 1800 and work was completed in late 1804, nearly ten years after Williamsport was named the county seat.
[edit] City History
[edit] Williamsport
Williamsport is the only city in Lycoming County. It was incorporated as a borough on March 1, 1806, and as a city on January 15, 1866. The city is the original home of Little League Baseball, founded in 1939 as a three-team league.
In the late 1800s, when Williamsport was known as "The Lumber Capital of the World" because of its thriving lumber industry, it also was the birthplace of the national newspaper Grit in 1882. Williamsport once had more millionaires per-capita than anywhere in the world. The area's local highschool, the Williamsport Area High School, uses The Millionaires as its mascot.
[edit] Borough Histories
[edit] Duboistown
Duboistown (pronounced 'doo-BOYS town') is named for its founders John and Mathias DuBois who bought 489 acres of land between 1852 and 1857. The DuBois brothers divided their land into parcels and established the village that bears their name. John DuBois left the West Branch Susquehanna Valley before Duboistown was established as a borough. He sold his business interests and moved west to Clearfield County. He became quite wealthy and the city of DuBois was named in his honor.
The town built by the DuBois brothers is by no means the beginning of the history of Duboistown. It is situated at the mouth of Mosquito Run on the banks of the West Branch Susquehanna River. A tribe of Susquehannock Indians had what appears to have been a fairly major settlement at the mouth of the creek. The early European settlers found the remains of an Indian village there. Arhaeologic evidence of earthenware, soapstone ware, pestles, hatchets, ornaments and charms were found on the land that is across the river from Lycoming Creek and nearby where the Sheshequin Path crossed the river.
The land on which Duboistown is located was first surveyed in 1769. At the time it was known as "Walnut Bottom" for the vast stands of black walnut that covered the alluvial plain on which the borough now stands. Samuel Boone, cousin of Daniel Boone held the first warrant for land at Walnut Bottom.
Andrew Culbertson was one of the first settlers to have success in the Duboistown area. He purchased several tracts of land beginning in 1773, including the parcel owned by Samuel Boone, near the mouth of Mosquito Run. Culbertson is thought to have moved into the by crossing an Indian Trail over White Deer Mountain that is now know as Culbertson's Path. He built a sawmill on the mouth of the creek so after moving to the area and there he lived for several years. Culbertson was forced to flee the area during the American Revolutionary War when settlements throughout the Susquehanna valley were attacked by Loyalists and Native Americans allied with the British. After the Wyoming Valley battle and massacre in the summer of 1778 (near what is now Wilkes-Barre) and smaller local attacks, the "Big Runaway" occurred throughout the West Branch Susquehanna valley. Settlers fled feared and actual attacks by the British and their allies. Settlers abandoned their homes and fields, drove their livestock south, and towed their possessions on rafts on the river to Sunbury. Their abandoned property was burnt by the attackers. Some settlers soon returned, only to flee again in the summer of 1779 in the "Little Runaway".[2] Culbertson returned to the area and rebuilt his sawmill. He also built a gristmill, distillery, and a press that extracted nut and linseed oils. His gristmill was especially important to the development of the West Branch Susquehanna River Valley. It was easily accessible from canoe. Farmers could float their grain in their canoes or other watercraft right up to the mill. Other farmers from the surrounding valleys reached his mill via Culbertonson's Path. Culbertson saw another business opportunity with the farmers who were coming to his mill. He quickly built a tavern in which the weary farmers could enjoy a drink and get some food while they waited for their grain to be ground into flour. This tavern became a popular destination for the young people of the West Branch Valley. Today Culbertson's Mill and tavern are long gone and the area is a largely overgrown riverbank with an abandonded softball field, that is surrounded by a railroad, bridge, and woods.
[edit] Hughesville
Hughesville is named for Jeptha Hughes who purchased land from John Heap in 1816 and laid out the town of "Hughesburg". Hughes sold the entire plot in 1820 to Daniel Harrold. The town grew slowly around a gristmill that was constructed by Jacob Clayton. A tavern was buuilt in 1820 and general store was opened ten years later in 1830. The first doctor in Hughesville, John W. Peale, arrived in 1828. Hughesville was incorporated as a borough on April 23, 1852. The first dentist opened an office in 1853 and the first lawyer settled in Hughesville in 1875.
Early industries in Hughesville were built to serve the farmers and citizens of eastern Lycoming County. They included a chair factory opened in 1829, a wagon shop in 1830, several distilleries, a sawmill and planing mill, and a furniture factory. Electricity was introduced to Hughesville in 1891 along with running water.
[edit] Jersey Shore
Jersey Shore was originally named Waynesburg by the two brothers, Reuben and Jeremiah Manning, who laid out the town. Around the time that this was happening, a settlement arose on the eastern side of the West Branch Susquehanna River (Nippenose Township), opposite Waynesburg. A rivalry developed between the two settlements, and those on the eastern shore began referring to the settlement on the western shore as the "Jersey Shore," because the Manning family had relocated from New Jersey. The nickname became so fixed that in 1826 the original name of Waynesburg was officially abandoned and changed to Jersey Shore.
[edit] Montgomery
Montgomery was incorporated as a borough by the Pennsylvania State Legislature on March 27, 1887 from part of Clinton Township. The history of the settlement of Montgomery begins in 1783 when John Lawson established a homestead there. Nicholas Shaffer built a gristmill in Montgomery in 1795. A sawmill and a wool carding mill were other early industries found on Black Hole Creek which flows through Montgomery.
P. M. Barber was the first person to come to Montgomery and establish an industry that achieved any sustainable success. He opened a distillery in 1859 and later a planing mill in 1869 on the site of the distillery. Barber with his partners, A.B. Henderson, Jesse Rank, and Nathan Fowler had so much success that they laid out a town around their mill in 1870. The town was further expanded by the success of Montgomery Machine Shops which starting in 1873 under the supervision of Levi Houston built woodworking machinery that was sold to clients throughout the United States and Canada and as far away as Australia.
Montgomery was previously known as Black Hole for the creek that flows through it and the post office established in 1836 bearing that name and it was also known as Clinton Mills, again named for the post office. The name Montgomery stems from another name for the same post office Montgomery Station.
[edit] Montoursville
The earliest history of Montoursville can be read at the "Ostuagy" section of this article or at Madame Montour.
Montoursville was the town most affected by the explosion aboard TWA Flight 800. The full story can be found in the main Montoursville article.
[edit] Muncy
About 1787, four brothers Silas, William, Benjamin, and Isaac McCarty, arrived in the Muncy area from Bucks County. They were of Quaker extraction. William and Benjamin bought 300 acres known as the "John Brady farm," and divided it William taking the portion between what is now West Water Street and Muncy Creek, and Benjamin that portion between West Water Street and the southern boundary. Main Street now represents what was then the boundary between the Brady farm and Isaac Walton's.
In 1797, ten years after coming to Muncy, Benjamin McCarty conceived the idea of starting a town, and began laying out lots on what is now Main Street, and sold them to different parties. His example was followed by his brother William, north of Water street, and by Isaac Walton. The town was named Pennsborough in honor of the William Penn.
The town grew slowly and was nothing but a village for many years. More than a quarter of a century passed before an act of incorporation was applied for. Finally, by act approved March 15, 1826, it was incorporated as a borough.
On January 19, 1827, with a population of less than 600, the name was changed from Pennsborough to Muncy. This was done because many persons thought it was "too flat and long," and the new name would be more in accordance with the historical associations of the place, and serve to perpetuate the name of the tribe that first dwelt there, a tribe of Delaware Indians, named Monseys.
[edit] Picture Rocks
Picture Rocks was incorporated as a borough om September 27, 1875. But the history of Picture Rocks began long before European settlers first arrived in 1773. The name of the borough is derived from the pictographs that were left by some of the Native Americans that a previously inhabited the Muncy Creek valley. The paintings on the cliffs above Muncy Creek have long since disappeared. The town is built upon land that was once a Munsee Indian village. Evidence of this is found in the arrowheads and other relics that have been found in the vicinity of the creek.
The first warrant for property in the Picture Rocks area was issued by the Province of Pennsylvania to Henry Rody on June 3, 1773. The land was used very little and passed through several hands until 1848 when it was sold to A. R. Sprout and Amos Burrows who went on to become the founding fathers of Picture Rocks. Sprout and Burrows worked to cleared the land that was thought to be worthless of the rocks, logs and brush that covered it. They also rebuilt an abandonded sawmill and established a factory that manufactured sashes, doors, and window blinds. This factory, the first of its kind in the area, caused a stir among the local carpenters who believed that the ready made building materials would curtail their profit making ability.
The town grew up around the factory and soon other manufacturers arrived to harness the water power provided by Muncy Creek. People interested in by a lot in Picture Rocks were required to sign an agreement stating that they would not open a saloon or engage in the trafficking of liquor. This law was made by the residents and founders of the town, a majority of them being Baptists.
The Baptists of Picture Rocks organized as a congregation in 1840 and met for awhile in a school house. A traveling preacher arrived in Pictutre Rocks one Saturday evening and found the school to be unfit for Sunday gatherings. After delivering his Sunday morning sermon he rallied the members of the congregation around the cause of building a proper house of worship. Under the guidance of their new pastor the members of the Baptist Church built a log building that served has their church for 25 years that was replaced by a larger facility.
[edit] Salladasburg
Salladasburg was laid out by Jacob P. Sallade in 1837. He started the town with lots for homes and built a church for use by Lutherans and Presbyterians only. The population of Salladasburg was 374 as of the 1890 census. The borough had a number of stores and shops, one hotel, a gristmill and tannery. There were two schools and three churches. Salladasburg was incorporated as a borough in May 1883 by the Pennsylvania State Legislature.
[edit] South Williamsport
South Williamsport celebrated the centennial of its incorporation as a borough in 1986. On November 29, 1886, the Lycoming County court incorporated the villages of Rocktown, Billman, and vicinities as the borough of South Williamsport. The land had previously been part of Armstrong Township.
The first recorded inhabitants of the Susquehanna River valley were the Iroquoian speaking Susquehannocks. Their name meant "people of the muddy river" in Algonquin. Decimated by diseases and warfare, they had died out, moved away, or been assimilated into other tribes by the early 18th century. The lands of the West Branch Susquehanna River valley were then chiefly occupied by the Munsee clan or phratry of the Lenape, and were under the nominal control of the Five (later Six) Nations of the Iroquois.
The British purchased land from the Iroquois in the Treaty of Fort Stanwix of 1768, opening what is now Lycoming County to settlement. After the American Revolutionary War, Lycoming County was formed from Northumberland County, on April 13, 1795. The county's area was originally over 12,000 square miles and several other counties were subsequently formed from it.
Williamsport, across the river from South Williamsport, was also founded in 1795 and chosen as the county seat. The first settler in what is now South Williamsport is believed to have been Aaron Hagerman, a transplanted Hollander, who is thought to have arrived shortly after the end of the American Revolutionary War. Hagermans Run, which flows through the borough, bears his name.
One of the predecessor communities was "Rocktown". And another was Bootstown. One of the first businesses was a tavern established near the mouth of Hagermans Run by Michael McDonough. Another early entrepreneur, Jacob Weiss, gave the village a push toward borough status by purchasing a tract of 40 acres and laying out town lots. Weiss also established a brickyard near McDonough’s tavern and for many years operated an oil mill and a gristmill.
From those early times to the present, South Williamsport’s fortunes have been linked to those of Williamsport. Sawmills and furniture factories were among the most prosperous industries in both communities. Planing mills and woodworking factories of all types reached a peak of activity during the logging boom of the post-Civil War years of the last century. The industry gradually declined in the 1890’s when the surrounding hills were finally stripped of saleable lumber and the logging crews moved west.[1]
[edit] Township Histories
[edit] Anthony Township
Anthony Township was formed from part of Lycoming Township on September 7, 1844 by the Pennsylvania State Legislature. It is named in honor of Joseph B. Anthony who was a judge in Lycoming County at the time.
When colonial settlers first arrived in what is now Anthony Township they were outside the western boundary of what was then the Province of Pennsylvania. These settlers were not under the jurisiction or protection of any type from any of the Thirteen Colonies. They became known as the Fair Play Men. These men established their own form of government, known as the "Fair Play System", with three elected commissioners who ruled on land claims and other issues for the group. In a remarkable coincidence, the Fair Play Men made their own Declaration of Independence from Britain on July 4, 1776 beneath the "Tiadaghton Elm" on the banks of Pine Creek.
A German Baptist congregation was incorporated on February 8, 1879, under the title of the "German Baptist Church of Anthony Township". It was one of the first German Baptist churches founded in America along with two other churches in Lycoming County, one on Blooming Grove Road north of Williamsport and the other in Fairfield Township near Montoursville. These churches were more commonly known as the Dunker or Dunkard Churches for their pratice of immersing believers three times, once in the name of the Father, once in the name of the Son, and once in the name of the Holy Spirit.
A spur of the plank road along Larrys Creek was built into Anthony Township, but it is not known how far it extended. (Landis claims it may have run nearly as far north as the covered bridge in Cogan House Township).
[edit] Armstrong Township
Armstrong Township was formed from part of Clinton Township in 1842. It is named in honor of James Armstrong a prominent lawyer. The population of Armstrong Township was 7,385 at the 1890 census. That number has dropped drastically to just 717 as of the 2000 census.
The first European settlers arrived in Armstrong Township in 1773. Thomas Hartley, Michael Graybill, George Leffler, and John Kern all received warrants for land on February 11, 1773. Hartley then purchased the properties of Graybill, Leffler and Kern on March 31, 1773. This was to avoid a Province of Pennsylvania law that stated that no one man could purchase more than one tract of land. Marcus Huling appears to have been the first permanent settler in Mosquito Valley, which makes up the greatest portion of Armstrong Township. Huling settled in the eastern portion of Mosquito Valley, near where Culbertson's Path crossed. Huling and family cleared land, built a cabin, a sawmill, and distillery in 1795. Huling's son, Thomas, carried on the family businesses until his death. Interestlingly, althought the Huling's were apparently successful businessmen they never saw fit to settle their debt on the land that they had developed. Upon Thomas Huling's death the land was foreclosed and was left to be reclaimed by nature until the arrival of German farmers in 1832.
Mosquito Valley was cleared by the lumber companies that made nearby Williamsport the "Lumber Capital of the World." Lumberjacks harvested the virgin forests of white pine and hemlock. They then floated the logs down Mosquito Run to the sawmills close to the mouth of the creek. As the valley was cleared of trees, farmers moved into the area and began several successful orchard and dairy operations.
Armstrong Township is not limited to Mosquito Valley alone. Bald Eagle Mountain runs through the northern most portions of it. From this ridge several mountains streams find their source. The lumber barons from Williamsport flocked to Mosquito Run in the south and western sections of the township and to Hagerman's Run in the eastern portion of the township. The barons built summer cottages on both streams, fished for trout in the waters, and built small dams for recreational swimming and ice skating. They also built several trout hatcheries in Mosquito Valley. The Williamsport Municipal Water Authority quickly saw the value of the fresh water that was in abundant supply in both Mosquito and Hagerman's Runs. It acquired water rights to the streams and eventually bought up most of the farmland in the southwestern portion of Armstrong Township in the early 1900s as part of its watershed. Visitors to the "water company" lands can see the stone remains of the early settlers homesteads spread throughout the watershed. This mass purchase of farmland in Armstrong County has accounted for the steep decline in population since 1890. Mosquito Run and Hagerman's Run still provide drinking water for Williamsport.
[edit] Bastress Township
Bastress Township was formed from part of Susquehanna Township on December 13, 1854 by the Pennsylvania Legislature. The township is named in honor of Solomon Bastress, of Jersey Shore, who was a former member of the legislature and an associate judge.
The first settlers were German Roman Catholic farmers. They migrated to the area beginning in 1837 under the leadership of Father Nicholas Steinbacher. Together they established the parish of the Church of the Immaculate Conception in 1840. The original log church was replaced in by a stone structure in 1853. The parish also established a Catholic school soon after the settlement of Bastress. Immaculate Conception parish and school stand today as a reminder of the German Catholic heritage of the residents of Bastress Township.
Bastress has changed very little since its founding. The community is largely rural and many of the residents are descendants of the first settlers. Since the 1890 census it has grown from a population of 236 to just 574.
[edit] Brady Township
Brady Township was formed from Washington Township on January 31, 1855. It was named for the Brady family, several of whom lived within its limits. Until 1861, Brady Township also included what is now Gregg Township, Union County.
One of the most prominent early residents of Brady Township was Judge William Piatt. Piatt was born and raised in the area that is now Brady Township. His father, John Piatt, moved to the southern part of Lycoming County from New Jersey and established a tannery. William was born on January 29, 1795 and followed his father into the tannery business. He soon took an interest in the local politcal seen and was elected to the Pennsylvania State Legislature in 1830. He served as a legislator for three terms. Piatt was became an associate judge in 1855. Piatt also served Lycoming County and Brady Township as a county auditor abd as a president of both a turnpike and a bridge company.
[edit] Brown Township
Brown Township was formed on May 3, 1815 by the Pennsylvania Legislature from parts of Mifflin and Pine Townships. Pine Creek divides the township, nearly in half and it is the center of history in Brown Township. Pine Creek was a major waterway in the settlement of north central Pennsylvania and in the lumber era that swepth through Pennsylvania in the mid to late 1800s. Early pioneers were attracted to its remoteness and abundance of fish and game.
Jacob Lamb, formerly of Milton was the first documented settler to the area. He arrived in late 1794 by paddling with his family and household supplies in ten canoes, up the West Branch Susquehanna River and Pine Creek to the mouth of Slate Run. Here, Lamb built his home. Jacob Lamb also constructed the first saw and gristmills in the area.
Over the years Brown Township grew slowly, but it never gained a large population. It is largely a remote area, covered with mountains and a thriving second growth forest. It is popular today with outdoor recreation enthusiasts. The population was 885 by the 1890 census and declined to 111 people by the 2000 census.
[edit] Cascade Township
[edit] Clinton Township
Clinton Township was formed from part of Washington Township by the Pennsylvania State Legislature during its December 1825 sessions. It is named for De Witt Clinton who was the governor of New York at the time.
Following the American Revolution and the Big Runaway the pioneers returned to Clinton Township and reestablished their homesteads. By this time most of the Native Americans had either been killed off or fled to the west. The settlers encountered some struggles over the years, most notably in the winter of 1787. This winter was especially harsh in Clinton Township. Nearly all the livestock was either frozen to death or they died of starvation. The supplies of food stored after the harvest were quickly depleted and the people began to starve. Hunters struggled through the deep snow. Even those that were able to use snowshoes to walk on top of the snow struggled to find any game, which also struggled to survive the harsh winter. When the winter finally broke the residents were able to harvest tremendous amounts of shad in Black Hole Creek and in the West Branch Susquehanna River with a seine that was delivered to them by the father-in-law of Major Ten Brook, Mr. Emmons. Mr. Emmons arrived from New Jersey with additional supplies including salt, wheat, corn, and garden seeds. He is credited with saving the lives of many of the early residents of Clinton Township. Emmons returned again in 1788 with another wagon load of supplies, while camping he was tragically killed by a tree that fell on the wagon where he was sleeping. [1]
One of the most prominent physical features in Clinton Township is Penny Hill. This hill which is in the eastern portion of the township was named for a dog named Penny. Penny was apparently fond of wandering up and down the hill during the late 1780s and early 1790s. She was owned by a man named David Tolbert. Tolbert's dog was seen so often on the hill that the residents of the area began to call it Penny Hill. Today Penny Hills is bisected by U.S. Route 15. It over looks West Branch Susquehanna River and is covered by a number of family residences and several small farms.
[edit] Cogan House Township
Cogan House Township was formed parts of Jackson and Mifflin Townships on December 6, 1843. The source of Larrys Creek is in Cogan House Township, just south of the hamlet of Steam Valley.[3] It flows west-southwest through the village of Cogan House, and then under the Larrys Creek Covered Bridge. The bridge is also known as the "Buckhorn Covered Bridge" (for a nearby mountain) or the "Cogan House Covered Bridge" (for the village and township). A petition from the citizens of Cogan House Township for a bridge to be built was filed on September 4, 1876.[4] The 90 foot (27 m) long Burr arch truss bridge was built in 1877, rehabilitated in 1998,[5] and is on the National Register of Historic Places.[6]Larrys Creek was vitally important to the economic development of Cogan House Township. During the height of the lumber era that swept through Pennsylvania in the mid to late 1800s, Larrys Creek was used to float logs from the hills of the township to the lumber industry in nearby Williamsport on the West Branch Susquehanna River.
The township is named for David Cogan, a pioneer who settled on Larrys Creek in 1825. Cogan was the one of the few settlers in the area for many years. He grew tired of living alone in the wilderness and abandonded his homestead in 1842 as did a neighbor named Carter. Cogan and Carter's houses were used by hunters and travellers. The name Cogan's House was given to the area, hence the name, Cogan House.
[edit] Cummings Township
Cummings Township was formed by the Pennsylvania State Legislature in 1832 from parts of Mifflin and Brown Townships. Early industry in the county included quarries of flag and building stone and lumber.
The Little Pine Valley in Cummings Township was used by the Iroquois and Algonkian tribes as a hunting ground. Historians believe that there may have been a Shawnee village and burial ground just to the north of Little Pine State Park.
By the mid 19th century the demand for lumber reached the Little Pine area, where White pine and hemlock covered the surrounding mountainsides. Lumbermen came and harvested the trees and sent them down the creeks to the West Branch Susquehanna River to the log boom and sawmills at Williamsport. James and John English were the first to build a sawmill in the area in the Little Pine Area. They built two sawmills in 1809 on Little Pine Creek. In 1816, the village of English Mills sprang up around the two sawmills. The lumber era at Little Pine lasted until 1909, when the last log raft was floated down Little Pine Creek. Remnants of the lumber era can be seen today in and around the park.
Waterville is the most significant population center in Cummings Township. Michael and Henry Wolf arrived in the area from Berks County in 1817. The helped to establish Waterville by building a sawmill and clearing some land for farming. A post office was established in Waterville in 1849. Other early business establishments were two stores and a hotel, which stands today.
[edit] Eldred Township
Eldred Township is one of the smallest townships in Lycoming County. A petition was filed proposing the formation of the new township from Hepburn Township in 1858. The court directed an election to be held at Warrensville, on October 12, 1858. The question of division was hotly contested, resulting in 109 votes for to 91 against the proposition. On the November 16, 1858, Judge Jordan made a decree erecting the township, and it was named Eldred, in honor of C. D. Eldred, who was then an associate on the bench.
The first white settlers in Eldred Township were mostly Quakers, attracted by the land speculations of Robert Morris, and others in Muncy Township. Among these settlers were the Winners, Wilsons, and Marshalls. The neighborhood of their settlement is now known by the title of "Quaker Hill."
In 1892, in the northern part of the township, David Kiess & Brother owned and ran a sawmill; J. W. Milnor, Sr., also had one in the same section and in the southeastern part of the township there was one run by C. D. Heim. All these mills were located on and fed by Mill Creek. There were two gristmills in Warrensville: one, owned by J. K. Crawford, was run by water; the other, owned by C. Aderhold, had steam and water both.
Warrensville is the only village in the township. The story of the origin of its name is as follows: In 1842, when there was talk of applying for a postoffice, several persons met in the store of John Hoffman, on Mill creek, and the question Warrensville, in honor of General Warren, was proposed, of a name came up. while others suggested Livingston. A vote was taken and Warrensville carried. The postoffice was established July 25, 1842, named Warrensville, and Samuel Torbert was appointed postmaster.
The land on which Warrensville stands was cleared in 1802 by Samuel Carpenter. He erected a grist and saw mill and carding machine, which were the first improvements of the kind in the settlement. They proved of great service to the early settlers. These original works have long since passed out of existence. The village of Warrensville was laid out in 1841 by John Weisel, but never has been incorporated.
In 1892 it contained two stores and one Temperance Hotel, kept by Isaac M. Else, as well as a tannery, carried on by E. W. Lundy, two wagon makers and two blacksmith shops.
[edit] Fairfield Township
[edit] Franklin Township
Franklin Township, named for Benjamin Franklin, was formed from part of Moreland Township in 1822. It included what is now Jordan Township until that was formed thirty-two years later. Another portion of Franklin Township was cut away in 1828 to form Penn Township.
The earliest settlers to Franklin Township were farmers. They arrived in the early 1800s and cleared the hills and valleys. Many of the farms established by these eary settlers are still thriving today. Other important business ventures in Franklin Township included a large tannery on Little Muncy Creek just south of Lairdsville and the lumber industry which swept throughout north central Pennsylvania during the mid to late 1800s. Thousands of acres of virgin forests were stripped to the ground. The logs were floated down the streams to one of the many sawmills that were spread along the banks of Little Muncy Creek. Today the forests of Franklin Township have regrown, providing an excellent habitat for white tailed deer, black bear and turkey.
Enos Hawley, born in Chester County, was one of the first citizens to Lycoming County to publicly state an opposition to slavery. He was a member of the Society of Friends. The Quakers were firmly agains slavery and were noted for the assistance they provided the abolitionist movement in the years preceding the Civil War. Hawley was raised in Franklin Township in the vicinity of Lairdsville, which is the only village in the township. Hawley went on to serve as postmaster in the nearby borough of Muncy.
[edit] Gamble Township
[edit] Hepburn Township
[edit] Jackson Township
Jackson Township was once part of Lycoming Township. At the time Lycoming Township stretched from the West Branch Susquehanna River to the northern border of Lycoming County. The residents of the northern part of the township became dissatisfied with their representation in township matters. Most of the officers of the townships were from the southern most portions near the river and they tended to forget about their neighbors to the north. The concerned citizens of the northern portions of Lycoming Township petitioned that a township for their interests be formed from Lycoming Township. The Pennsylvania State Legislature agreed and Jackson Township was formed in September 1824. The township was named for Andrew Jackson who was then know as the hero of the Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812. He was not to become President until 1829.
Peter Sechrist was one of the first settlers to arrive in Jackson Township. He moved there from Liverpool, Pennsylvania in 1811. Sechrist cleared the land for a farm and also constructed a saw and gristmill. His mills were the first of their kind in the area and his child, Daniel, was the first white child born in the area. Other earlier settlers, seeking their fortune, arrived from York County. Two sets of brothers, Jacob and Daniel Beck and George and Daniel Miller first stopped in Williamsport before moving further to the north. They cleared some dense wilderness and established their homesteads in what is now eastern Jackson Township.
The population of Jackson Township was 619 according to the 1890 census. It as since declined to 414 residents as of the 2000 census. The area is largely mountainous and is covered with a thriving second growth forest.
[edit] Jordan Township
Jordan Township was formed from the eastern part of Franklin Township on February 7, 1854. It was named in honor of Alexander Jordan who was president judge of the district court at the time of the formation of the township. The first permanent settler arrived in Jordan Township in 1812. William Lore cleared a parcel of land and established a homestead, others soon followed his footsteps. The lumber industry was very important in Jordan Township for the first 70 years of it's history. The hills and valleys were cleared of their virgin forests by the end of the 19th century. Today much of those forests forming a thriving second growth forest.
[edit] Lewis Township
[edit] Limestone Township
Limestone Township was established on December 4, 1824 by a decree of the Pennsylvania Legislature. It was formed from parts of Nippenose and Wayne Townships. Limestone Township was originally known as Adams Township in honor of United States President John Adams until April 14, 1835 when the name as changed to what has deemed to be a more appropriate title.
The first European settlers in the Limestone Township area arrived as early as 1789. The early settlers thought that the land was barren due to the fact that the base of valley was largely free of trees. It was covered up dense thickets of thorny bushes. At first the land sold for as little as fifty cents and acre. After the initial settlers cleared the shrubbery and planted wheat, the land was found to be quite fertile and the price of the land rose dramatically to $5.00 per acre and by the 1890s the land was selling for as much as $100.00 an acre. Later settlers to Limestone Township established the communities of Collomsville, Oriole and Oval. This small towns were the locations of small taverns, general stores and sawmills. Much of the farmland in the southeastern portion of Limestone Township was purchased by the Williamsport Water Authority in the early 1900s as part of its watershed. Visitors to the "water company" lands can see the stone remains of the early settlers homesteads spread throughout the watershed.
[edit] Loyalsock Township
[edit] Lycoming Township
[edit] McHenry Township
[edit] McIntyre Township
McIntyre Township was formed from territory taken from Lewis Township by the Pennsylvania State Legislature in 1848. It is named for Archibald McIntyre who was one of the founders of the Williamsport and Elmira Railroad.
The first pioneers arrived in the McIntyre Township area in 1794 near what is now the village of Ralston. John Smithkontz cleared a parcel of land along Lycoming Creek near the mouth of Pleasant Stream on 1805.
The New York Iron and Coal Company created the first business venture in what was to become McIntyre Township in when they constructed a sawmill on Lycoming Creek. The New York Iron and Coal Company also built an iron furnace near the mouth of Frozen Run in 1831. They began to make iron using iron ore that was mined nearby. The company also established a charcoal making operation for the fuel that was needed to keep the furnaces fired. The iron industry had little success in McIntyre. The ore was difficult to clean, it could only be separted from the dirt that was mixed in when it was frozen. And the ore that they did manage to extract produced iron that proved to be very brittle. The reason that several companies attempted to succede in what proved to be a failing enterprise was the fact that the furnace was within easy distance of the Williamsport and Elmira Railroad which connected the industrial centers of Williamsport, Pennsylvania and Elmira, New York.
The McIntyre Coal company was founded by Jervis Langdon in 1870. He set up a coal mining operation in the moutains in the northeastern section of McIntyre Township. Coal mining had taken place on a small scale in the earlier years of the township, but Langdon was the first to open a large scale operation. The coal company constructed a steep (45 degrees) and long (2,300 feet) incline plane to get the coal from the mine to the waiting railroad cars. The village of McIntyre sprang up around the coal mines. At one time it was home to 300 households, had a church, school, store, sawmill, a boot and shoe shop, and a public hall. The McIntyre Coal Company ceased operation in 1886. The mine was abandonded and the town was abandonded shortly after the mine.
[edit] McNett Township
McNett Township, in the northeastern corner of Lycoming County, was formed by the Pennsylvania State Legislature on January 26, 1878 from McIntyre Township. The formation was a result of a successful petition and election by the citizens of the northeastern corner of Lycoming County who were under the leadership of H. I. McNett, for whom the township was named.
McNett Township has always been a remote portion of Pennsylvania. Farming and industry is at a minimum. Most of the land is mountainous and is covered with a thriving second growth forest. The population which was 619 persons in the 1890 census has fallen to just 211 at the 2000 census.
[edit] Mifflin Township
Mifflin Township was formed in 1803 by dividing Lycoming Township. It is named in honor of Thomas Mifflin the first governor of Pennsylvania.
Mifflin Township is located within the Larrys Creek watershed. This area was densely covered with trees and brush until about 1790 when the first settlers attempted to clear some of the land that surrounds Larrys Creek. John Murphy was the first settlers to establish a permanent homestead. He cleared some land along the creek and built a home. His daugther, Sarah, is thought to have been the first white child to have been born in Mifflin Township. Murphy was soon followed by other settlers who also built cabins, cleared some land for farming and built sawmills. Lumber was soon to become the dominant industry in Mifflin Township.
As timber and lumber became a major industry in the mid-19th century, Larrys Creek, in Mifflin Township, was a source of power for sawmills and other mills. The first sawmill on the creek was built in 1799. The relatively low flow of water in the creek did not allow rafts of logs to be floated downstream to the river and the lumber boom at Williamsport.
This and the lack of logging railroads along the creek lead to the development of many small sawmills. Twelve sawmills were on the Second Fork, six on the First Fork, one each on Canoe Run and the rest were on Larrys Creek itself. By 1903 just two mills were still standing and only one of those was operating.
Lumbering removed the tree trunks, but left many flammable limbs, branches, and stumps behind. On May 2, 1872 a large forest fire destroyed the villages of Carter and Gould, 6 miles (10 km) north of Salladasburg on Larrys Creek in Mifflin Township. There are large tracts of second growth forest and small lumber companies still operate in the township today.
[edit] Mill Creek Township
Mill Creek Township was formed from part of Muncy Township on February 25, 1879 by the order of a judge who certified the results of an election regarding a petition to form the new township by the residents of what was the northern portion of Muncy Township. The election held on December 10, 1878 was a close one. 122 citizens voted in favor of creating Mill Creek Township and 104 voted against the measure. The township is named for Mill Creek a tributary of Loyalsock Creek.
[edit] Moreland Township
Moreland Township was formed from part of Muncy Creek Township in 1813. It was divided into three townships in 1822. One part kept the name Moreland and the other two parts were called, Penn and Franklin Townships.
There are several stories about how Moreland Township got its name. One story states that an early pioneer to the West Branch Susquehanna River Valley was climbing up and down the hills and upon reaching the top of a hill exclaimed, "more land!". Another story relates to the "sloppiness" of the earliest land surveys. An acre wasn't necessarily measured accurately. These particular acres were larger than they were supposed to be. The early settlers liked to say that they got "more land" to the acre here than they could've elsewhere. The last story, which seems to be the most likely reason, relates to an arcane definition of moreland, meaning "a hilly country."
A veteran of the American Revolutionary War was the first settler in Moreland Township. Colonel George Smith migrated to Moreland Township from Montgomery County in 1790. He built a gristmill there in 1796. Smith and his wife were the parents of 6 children, 3 boys and 3 girls. The marriage of his daughter, Annie to a Quaker named William Farr causes some controversy in the early history of Moreland Township. William Farr came from a strict Quaker family and they did not look kindly upon his choice of bride. The local Society of Friends congregation insited that Farr confess that he had done wrong in marrying outside his faith. Farr refused to do so, he insisted that his Baptist wife, Annie, was a good Christian woman. Farr was forced to choose between his Quaker faith and his Baptist wife. He chose his wife and coverted to the Baptist faith. Colonel Smith's son, Jonathan also had a marriage that proved to be interesting. He married Annie Simpson. Annie Simpson was the sister of John Simpson of Ohio. John Simpson was the grandfather of Ulysses S. Grant. Grant achieved fame as a general for the Union during the U.S. Civil War and later became the 18th President of the United States. This family bond meant that many of the residents of Moreland Township in the mid 1800s were second cousins to the man who served as their President.
[edit] Muncy Creek Township
[edit] Muncy Township
[edit] Nippenose Township
Nippenose Township was formed as part of Northumberland County in 1786 by a session of the Northumberland County court that was held in Sunbury. It did not become part of Lycoming County until Lycoming County was also formed from Northumberland County in 1795. Nippenose Township was originally much larger than it is today. It spread over parts of what are now, Clinton, Centre and Lycoming Counties. The population of Nippenose Township was 588, in 1890, compared to the slightly higher population of 729 as the 2000 census.
The story behind the name of Nippenose Township is unclear. There are two competing stories. One states that it is named for the Indian phrase, "Nippeno-wi", meaning a warm and genial summer like place. The other story behind the name is traces back an old Indian named Nippenose. The early settlers told the story of the old man who lingered in the valley after it was settled by whites. Apparently this man's nose had been "nipped" by exposure to the frost, hence the name "Nippenose."
The first colonial settlers arrived in the Nippenose area in 1769. Henry Clark was the first to arrive with a "warrant" to the land from the colonial Pennsylvania government. One of the most prominent eary settlers was Colonel John Henry Antes. He is thought to have arrived as early as 1772. He last name is featured prominently in place names in Nippenose Township. Antes Creek the main creek in the valley and Antes Fort a small village both bear his name. Antes built stockade around his home, his neighbors came to call it "Antes Fort" and the name has lived on to today. Colonel Antes also built a grist mill at the mouth of Antes Creek on the West Branch Susquehanna River in 1777. This mill was burned during the Revolutionary war. Colonel Antes fled the area during the "Big Runaway." See the Early Inhabitants section in this article.
When things finally calmed down in 1792, Colonel Antes returned to Nippenose Township and rebuilt his mill this second mill was a vital link the economy of Nippenose Township until 1873 when a new mill was built in its place. Antes furthered his enterprises by building a carding and fulling mill on the banks of Antes Creek in 1810. Antes passed away in 1820. Ownership of the mills was passed onto his son-in-law Elias P. Youngman. Youngman and his sons expanded the business yet again in 1835 by adding machinery that was able to clean clover seed. Clover seed was very expensive at the time, a bushel of the seed sold for as much as $24.00. Clover was very important to farmers for providing ground cover and as a food supply for their grazing dairy cows.
The village of Antes Fort rose up around the train station that was built in Nippenose Township to service the borough of Jersey Shore which is the north and across the West Branch Susquehanna River from Nippenose Township. Antes Fort went through several name changes. The surveyor who drew up the towns plans called it "Granville". This name was seldom uses as the locals preferred to call it "Jersey Shore Station". The name Antes Fort was not bestowed on the village until 1861 when the United States Post Office established a branch there and named it in honor of Colonel Antes' stockade.
[edit] Old Lycoming Township
[edit] Penn Township
[edit] Piatt Township
Piatt Township was formed from part of Mifflin Township by the Pennsylvania State Legislature on April 30, 1857. The new township encompassed what was the southermost part of Mifflin Township. Piatt Township is name for William Piatt who has an associate judge in Lycoming County when the township was created.[1]
Larrys Creek, which bisects Piatt Township, is named for Larry Burt, the first settler in the area, who lived near the mouth of the creek near what is now the hamlet of Larrys Creek. He traded with the indigenous peoples and according to tradition had a Native American wife. Larry Burt was already there when surveyors came through in 1769 (after the land was purchased in the first Treaty of Fort Stanwix), but disappeared sometime soon after, perhaps moving west with the Native Americans who left the area.
Other settlers soon followed Larry Burt to the what it now Piatt Township. They settled along the banks of Larrys Creek near where the creek flows into the West Branch Susquehanna River. Peter Duffy was one of the most prominent of the early settlers. He settled with his family at the mouth of Larrys Creek in August of 1784. Duffy's journey from County Kildare, Ireland was a long and difficult struggle. He left from Dublin in July of 1775 during the early years of the American Revolution. Duffy was an acquaintance of Major John Pitcairn. Pitcairn was with the Royal Marines and was part of the British force that was occupying Boston, Massachusetts at the outset of the Revolution. Pitcairn was killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill. This left Peter Duffy with a bit of a problem. He no longer had a point of contact in the Thirteen Colonies.
Duffy and his family landed in Philadelphia in August of 1775. After a short stay in the Philadelphia area, he and his family moved further inland to Lancaster County. The family spent seven years in the Lancaster area before moving to Coxestown, know known as Susquehanna Township, just north of Harrisburg in Dauphin County. The Duffy's owned a home along the banks of the Susquehanna River for about a year before it was flooded and accidentally burned in the winter of 1784. Peter Duffy did not lot this stop him. He gathered is family and migrated further still into the Pennsylvania frontier. The Duffy Family was joined by the Stewart Family on their trip from Dauphin County to Lycoming County. Both families settled down to the east of what is now Jersey Shore. The Stewarts settled on the southern side of the West Branch Susquehanna River in Nippenose Township and the Duffys settled on the opposite shore in Piatt Township.
Peter Duffy built his home near where the Great Shamokin Path crossed Larrys Creek. This path became and important road in the settlement of the West Branch Susquehanna River Valley. Early pioneers trekked up the road as they continued to move ever westward. Peter Duffy opened a inn that soon became an important stopping point for the pioneers. Sadly, Duffy was unable to enjoy his prominence for very long. Late one evening, while returning from a hunt, a pack of wolves attacked Peter Duffy along the Great Shamokin Path. Duffy was able to fend off the wolves and returned safely home, but the cold and the extreme effort he put into defeding himself left him weakened. He came down with a severe and fatal cold.
Duffy's widow Marha was left to manage the inn with the help of her children. Tragically soon after Peter's death, their first born son, James also died. James Duffy was attending a wedding party at Culbertson's Mill in Duboistown in February of 1807 when he was accidentally killed. Marha Duffy was left with her four remaining children. Her second daughter, Catharine, had married and moved with her husband to Meadville in Crawford County. The oldest daughter, Mary Ann, took over management of the inn. Bernard operated the family owned sawmill on |, Margaret managed the Duffy family home, and Peter, the son, managed the family farm. These four Duffy children never married and spent the rest of their lives living together in the family home in Piatt Township.
The area of land along the West Branch and Larrys Creek previously known as "Level Corner". Many of the early settlers were attracted to this area of fertile farmland. Isaac Smith migrated to Piatt Township, from Chester County. Smith was a millwright and farmer. Robert Covenhoven was another prominent early settler. He was a veteran of the American Revolution having fought at the Battles of Trenton and Princeton. Covenhoven had returned to the West Branch Valley just before the Big Runaway. Upon hearing of the approaching raiding Indians and Loyalist, Covenhoven rode west along the ridge of Bald Eagle Mountain to warn settlers at Fort Antes (opposite what is now Jersey Shore) and the western part of the valley.[1] Covenhoven is listed as a Fair Play Man and one of the signers of the Tiadaghton Declaration of Independence. Following the Great Runaway Covenhoven continued to serve as a scout for the Patriot forces on the Pennsylvania Frontier. At the conclusion of the war he settled with his wife at Level Corner. They raised a family of three sons and five daugthers. Covenhoven live a long life before dying at the age of 90. He is buried in Northumberland where he went to live with his daughter Nancy after his wife Mercy's death.
[edit] Pine Township
Pine Township was formed from parts of Brown, Cummings and Cogan House Townships on January 27, 1857. It was originally going to be called Kingston Township, for the Kingston House what was in English Center, but the name was changed to Pine in recognition of the vast stands of pine trees that covered much of the township.
The geography and geology of Pine Township have played an important role in its history. Pine Township lies within the southern limits of the most recent ice age. This land was once covered with glaciers. As the glaciers receded they scoured the land creating a moraine, knob like hills, and kettle holes. Some of these kettles are at the top of the hill. This has caused the unusual formation of a swamp at the top of a hill! The affects of glaciation created soil characteristics that limited successful farming and steep hillsides that also cut down on the amount of farmable land. Therefore trees have thrived in Pine Township. The virgin forests were harvested in the mid to late 1800s during the lumber era that swept throughout the hills and valleys of Pennsylvania. Massive stands of hemlock and pine were chopped down and floated down Little Pine and Pine Creeks to the sawmills of Williamsport. Since the end of the lumbering era and thriving second growth forest has grown throughout Pine Township.
John Norris and his wife were among the first to settle in Pine Township. They opened a "seminary" or school for girls in the wilderness. During the years it was opened in was one of very few schools in such a remote part of the country to focus on educating teen aged girls.
A failed colony known as "English Settlement" plays a role in the history of northern Lycoming County. The Reverand John Hey, who claimed to be part of the "Independent Church of England" dreamt of acquiring a vast amount of land in the wilderness and establishing a utopia. Hey and some investing partners acquired 110,859 acres of land for $21,757 in 1805. Hey next travelled to England to convince his country to settle his new colony. Fifteen families agreed to move to Pine Township. When they arrived they did not find the paradise that was described to them by John Hey. What they found was a wilderness of massive trees, rocks and rocky soil. The Englishmen were not prepared for this. They had to experience with clearing any land for farming and the land that they managed to clear was too rocky for farming. The English Settlement has abandoned ten years after its founding. The folks that managed to survive moved to more fertile land in the nearby area.
The villages of Oregon Hill and English Center were founded by survivors of the failed English Settlement. Oregon Hill was the location of two churches, a blacksmith shop, and two stores along with several homes. The settlers of Oredon Hill were surprised to find that the land in the area was fertile unlike much of the surrounding land. English Center on Little Pine Creek was a milling town.[1]
[edit] Plunketts Creek Township
[edit] Porter Township
Porter Township named for David R. Porter Pennsylvania governor (1839-1845), was formed from part of Mifflin Township on May 6, 1840.
Dr. James Davidson, a veteran of the American Revloution, served as a doctor for General Anthony Wayne's army, was one of the first and most successful settlers in the Porter Township area. He settled in the Sunbury just after the Revolution. After several years in that vicinity he bought a farm along the West Branch Susquehanna River in what is now western Lycoming County. Here he farmed and also served as the only doctor in the area for many years. Dr. Davidson built one of the first brick houses in the West Branch Susquehanna Valley. He also served as a judge for Lycoming County after it was formed in 1795.
[edit] Shrewsbury Township
Shrewsbury Township was formed from part of Muncy Township by the Pennsylvania State Legislature in 1804. It was originally much larger in size and included a large part of what is now Sullivan County until 1847. It is named for Shrewsbury Township, New Jersey. Some of the first settlers, The Little and Bennett families, migrated to Lycoming County from New Jersey and wanted their new home to have the same name as their old home. Peter Corson, also from New Jersey was one of the first settlers to establish a home in the area and he was quite successful. Corson and his wife had 5 sons and 3 daughters and within less than 100 years they had descendants that were numbered by the hundred.
In the late 1800s, Highland Lake, in the northern part of Shrewsbury Township was popular summer vacation destination. There were three large hotels on the lake as well as several summer cottages. The cottage holders included Pennsylvanians from as far away as Philadelphia which is approximately 100 mi (160 km) southwest of Shrewsbury Township.
Industry and farming are and always have been very limited in Shrewsbury Township. It is a very mountainous area. The population as of the 2000 census has declined to 433 residents from 570 at the census of 1890.
[edit] Susquehanna Township
Susquehanna Township was established during the December 1838 sessions of the Pennsylvania Legislature. It was formed from parts of Nippensoe and Armstrong Townships.
Susquehanna Township was first surveyed in 1769. The surveyors named it "Upper Bottom" to distinguish from a piece of land further to the east that was named "Lower Bottom", present day Duboistown and South Williamsport. The first settlers arrived in 1801 and cleared the alluvial plain near the West Branch Susquehanna River and began farming. The village of Nisbet, a collection of about a dozen homes, rose up around the railroad station of the same name. Two grist mills and a small textile mill were built on Mill Run during the early days of Susquehanna Township.
Susquehanna Township has grown somewhat since it was founded. The village of Nisbet underwent a expansion during the 1950s and 1960s and now serves as a bedroom community for Williamsport and Jersey Shore. Much of the land on the alluvial plain is still farmed. Farmer rent out small portions of their property for the docking of recreational boats on the West Branch Susquehanna River.
[edit] Upper Fairfield Township
The history of Upper Fairfield Township begins in 1851 when some dissatisfied citizens of the southern portion of Fairfield Township asked to be separated from the neighbors to the north. The citizens of the northern portion were strongly against division, but the township was divided against their wishes on September 12, 1851.
Upper Fairfield Township called Pollock Township during its first two years of existence. It was named for Judge James Pollock, who was the president of district court that ordered the township to be divided. Since the citizens of Upper Fairfield Township where against the division in the first place, they were less than pleased with the name of their new township. Pollock was a controversail figure in the early days of Upper Fairfield. The citizens asked the court that the named be changed and the Pennsylvania State Legislature ordered that Pollock Township's name be changed to Upper Fairfield Township on January 29, 1853.
[edit] Washington Township
[edit] Watson Township
Watson Township was formed in January 1848 from parts of Porter and Cummings Townships. It is named for Oliver Watson who was the president of a bank in nearby Williamsport at the time.
Watson Township is and always has been a largely unpopulated area. It is mountainous and covered with a thriving second growth forest. During the late 1800s much of the land was stripped of its virgin forests. At the time central Pennsylvania, and the city of Williamsport was the center of the lumber industry in the United Staes. Trees were cut down and floated down Pine Creek, which flows through Watson Township. There were several sawmills along Pine Creek in the township. Other early attempts at industry included an iron forge. There were several depoosits of iron ore in Watson Township. The ore proved to be of low quality and the investors in the iron furnaces struggled to turn a profit. The furnaces were abandonded and little evidence of their existence remains.
[edit] Wolf Township
Wolf Township was formed from part of Muncy Township by the Pennsylvania State Legislature in September of 1834. The township is named for George Wolf who was the governor of Pennsylvania from 1829 to 1835. The boroughs of Hughesville and Picture Rocks are on land that was taken from Wolf Township.
Wolf Township today has grown to a population of 2,707 residents as of the 2000 census. This is up from 734 residents at the census of 1890.
The geology of Wolf Township played a role in its history. Limestone was quarried west of Hughesville for use as lime. Lime is used in large quantities as building and engineering materials (including limestone products, concrete and mortar) and as chemical feedstocks, among other uses. Lime industries and the use of many of the resulting products date from prehistoric periods in both the Old World and the New World. Wolf Township was also the home to several Pennsylvania Bluestone quarries. Pennsylvania Bluestone has many uses, from cut dimensional stone used in patios, walkways and stair treads to architectural stone used in buildings. It is also used for wallstone, decorative boulders, natural steps and other landscape features. The name "Pennsylvania Bluestone" is due to its predominantly blue color and because the majority of stone is quarried in Pennsylvania.
David Aspen was the first white settler to live within the borders of what is now Wolf Township. He was scalped during the Big Runaway, when his and other settlements throughout the Susquehanna valley were attacked by Loyalists and Native Americans allied with the British. Abraham Webster was another of the early settlers to be attacked, only he survived and returned to Wolf Township twelve years after the Big Runaway. His entire family had been killed but he returned with a new wife and re-established his home. for more information see the "Early Inhabitants" section of this article
The earliest industrial venture in Wolf Township was a gristmill constructed in 1816. A wool carding mill was built in 1842. There were also several sawmills in the township that were part of the lumber industry that covered much of Pennsylvania during the late 1800s.
[edit] Woodward Township
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g Meginness, John Franklin [1892]. "Chapter XXXIV.", History of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania: including its aboriginal history; the colonial and revolutionary periods; early settlement and subsequent growth; organization and civil administration; the legal and medical professions; internal improvement; past and present history of Williamsport; manufacturing and lumber interests; religious, educational, and social development; geology and agriculture; military record; sketches of boroughs, townships, and villages; portraits and biographies of pioneers and representative citizens, etc. etc.", 1st Edition, Chicago, IL: Brown, Runk & Co.. ISBN 0-7884-0428-8. Retrieved on June 27, 2006. “(Note: ISBN refers to Heritage Books July 1996 reprint. URL is to scan of 1892 version with some OCR typos).”
- ^ [1939] A Picture of Lycoming County (PDF), The Lycoming County Unit of the Pennsylvania Writers Project of the Work Projects Administration, First edition, The Commissioners of Lycoming County Pennsylvania. Retrieved on July 23, 2006.
- ^ USGS. "United States Geological Survey Topographic Map, White Pine Quad", www.topozone.com. Retrieved on February 28, 2007.
- ^ Landis, Milton W. (October 1966). "The Larrys Creek Covered Bridge in Cogan House Township". Now and Then (The Journal of the Muncy, Pennsylvania Historical Society) XV (5): 258.
- ^ Kane, Trish. Pennsylvania - Lycoming County Covered Bridges. Retrieved on February 28, 2007.
- ^ National Register of Historic Places - PENNSYLVANIA (PA), Lycoming County. Retrieved on February 28, 2007.
- USGS. "United States Geological Survey Topographic Map, White Pine Quad", www.topozone.com. Retrieved on February 28, 2007.
- Landis, Milton W. (1967). "The Larrys Creek Plank Road". The Journal of the Lycoming County Historical Society Volume IV, (Number 1, Summer).
- Landis, Milton W. (October 1966). "The Larrys Creek Covered Bridge in Cogan House Township". Now and Then (The Journal of the Muncy, Pennsylvania Historical Society) XV (5): 258.
- Kane, Trish. Pennsylvania - Lycoming County Covered Bridges. Retrieved on February 28, 2007.
- History of Willaimsport. Historic Williamsport.
- National Register of Historic Places - PENNSYLVANIA (PA), Lycoming County. Retrieved on February 28, 2007.
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
