Williamsport is a city in and the county seat of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States.[7] As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 27,754. It is the principal city of the Williamsport Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of about 114,000. Williamsport is the larger principal city of the Williamsport-Lock Haven Combined Statistical Area, which includes Lycoming and Clinton counties.[8]
The city is the cultural, financial, and commercial center of North Central Pennsylvania. It is 131 miles (211km) from Philadelphia, 166 miles (267km) from Pittsburgh and 85 miles (137km) from Harrisburg. It is known for its sports, arts scene and food. Williamsport was settled by Americans in the late 18th century, and began to prosper due to its lumber industry. In 1930, the city's population reached a high of 45,729 but since the Great Depression it has declined by approximately 40 percent to 27,754 in 2020.
Aerial view of Williamsport from the early 20th centuryWest Third Street looking west, c. 1910Williamsport Home for the Friendless, c. 1910
In 1763, the Battle of Muncy Hills took place during the French and Indian War. It was a clash between the Native Americans and colonists seeking homestead sites in Native American territory.[9] In 1768, at the Treaty of Fort Stanwix, the British purchased the land that became Lycoming County from the Iroquois Nation who controlled the lands.[9]
In March 1796 the first house was built in Williamsport. James Russell built his inn on what is now the northeastern corner of East Third and Mulberry Streets in downtown.[10] On April 13, 1795 Lycoming County was formed from Northumberland County. It encompassed all the lands of Northumberland County situated west of Muncy Hills and was a domain of 12,500 square miles (32,000km2), comprising most of north central Pennsylvania.[9] In 1796 the first recorded childbirth in Williamsport was James Russell, the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Russell and grandson of James Russell of the Russell Inn,[10] and the first school was built as a one-room log addition to the building that would eventually become the first Lycoming County Courthouse.[10] In 1798 the first brick house in Williamsport was erected on Front Street, between Market and Mulberry, by Andrew Tulloh, a lawyer. The bricks were made on the banks of Grafius Run where that stream crossed Hepburn Street.[9]
In 1799, a post office opened at the corner of Third and State Streets in what is now downtown,[10] and the following year, a jail was constructed at the northeast corner of William and Third Streets.[9] The post office was later converted to a saloon.[10]
In 1801, the town's first store was opened by William Winter on Third Street.[10] In 1831 Jacob L. Mussina established the Repasz Band, the oldest brass band in America still in existence.[9] On Oct. 15 1834 The West Branch Canal opened and the first boat to pass through the canal en route to Jersey Shore was that of George Aughenbaugh. The first freight carried into town was iron for the foundry of John B. Hall.[9] The same year the enactment of the common school law by Pennsylvania Legislature led to public education here. In May 1835, the first public schools opened in Williamsport and also the town's first bank, the West Branch National Bank.[9]
The Underground Railroad, used by enslaved African-Americans to obtain their freedom in the 30 years before the Civil War (1860–1865) included routes from states in the South, which supported slavery, to "free" states in the North and Canada.[11] From 1830 until 1865, the underground railroad, a system of safe houses and routes for slaves escaping to freedom, operated in Lycoming County; many local abolitionists, including Daniel Hughes, served as conductors and agents.[9]
Based on the oral history of Mamie Sweeting Diggs (1933–2011), fourth generation descent and great-granddaughter, Hughes, was a river raftsman on the Susquehanna river who had migrated from Oswego, New York. He lived on the Muncy Indian Reservation until he acquired land off Freedom Road.[12] During his trips transporting logs to Maryland, he brought escaped slaves back on foot from Baltimore, over Bald Eagle Mountain and hid them at his home and in the caves on Freedom Road.[13]
Mamie's grandfather, Robert, helped his father, Daniel Hughes, hide escaped slaves in the caves behind their home on Freedom Road. They fed them, nursed the sick back to health and delivered them safely to the next "station", The Apker House in Trout Run.[12] The Apker House was the home of Robert Fairies, abolitionist and president of the Williamsport-Elmira Railroad. The railroad ran through his property where escaped slaves were hidden in the barn and house and then loaded into railway baggage cars for the trip to Elmira, NY, the next "station."[13]
Mamie's grandfather, Robert passed the stories to his children, including Mamie's mother, Marion. Marion tended the family homestead, maintained Freedom Road Cemetery (where nine black Civil War vets are buried) and passed Daniel's stories down to her children.[12]
In 1849, the Market Street Bridge was built over the West Branch Susquehanna River. It was opened as a toll bridge to cover the state's costs of $23,797.[10] In 1854, a brewery opened. The brewery was sold to Henry Flock in 1865. This brewery was run by the Flock family until the 1940s. The Flocks' business survived Prohibition by converting to a dairy.[10]
In 1875, the first tower clock in the United States to sound the Cambridge Quarters (Westminster Chime) was installed at Trinity Episcopal Church, a gift of Peter Herdic with bells given by judge J. W. Maynard. The following year, the Williamsport Hospital opened its first facility April 1 at Elmira and Edwin Streets.[9]
In 1881, a state law ended racial segregation in Pennsylvania schools. By 1948, all schools in this area were integrated.[9] In 1895, Harry Houdini appeared in one of his earliest performances, at the Old Fair Grounds with The Welch Brothers Circus.[14]
Williamsport was the birthplace of the national newspaper Grit in 1882. Williamsport purportedly once had more millionaires per-capita than anywhere else in the world.[15] For this reason, the area's local high school, the Williamsport Area High School, uses "Millionaires" as its team mascot.
Modern history
Downtown Williamsport
The Flood of March 17–18, 1936 caused the river to crest at 33.9'. Flood waters reached High Street. It was known locally as the Hello, Al flood because Al Glaes, operating a short-wave radio station from his home on High Street, kept the city in touch with the rest of the world after the flood disrupted electricity and telephone service.[9]
On June 6, 1939 the first Little League Baseball game was played on a sandlot outside Bowman Field in Williamsport. Carl Stotz conceived the idea of a Little League, and he and Bert and George Bebble managed the first three teams.[9] In 1941 the U.S. entered World War II after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Williamsport native Joe Lockard, stationed on Oahu, gave warning of the impending attack based on radar readings. His readings were dismissed as American B17 bombers coming in from the mainland.[9] Also in 1941 the Williamsport School Board created the Williamsport Technical Institute for high school and post-high school students. It grew into the Williamsport Area Community College, and later became Pennsylvania College of Technology.[9]
The historic Pajama Factory seen from Wildwood cemetery in February 2018
Neighborhoods of Williamsport include:
Downtown, between Hepburn Street and Basin Street, south of Little League Blvd
Grampian Hills, the area around and north of Grampian Blvd.
Millionaire's Row, along W. 4th Street
Newberry, west of Lycoming Creek
Park Avenue, south of Williamsport Hospital
Vallamont, the area north of Rural Ave and west of Market St.
East End, the area south of Grampian Blvd. and east of Market St.
West Hills, the hillside and hilltop north of Dewey and west of Round Hill Road.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.5 square miles (25km2), of which 8.9 square miles (23km2) is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8km2) (6.92%) is water.[16]
Climate
Under the Köppen climate classification, Williamsport falls within either a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa) if the 0°C (32°F) isotherm is used or a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) if the −3°C (27°F) isotherm is used. Williamsport has four distinct seasons, and lies in USDA hardiness zone 6b, with areas away from the West Branch Susquehanna River falling in zone 6a.[19] Winters are cold and comparatively dry but typically bring a mix of rain, sleet, and snow with occasional heavy snowfall and icing. January is the coldest month with an average mean temperature of 26.8°F (−2.9°C),[20] with temperatures on average dropping to or below 0°F (−18°C) on 2.8days and staying at or below freezing on 29days per year.[20] Snowfall averages 36.0 inches (91cm) per season.[20] The snowiest month on record was 40.1 inches (102cm) in January 1987, while winter snowfall amounts have ranged from 85.9in (218cm) in 1995–96 to 7.0in (18cm) in 1988–89.[20] Summers are typically very warm and humid with temperatures exceeding 90°F (32°C) on 15days per year on average; the annual count has been as high as 42days in 1988, while only 1907 and 1979 did not reach that mark.[20] July is the warmest month with an average mean temperature of 72.7°F (23°C).[20]
The all-time record high temperature in Williamsport of 106°F (41°C) was established on July 9, 1936, which occurred during the Dust Bowl, and the all-time record low temperature of −20°F (−29°C) was set on January 21, 1994.[20] The first and last freezes of the season on average fall on October 16 and April 30, respectively, allowing a growing season of 168days.[20] The normal annual mean temperature is 50.4°F (10.2°C).[20] Normal yearly precipitation based on the 30-year average from 1981–2010 is 41.28 inches (1,049mm), falling on an average 133days.[20] Monthly precipitation has ranged from 16.80in (427mm) in June 1972 (due to heavy rainfall from Hurricane Agnes) to 0.16in (4.1mm) in September 1943, while for annual precipitation the historical range is 70.26in (1,785mm) in 2011 to 27.68in (703mm) in 1930.[20]
As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 30,706 people, 12,219 households, and 6,732 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,456.3 inhabitants per square mile (1,334.5/km2). There were 13,524 housing units at an average density of 1,522.3 per square mile (587.8/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 84.1% White, 12.7% Black, 0.4% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 0.5% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.1% of the population.
There were 12,219 households, out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.9% were married couples living together, 15.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.9% were non-families. 35.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the city the population was spread out, with 22.5% under the age of 18, 18.0% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,946, and the median income for a family was $33,844. Males had a median income of $26,668 versus $20,196 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,707. About 13.7% of families and 21.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.0% of those under age 18 and 11.6% of those age 65 or over.
Crime
Crime in Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Crime
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
Homicides
3
1
1
2
2
2
1
2
5
3
7
5
2
Rapes
16
4
10
5
14
12
8
5
10
9
19
8
12
Robberies
54
72
58
51
35
29
21
55
56
71
39
38
29
Assaults
51
35
41
39
21
66
71
48
61
37
44
33
56
Burglaries
219
297
296
227
191
232
222
262
138
188
121
99
133
Thefts
917
1,123
970
840
876
977
983
1,101
902
823
777
893
898
Auto Thefts
72
77
61
84
56
50
43
23
26
31
44
29
35
Arsons
13
20
16
9
2
19
8
18
7
5
11
8
9
Crime Index (National average is 277.4)
348.9
350.2
326.3
302.9
333.5
318.4
325.6
310.4
319.5
322.2
339.3
254.2
259.8
Williamsport Crime data from State/Federal Crime statistics[26]
Lycoming County Prison was built between 1799 and 1801; today it is a night club.
Williamsport operates on a "Strong Mayor" form of government, meaning the mayor is given almost total administrative authority and a clear, wide range of political independence with the power to appoint and dismiss department heads without council approval and little need for public input. The mayor is Derek Slaughter.[27]
Williamsport Bureau of Fire was established in 1874 after a devastating fire that destroyed much of the cities down town in 1871.[28] It has a cooperative agreement with the Old Lycoming Volunteer Fire Department.[29] Since the late 1980s, it contracts with Susquehanna Regional EMS for ambulance service.[30]
Williamsport is noted for the Lycoming aircraft engines which is a division of Avco Corporation and a subsidiary of Textron. Brodart, a library supplies company, is also based in Williamsport. Overhead Garage Door is also located in Newberry.[citation needed] Bethlehem Wire Rope, a 46-acre (190,000m2) manufacturing complex in Williamsport, with over 620,000 square feet (58,000m2) under roof, is the single largest wire rope manufacturing facility in North America.[31][unreliable source?]
Recently, interest has grown in extracting natural gas in the Williamsport area.[32] Williamsport has become a key area in the Marcellus Shale drilling.[33]
Lonza Group, a Swiss biotechnology and pharmaceutical company, has a large manufacturing site on the western fringes of the city, where a number of specialty chemicals are made that go into a wide array of oilfield, nutritional, personal care, and industrial applications.[34][35]
The Williamsport Downtown Gateway Revitalization Project began in 2004 in order to attract more people (both citizens of the Williamsport community and visitors) to the downtown Williamsport area.[36] The construction on the Carl E. Stotz Memorial Little League Bridge, the first of many projects, began in June 2004 and was completed in 2008.
Education
Williamsport is the home of Lycoming College and Pennsylvania College of Technology, and The Commonwealth Medical College. There is also a continuing education center of Pennsylvania State University located in Williamsport.[37]
Williamsport Area School District has a renowned music program, frequently ranked in the top schools in the country each year according to the NAMM Foundation.[38]
Private schools in the area include West Branch School, Mountain View Christian School and Williamsport Christian School and several Catholic schools in Lycoming County are run by Saint John Neumann Regional Academy.[39]
Libraries
The James V. Brown Library in 2014
The James V. Brown Library is Williamsport's public library. The library has a staff of nearly 50 full and part-time employees, and offers volunteer opportunities for youth and adults.[40] With a collection of nearly 150,000 units it offers books, DVDs, CDs, and other resources, while the library offers wireless Internet access, local history archives, and premium online reference resources. As the headquarters for the county library system, the Brown Library serves almost 87,000 patrons, some years[vague] circulating upwards of 550,000 books both in-house and through its traveling Storymobile.[40]
The James V. Brown offers preschool and early learning opportunities, as well as programs for teens and adults. The library, led by local retired physician Dr. William R. Somers, constructed a children's wing in 2009 to target educational and social resources to young people from birth through the second grade. The library has since been able to bolster its school-age programming to include teen and tween populations, offering a variety of after-school gaming clubs, arts and crafts programs, and social events that occur on a regular basis. The library's after-school café also provides reading and study incentives for young students. The Pennsylvania Department of Education, the Office of Commonwealth Libraries, and the Bureau of Library Development funds the statewide online resource "Ask Here PA", a free chat service that provides Williamsport and other Pennsylvania library patrons with access to 24/7 reference support.
Lycoming College's Snowden Library and the Pennsylvania College of Technology's Madigan Library are also located in Williamsport.
Hospitals
UPMC Susquehanna is a six hospital integrated health system including:
Williamsport is served by several major highways, including Interstate 180, U.S. Route 15, and U.S. Route 220. I-180 and US 220 run together northeast/southwest through Williamsport, and US 15 joins (in the opposite direction) for two miles.[45] Once completed, Interstate 99 will enter Williamsport from the southwest on US 220 and continue north on US 15, joining only one at a time.
The longest enduring trains service was the Buffalo Day Express to New York City, Buffalo, Harrisburg, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia, the Dominion Express to the north, the Washington Express and Dominion Express to the south, and to the Northern Express to Erie and west, and the Southern Express, which reached southern destinations.[49]
The Susquehanna 500 Mini Indy Gokart Racing Series was held annually in Brandon Park. During the 2014 race, a fatal crash involving one of the go-kart operators marked the end to the yearly tradition.[52][53]
Media
Local newspapers include the Williamsport Sun Gazette, Webb Weekly and The Williamsport Guardian.
The local news/talk radio stations are WRAK/WRKK (1400/1200kHz), WWPA 1340kHz and WXPI Community Radio 88.5 FM. Williamsport has an all-sports station, ESPN (AM) (1500kHz). Williamsport is ranked #260 by Arbitron in terms of its radio market.
Panoramic view of South Willamsport, Duboistown and Williamsport from the River Walk on top of the flood control levee. Bald Eagle Mountain, West Branch Susquehanna River, Hepburn Street Dam on the left, center is River Walk path, Lycoming Valley Railroad, Interstate 180 and city skyline, right is Market Street Bridge over the river.
Lycoming County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 114,188. Its county seat is Williamsport. The county is part of the Central Pennsylvania region of the state.
Lock Haven is the county seat of Clinton County, in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Located near the confluence of the West Branch Susquehanna River and Bald Eagle Creek, it is the principal city of the Lock Haven Micropolitan Statistical Area, itself part of the Williamsport–Lock Haven combined statistical area. At the 2020 census, Lock Haven's population was 8,108.
Clinton Township is a township in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,719 at the 2020 census, up from 3,708 in 2010. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Franklin Township is a township in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 901 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Williamsport Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Jordan Township is a township in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 850 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Williamsport metropolitan statistical area.
Loyalsock Township is a township in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 11,561 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Williamsport Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is the second largest municipality in Lycoming County, in terms of population, behind the county seat, Williamsport.
Montgomery is a borough in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,570 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Moreland Township is a township in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,021 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Williamsport Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Muncy is a borough in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. The name Muncy comes from the Munsee Indians who once lived in the area. The population was 2,442 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. Muncy is located on the West Branch Susquehanna River, just south of the confluence of Muncy Creek with the river. Currently the borough president is Bill Scott and the mayor is Jon Ort.
Muncy Township is a township in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,177 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Williamsport Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Muncy Creek Township is a township in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,575 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Williamsport Metropolitan Statistical Area. The unincorporated village of Clarkstown is in Muncy Creek Township.
Penn Township is a township in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 892 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Williamsport Metropolitan Statistical Area.
South Williamsport is a borough in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is famous for hosting the Little League World Series. The population was 6,259 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Wolf Township is a township in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,109 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Williamsport Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Woodward Township is a township in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,043 at the 2020 census, down from 2,200 in 2010. It is part of the Williamsport Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The West Branch Susquehanna River is one of the two principal branches, along with the North Branch, of the Susquehanna River in the Northeastern United States. The North Branch, which rises in upstate New York, is generally regarded as the extension of the main branch, with the shorter West Branch being its principal tributary.
Lycoming Creek is a 37.5-mile-long (60.4 km) tributary of the West Branch Susquehanna River located in Tioga and Lycoming counties in Pennsylvania in the United States.
The Lycoming Valley Railroad is a short line that operates 38 miles (61 km) of track in Lycoming and Clinton counties in Pennsylvania in the United States. It is part of the North Shore Railroad System.
This article details a history of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania.
Williamsport 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.
References
Notes
↑ Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.
↑ "Station: Williamsport, PA". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
↑ UpMcSusquehanna363. "Our History". Susquehanna Regional EMS. Archived from the original on January 25, 2022. Retrieved April 13, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
↑ "Gary Brown". databaseFootball.com. Archived from the original on February 6, 2007. Retrieved January 15, 2016.
↑ Barnett, Allison Joseph (June 11, 1934). "Obituary, Edgar Thomas Collins". Annual Report of the Association of the Graduates of the United States Military Academy. Newburgh, NY: Moore Printing Company. p.194 – via West Point Digital Library.
Dornsife, Samuel J.; Wolfson, Eleanor M. (1995). Lost Williamsport: a Photo Album of Williamport's Vanishing Architectural Treasures. Williamsport, Pennsylvania: River Run Productions. p.196.
Larson, Robert H.; Morris, Richard J.; Piper Jr, John F. (1984). Williamsport: Frontier Village to Regional Center. Woodland Hills, California: Windsor Publications. p.208. ISBN0-89781-110-0.
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