Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Williamsport is a city in and the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....

 of Lycoming County
Lycoming County, Pennsylvania
-Appalachian Mountains and Allegheny Plateau:Lycoming County is divided between the Appalachian Mountains in the south, the dissected Allegheny Plateau in the north and east, and the valley of the West Branch Susquehanna River between these.-West Branch Susquehanna River:The West Branch of the...

, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

 in the United States. In 2009, the population was estimated at 29,304. It is the principal city of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Williamsport-Lock Haven, Pennsylvania
Lock Haven, Pennsylvania
The city of 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, Pennsylvania, micropolitan statistical area, itself part of the...

 Combined Statistical Area
Combined Statistical Area
The United States Office of Management and Budget defines micropolitan and metropolitan statistical areas. Metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas consist of one or more counties...

.

Williamsport is known internationally as the birthplace of Little League Baseball. Neighboring South Williamsport
South Williamsport, Pennsylvania
South Williamsport is a borough in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 6,412 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...

 is the headquarters of Little League Baseball and annually hosts the Little League World Series
Little League World Series
The Little League Baseball World Series is a baseball tournament for children aged 11 to 13 years old. It was originally called the National Little League Tournament and was later renamed for the World Series in Major League Baseball. It was first held in 1947 and is held every August in South...

 in late summer.

History

Williamsport was incorporated as a borough
Borough (Pennsylvania)
In the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a borough is a self-governing municipal entity that is usually smaller than a city. There are 958 boroughs in Pennsylvania. All municipalities in Pennsylvania are classified as either cities, boroughs, or townships...

 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. The Little League World Series complex is currently based in South Williamsport and the Series itself is held in August.

In the late 19th century Williamsport was known as "The Lumber Capital of the World" because of its thriving lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....

 industry. It also was the birthplace of the national newspaper Grit
Grit (newspaper)
Grit is a magazine, formerly a weekly newspaper, popular in rural areas throughout the United States during much of the 20th century. It carried the subtitle America's Greatest Family Newspaper. In the early 1930s, it targeted small town and rural families with 14 pages plus a fiction supplement...

in 1882. Williamsport once had more millionaires per-capita than anywhere else in the world. For this reason, the area's local high school, the Williamsport Area High School
Williamsport Area School District
The Williamsport Area School District is one of several public school districts in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The district is centered on the city of Williamsport and also serves the neighboring Lewis, Hepburn, Lycoming, Old Lycoming, and Woodward townships. The district...

, uses "Millionaires" as its team nickname.

The Peter Herdic House
Peter Herdic House
Peter Herdic House is a historic home located at Williamsport, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1855-1856, and is a 2 1/2-story, brick building, coated in stucco in the Italian Villa style. It features three bay windows on each floor and a distinctive cupola atop the roof...

, Hart Building
Hart Building (Williamsport, Pennsylvania)
Hart Building is a historic commercial building located at Williamsport, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1895, and is a three-story, steel frame building measuring approximately 80 feet by 50 feet. Exterior decorative elements include pressed brickwork, terra cotta, carved stone,...

, Millionaire's Row Historic District
Millionaire's Row Historic District
Millionaire's Row Historic District is a national historic district located at Williamsport, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. The district includes 263 contributing buildings and 1 contributing site in a residential area of Williamsport. The buildings date as early as 1855, and are representative of...

, City Hall
U.S. Post Office (Williamsport, Pennsylvania)
U.S. Post Office, now known as Williamsport City Hall, is a historic city hall located at Williamsport, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. It was built between 1888 and 1891, and is a 2 1/2 to 3-story building, with a 2-story addition and 6-story tower. The exterior is faced with rough-faced gray...

, Williamsport Armory
Williamsport Armory
Williamsport Armory is a historic National Guard armory located at Williamsport, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. It consists of a main armory building and separate auxiliary building. The main armory building has a two-story , brick administration section in the Art Deco style, with an attached...

, and Old City Hall
Williamsport City Hall
Williamsport City Hall, now known as Old City Hall, is a historic city hall located at Williamsport, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1894, and is a four-story building of yellow brick trimmed in stone, with molded brick ornamentation and terra cotta columns. It is in an eclectic...

 are listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

.

Timeline

1763 – The Battle of Muncy Hills took place during the French and Indian War. It was a clash between the American Indians and colonists seeking homestead sites in American Indian territory.

1768 – At the Treaty of Fort Stanwix
Treaty of Fort Stanwix
The Treaty of Fort Stanwix was an important treaty between North American Indians and the British Empire. It was signed in 1768 at Fort Stanwix, located in present-day Rome, New York...

, at the end of the French and Indian War, the British purchased the land that became Lycoming County from the Iroquois Nation who controlled the lands. It was known as the New Purchase.

1780 – Pennsylvania passed a law which provided for the gradual abolition of slavery. By 1848, all Pennsylvania slaves were legally free.

1795 – On April 13, 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 12500 square miles (32,374.9 km²), comprising most of north central Pennsylvania.

1806 – Williamsport was incorporated as a borough on March 1

1812 - Williamsport Academy for the Education of Youth in the English and other Languages, in the Useful Arts, Science and Literature, which would later become Lycoming College
Lycoming College
Founded in 1812, Lycoming College is located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. One of the 50 oldest colleges in America, Lycoming enrolls 1400 undergraduate students from over 28 states and 12 foreign countries. Eighty percent of the college's students live on campus...

, opens.

1831 – Jacob L. Mussina established the Repasz Band, the oldest brass band in America still in existence.

1830–1865 – The Underground Railroad, a system of safe houses and routes for slaves escaping to freedom, was organized. Many Lycoming County abolitionists, including Daniel Hughes, served as conductors and agents.

1881 – A state law ended segregation in Pennsylvania schools. By 1948, all schools in this area were integrated.

1936 – The Flood of March 17–18 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.

City "firsts"

1778 – The first purpose built cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...

 is opened on what is now the site of Calvary United Methodist Church on West Fourth Street.

1786 – The first house was built in Williamsport. James Russell built his inn on what is now the corner of East Third and Mulberry Streets in downtown.

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.

1796 – The first school is built as a one room log addition to the building that would eventually become the first Lycoming County Courthouse. Caleb Bailey was the first teacher.

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.

1799 – The first post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...

 is built at the corner of Third and State Streets in what is now downtown. The post office was later converted to a saloon.

1800 – The first jail was constructed at the northeast corner of William and Third Streets.

1801 – The first store is opened by William Winter on Third Street.

1834 – The West Branch Canal opened on Oct. 15. 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.

1834 – Enactment of the common school law by Pennsylvania Legislature led to public education here. In May 1835, the first public schools opened in Williamsport.

1835 – The West Branch National Bank, the county's first bank, was established with John H. Cowden as president, James Armstrong and Tunison Coryell as cashiers.

1849 – The first Market Street Bridge is built over the West Branch Susquehanna River
West Branch Susquehanna River
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...

. It was opened as a toll bridge
Toll bridge
A toll bridge is a bridge over which traffic may pass upon payment of a toll, or fee.- History :The practice of collecting tolls on bridges probably harks back to the days of ferry crossings where people paid a fee to be ferried across stretches of water. As boats became impractical to carry large...

 to cover the state's costs of $23,797.

1854 – The first brewery
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....

 is opened. The brewery was sold to Henry Flock in 1865. This brewery was run by the Flock family until the 1940s. The Flock's business survived Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...

 by converting to a dairy
Dairy
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk—mostly from cows or goats, but also from buffalo, sheep, horses or camels —for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a dedicated dairy farm or section of a multi-purpose farm that is concerned...

.
1875 – The first tower clock in the United States to sound the Cambridge Quarters (Westminster Chime) was installed at Trinity Episcopal Church
Trinity Episcopal Church (Williamsport, Pennsylvania)
Trinity Episcopal Church is an historic church located in north-central Pennsylvania, at 844 West Fourth Street, Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Built in 1875 and consecrated in February 1876, it is the largest of the Episcopal churches in the city. Preservation Williamsport includes the church on its...

, a gift of Peter Herdic
Peter Herdic
Peter Herdic was a lumber baron, entrepreneur, inventor, politician, and philanthropist in Victorian era Williamsport, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania in the United States. He was the youngest of seven children born to Henry and Elizabeth Herdic on December 14, 1824 in Fort Plain, New York. Herdic's...

 with bells given by the Honorable Judge J. W. Maynard.

1876 – Incorporated in 1873, the Williamsport Hospital opened its first facility April 1 at Elmira and Edwin Streets.

1939 – On June 6, 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.

1941 – The U.S. entered WWII after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Joe Lockard, of Williamsport, gave warning of the impending attack, but was ignored by the higher-ups.

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.

Geography and climate

Williamsport is located at 41°14′40"N 77°1′7"W (41.244428, −77.018738), and is bordered by the West Branch Susquehanna River
West Branch Susquehanna River
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...

 to the south (with Armstrong Township
Armstrong Township, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania
Armstrong Township is a township in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The population was 717 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...

, South Williamsport
South Williamsport, Pennsylvania
South Williamsport is a borough in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 6,412 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...

, Duboistown
Duboistown, Pennsylvania
Duboistown is a borough in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,280 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...

 and Susquehanna Township
Susquehanna Township, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania
Susquehanna Township is a township in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The population was 993 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...

 south of the river), Loyalsock Township to the east and north, Old Lycoming Township to the north and Woodward Township
Woodward Township, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania
Woodward Township is a township in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The population was 2,397 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...

 to the west. As the crow flies
As the crow flies
"As the crow flies" or beelining is an idiom for the shortest route between two points; the geodesic distance.An example is the great-circle distance between Key West and Pensacola, at either end of the U.S...

, Lycoming County is about 130 miles (209 km) northwest of Philadelphia and 165 miles (266 km) east-northeast of Pittsburgh.

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the city has a total area of 9.5 square miles (24.6 km²). 8.9 square miles (23.1 km²) of it is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²) of it (6.92%) is water.

Demographics

Williamsport is the larger principal city of the Williamsport-Lock Haven CSA, a Combined Statistical Area
Combined Statistical Area
The United States Office of Management and Budget defines micropolitan and metropolitan statistical areas. Metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas consist of one or more counties...

 that includes the Williamsport metropolitan area
Lycoming County, Pennsylvania
-Appalachian Mountains and Allegheny Plateau:Lycoming County is divided between the Appalachian Mountains in the south, the dissected Allegheny Plateau in the north and east, and the valley of the West Branch Susquehanna River between these.-West Branch Susquehanna River:The West Branch of the...

 (Lycoming County) and the Lock Haven micropolitan area
Clinton County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 37,914 people, 14,773 households, and 9,927 families residing in the county. The population density was 43 people per square mile . There were 18,166 housing units at an average density of 20 per square mile...

 (Clinton County
Clinton County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 37,914 people, 14,773 households, and 9,927 families residing in the county. The population density was 43 people per square mile . There were 18,166 housing units at an average density of 20 per square mile...

), which had a combined population of 157,958 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...

.

As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 30,706 people, 12,219 households, and 6,732 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 3,456.3 people per square mile (1,335.1/km²). There were 13,524 housing units at an average density of 1,522.3 per square mile (588.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 84.11% White, 12.73% Black, 0.36% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.48% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 1.73% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.11% 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
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 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
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 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.

Government

Williamsport operates on a "Strong Mayor" form of governing, 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 public input. The current mayor of the City of Williamsport is Gabriel J. Campana.

See also: List of Mayors of Williamsport, Pennsylvania

Williamsport is located in Pennsylvania's 23rd senatorial District
Pennsylvania Senate, District 23
Pennsylvania's 23rd Senatorial district includes parts of Bradford, Lycoming, Sullivan, Susquehanna and Union CountiesAll of Bradford CountyAll of Lycoming CountyAll of Sullivan CountySusquehanna County* Apolacon Township* Auburn Township...

, Pennsylvania's 83rd House District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 83
The 83rd Pennsylvania House of Representatives District is located in Lycoming County and includes the following areas:* Armstrong Township* Duboistown* Hepburn Township* Loyalsock Township* Lycoming Township* Old Lycoming Township* South Williamsport...

, and Pennsylvania's 10th congressional district
Pennsylvania's 10th congressional district
Pennsylvania's 10th congressional district is located primarily in the northeast corner of the state. The district was one of the 12 original districts created prior to the 4th Congress. It is currently represented by Republican Tom Marino, who defeated Democratic incumbent Chris Carney during the...


Economy

Williamsport is well-known for the Lycoming aircraft engines which is a division of Avco Corporation and a subsidiary of Textron
Textron
Textron is a conglomerate that includes Bell Helicopter, E-Z-GO, Cessna Aircraft Company, and Greenlee, among others. It was founded by Royal Little in 1923 as the Special Yarns Company, and is headquartered at the Textron Tower in Providence, Rhode Island, United States.With total revenues of...

. Brodart
Brodart
Brodart Company is an international products and services company that serves libraries. Brodart is made up of three divisions: Books & Automation, Contract Library Furniture, and Supplies & Furnishings.-History:...

, a library supplies company, is also based in Williamsport. Shop-Vac is headquartered in the Newberry section of Williamsport and manufactures wet/dry vacuums and accessories for consumer, industrial, commercial and contractor uses. Overhead Garage Door is also located in Newberry. Bethlehem Wire Rope, a 46 acres (186,155.6 m²) manufacturing complex in Williamsport, with over 620000 square feet (57,599.9 m²) under roof, is the single largest wire rope manufacturing facility in North America.

Recently, interest has grown in exploiting natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...

 in the Williamsport area. Many locals are training as drillers in hopes of getting a job should the projects come to fruition.

Area's Top Ten Employers

1. Susquehanna Health

2. State Government

3. Pennsylvania College of Technology

4. Williamsport Area School District

5. Brodart Company

6. Springs Window Fashions, LLC.

7. Weis Markets

8. West Pharmaceuticals

9. Shop Vac Corporation

10. Textron Lycoming Engines

Neighborhoods

  • 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.

Transportation

Williamsport Regional Airport
Williamsport Regional Airport
Williamsport Regional Airport is a public towered airport located east of the central business district of Williamsport, a city in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, USA...

 (IPT), located several miles east of the city in the borough of Montoursville
Montoursville, Pennsylvania
Montoursville is a borough in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the borough population was 4,777. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. It was named for Madame Montour, a Native American leader and skilled interpreter...

, has three flights daily via US Airways
US Airways
US Airways, Inc. is a major airline based in the U.S. city of Tempe, Arizona. The airline is an operating unit of US Airways Group and is the sixth largest airline by traffic and eighth largest by market value in the country....

 (as of January 2009). Susquehanna Trailways provides daily long distance bus service from a station in the downtown to Elmira, New York
Elmira, New York
Elmira is a city in Chemung County, New York, USA. It is the principal city of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses Chemung County, New York. The population was 29,200 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Chemung County.The City of Elmira is located in...

, Harrisburg
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...

, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

, and Philadelphia. Local bus service within Williamsport and to other places in Lycoming County is offered by River Valley Transit
River Valley Transit
River Valley Transit provides public bus transportation throughout Lycoming County, Pennsylvania.Officially named as the Williamsport Bureau of Transportation the system is called River Valley Transit to describe the mission and coverage area of the service...

.

Williamsport is served by several major highways, including Interstate 180
Interstate 180 (Pennsylvania)
Interstate 180 is a spur highway that connects Williamsport, Pennsylvania to Interstate 80 near Milton, Pennsylvania. The length of the highway is . It was also the designation of present-day Interstate 176 between Morgantown, Pennsylvania and Reading, when the Pennsylvania Turnpike carried the...

, U.S. Route 15
U.S. Route 15
U.S. Route 15 is a -long United States highway, designated along South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York. The route is signed north–south, from U.S. Route 17 Alternate in Walterboro, South Carolina to Interstate 86 and NY 17 in Painted Post, New York.US...

, and U.S. Route 220
U.S. Route 220
U.S. Route 220 is a long U.S. Route in the eastern United States.US 220 is a spur route of U.S. Route 20 but at present, the two routes do not intersect nor do they connect via other spurs of US 20. The former U. S. Route 120, which was signed in Pennsylvania between 1926 and 1967, intersected...

. I-180 and US 220 currently run together northeast/southwest through Williamsport, and US 15 joins (in the opposite direction) for two miles. Once completed, Interstate 99
Interstate 99
Interstate 99 is an intrastate Interstate Highway located in central Pennsylvania in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at exit 146 of the Pennsylvania Turnpike north of Bedford, where the road continues south as U.S. Route 220 . The northern terminus is at...

 will enter Williamsport from the southwest on US 220 and continue north on US 15, joining only one at a time. Freight rail service (west to Avis
Avis, Pennsylvania
Avis is a borough in Clinton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,492 at the 2000 census. Avis elected a Libertarian as mayor in the 2007 election...

 and east to Muncy
Muncy, Pennsylvania
For other places named 'Muncy', please see Muncy .Muncy is a borough in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The name Muncy comes from the Munsee Indians who once lived in the area. The population was 2,663 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania...

) is provided by the Lycoming Valley Railroad
Lycoming Valley Railroad
The Lycoming Valley Railroad is a short line that operates of track in Lycoming and Clinton counties in Pennsylvania in the United States. It is part of the North Shore Railroad System....

, which has its main yard in the Newberry section of Williamsport, and offers connections to the Norfolk Southern
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...

 and Canadian Pacific
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...

 railroads. The West Branch Susquehanna River
West Branch Susquehanna River
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...

 is not navigable, but a dam at Hepburn Street provides a large lake for recreational boating, including outings on the mock paddlewheeler Hiawatha from Susquehanna State Park
Susquehanna State Park (Pennsylvania)
Susquehanna State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on in Williamsport in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is on the West Branch Susquehanna River in the western part of Williamsport, and is operated by the Williamsport / Lycoming Chamber of Commerce in cooperation with...

.

Economic and cultural development

Between January 2008 and November 2008, over 300 million dollars of economic development came into the city. In addition, violent crime has been significantly reduced through the use of foot patrols and community police stations.

The Williamsport Downtown Gateway Revitalization Project, begun in 2004, has been set into place in order to attract more people (both citizens of the Williamsport community and visitors) to the Downtown Williamsport area.

Construction on the Carl E. Stotz Memorial Little League Bridge, the first of many projects, began in June 2004 and was completed in 2008.

A new 8+ screen movie theater
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....

 on West 4th Street, opened May 2, 2008. These are the first regular-schedule first-run movie screens in Williamsport proper in several years. Previously, the closest regular, first-run theater was at the Lycoming Mall
Lycoming Mall
Lycoming Mall is a shopping mall located off Interstate 180 just west of the junction with U.S. Route 220 in the village of Halls, Muncy Township, Lycoming County ten miles east of Williamsport, Pennsylvania. It is anchored by Bon-Ton, Burlington Coat Factory, J.C. Penney, Macy's, and Sears...

, at least fifteen miles (24 km) away from the city center.

Williamsport "First Fridays" is a new addition to Williamsport monthly tradition. On the first Friday of each month, businesses, restaurants, and personal shops in the area come together to display a set theme (local photography, works of local artists, etc.) in each of their storefronts in order to bring pedestrians into the city.

More recently, Williamsport has become a key area in the Marcellus Shale drilling. Marcellus production has brought an influx of jobs, business, money to Williamsport. According to the Williamsport-Lycoming Chamber of Commerce, in the past 18 to 24 months, 60 to 70 companies of varying sizes have opened in Lycoming County as a direct result of the Marcellus Shale natural gas industry.

Education

Williamsport is the home of Lycoming College
Lycoming College
Founded in 1812, Lycoming College is located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. One of the 50 oldest colleges in America, Lycoming enrolls 1400 undergraduate students from over 28 states and 12 foreign countries. Eighty percent of the college's students live on campus...

 and Pennsylvania College of Technology
Pennsylvania College of Technology
Pennsylvania College of Technology, or Penn College, is a public college located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, affiliated with The Pennsylvania State University. As an applied technology college, the school offers certificate, associate and baccalaureate degree programs in more than 100 fields of...

, The Commonwealth Medical College
The Commonwealth Medical College
The Commonwealth Medical College is a new medical school that serves all of northeastern and part of north-central Pennsylvania. It accepted its first class of MD and MBS students in fall 2009. The college initially operated from Lackawanna College, but now educates students in its very own state...

, as well as the Newport Business Institute, Barone Beauty School and Empire Beauty School. There is also a continuing education center of Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...

 located in Williamsport.
Williamsport Area School District consists of:
  • Cochran Elementary School
  • Hepburn Lycoming Elementary School
  • Jackson Elementary School
  • Round Hills Elementary School
  • Sheridan Elementary School
  • Stevens Elementary School
  • Curtin Middle School
  • Lycoming Valley Middle School
  • Roosevelt Middle School
  • Williamsport Area High School

Williamsport Area School District has a renowned music program, ranked in the Top 100 in the country.

The Catholic school called Saint John Neumann Regional Academy has five campuses in Lycoming County and provides education for pre-Kindergarten thru 12th grade students.
The Center is a non profit organization that provides underprivileged children with tutoring services, dance classes, and many other fun activities

Libraries

The James V. Brown Library is Williamsport's public library. The library offers books, DVDs, CDs, wireless Internet access, local history archives, the Lycoming County Law Library, and premium online reference resources. James V. Brown is a Family Place library, offering preschool and early learning opportunities, as well as programming for teens and adults. The library, led by local retired physician Dr. William R. Somers, has recently finished construction of a new Children's Wing.

Lycoming College's Snowden Library and Pennsylvania College of Technology's Madigan Library are other libraries in Williamsport.

Hospitals

Susquehanna Health is a three hospital integrated health system including:
  • Williamsport Hospital & Medical Center
  • Divine Providence Hospital
  • Muncy Valley Hospital (located east of Williamsport in Muncy)


Williamsport Regional Medical Center was recognized as one of the 2011 Thomson Reuters
Thomson Reuters
Thomson Reuters Corporation is a provider of information for the world's businesses and professionals and is created by the Thomson Corporation's purchase of Reuters Group on 17 April 2008. Thomson Reuters is headquartered at 3 Times Square, New York City, USA...

 50 Top Heart Hospitals in the nation.

Sports

Williamsport has one professional baseball team, the Crosscutters
Williamsport Crosscutters
The Williamsport Crosscutters are a Short-Season A classification minor league baseball team based in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, in the United States...

, and a semi-pro football team, the Williamsport Wildcats. The Crosscutters are a minor league baseball club with the New York - Penn League
New York - Penn League
The New York – Penn League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the northeastern United States. It is classified as a "Short-Season A" league; its season starts in June, after major-league teams have signed their amateur draft picks to professional contracts, and ends in early...

. The Williamsport Wildcats captured the Pennsylvania Football League 6 Championship in 2008.

The Little League World Series
Little League World Series
The Little League Baseball World Series is a baseball tournament for children aged 11 to 13 years old. It was originally called the National Little League Tournament and was later renamed for the World Series in Major League Baseball. It was first held in 1947 and is held every August in South...

 is held annually on the other side of the West Branch Susquehanna River
West Branch Susquehanna River
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...

 in South Williamsport
South Williamsport, Pennsylvania
South Williamsport is a borough in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 6,412 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...

, where Little League Baseball now has its headquarters.

Media

Local newspapers include the Williamsport Sun Gazette
Williamsport Sun Gazette
The Williamsport Sun-Gazette newspaper's history.The newspaper now known as the Williamsport Sun-Gazette was founded in 1801 as The Lycoming Gazette. This nation was only 25 years old at the time and there were only 131 residents in Williamsport. The newspaper was started in a building in what is...

, Webb Weekly and The Williamsport Guardian.

The local news/talk radio stations are WRAK
WRAK (AM)
WRAK is a radio station licensed to serve Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications and licensed to Clear Channel Broadcasting Licenses, Inc. It airs a News/Talk format as "The News/Talk Network". The station was assigned the WRAK call letters by the Federal...

/WRKK
WRKK
WRKK is a radio station licensed to serve Hughesville, Pennsylvania. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications and licensed to Clear Channel Broadcasting Licenses, Inc. It airs a News/Talk format as "The News/Talk Network"...

 (1400/1200 kHz), and WWPA 1340 kHz. Williamsport is ranked #271 by Arbitron
Arbitron
Arbitron is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio audiences. It was founded as American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by merging with L.A. based Coffin, Cooper and Clay in the early 1950s...

 in terms of its radio market.

Local online media includes Billtown Live (events & index), Billtown Blog (commentary), Billtown Boards (discussion),Williamsport.com (directory), and the City of Williamsport Facebook page (social media) and the Downtown Williamsport Facebook page (social media).

TV stations in Williamsport are served by the Scranton
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...

/Wilkes-Barre
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Wilkes-Barre is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the county seat of Luzerne County. It is at the center of the Wyoming Valley area and is one of the principal cities in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area, which had a population of 563,631 as of the 2010 Census...

 market.

Notable residents

  • Akron/Family
    Akron/Family
    Akron/Family is a folk-influenced experimental rock band that formed in 2002, and its members currently live in Portland, Oregon , Tucson, Arizona and New York City, New York.-Music and history:...

    , a psychedelic pop band
  • Gary Brown
    Gary Brown
    Gary Leroy Brown is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Houston Oilers in the eighth round of the 1991 NFL Draft. He is currently the running backs coach for the Cleveland Browns. A 5'11", 230-lb...

    , American football player, running backs coach for the Cleveland Browns
    Cleveland Browns
    The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

  • Ernest Callenbach
    Ernest Callenbach
    Ernest Callenbach is an American writer. Life & Work =Born in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, he attended the University of Chicago, where he was drawn into the then 'new wave' of serious attention to film as an art form...

    , writer
  • Henry Cosgrove
    Henry Cosgrove
    Henry Cosgrove was a late 19th century and early 20th century bishop of the Catholic Church in the United States. He served as the second bishop of Diocese of Davenport, in the state of Iowa from 1884-1906....

    , Roman Catholic bishop
  • Allen Ertel, U.S. Congressman
  • James Hall Huling
    James Hall Huling
    James Hall Huling was a Republican businessman and politician from West Virginia who served as aUnited States Representative in the 54th United States Congress. Congressman Huling was born in Williamsport in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania on March 24, 1844. He died April 23, 1918.He went to school...

    , U.S. Congressman
  • Jack Losch
    Jack Losch
    John "Jack" Losch was a member of the first Little League World Series championship team.He was the center fielder for Williamsport, Pennsylvania's Maynard Midgets when they clinched the first LLWS title against Lock Haven, Pennsylvania on August 23, 1947.Losch went on to be an All-American in...

    , American football player
  • George Luks
    George Luks
    George Benjamin Luks, was an American realist artist and illustrator. His vigorously painted genre paintings of urban subjects are examples of the Ashcan school in American art.-Early life:...

    , Ashcan School
    Ashcan School
    The Ashcan School, also called the Ash Can School, is defined as a realist artistic movement that came into prominence in the United States during the early twentieth century, best known for works portraying scenes of daily life in New York's poorer neighborhoods. The movement grew out of a group...

     painter
  • Henry J. Lutcher
    Henry J. Lutcher
    Henry Jacob Lutcher was a sawmiller and business partner of the Lutcher and Moore Lumber Company. His business ventures would help establish Orange, Texas as the timber-processing capital of the South in the late 19th century and early 20th century....

    , businessman
  • Jamie McAndrew
    Jamie McAndrew
    James Brian "Jamie" McAndrew is a former American college and professional baseball player who was a pitcher for parts of two Major League Baseball seasons...

    , MLB player for the Milwaukee Brewers
    Milwaukee Brewers
    The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...

  • Mike Mussina
    Mike Mussina
    Michael Cole Mussina , nicknamed Moose, is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher. He played for the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Yankees ....

    , baseball player
  • Bob Pellegrini
    Bob Pellegrini
    Robert Francis Pellegrini was an American football linebacker in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Redskins. He played college football at Maryland, where he was an All-American as a center. Pellegrini was drafted in the first round of the 1956 NFL Draft...

    , American football player
  • H. Beam Piper
    H. Beam Piper
    Henry Beam Piper was an American science fiction author. He wrote many short stories and several novels. He is best known for his extensive Terro-Human Future History series of stories and a shorter series of "Paratime" alternate history tales.He wrote under the name H. Beam Piper...

    , science fiction author
  • Bill Reifsnyder
    Bill Reifsnyder
    William P. Reifsnyder is a retired American long-distance runner, who twice won the American national title in the men's marathon race. In 1991 he was ranked the second road racer in the world by "Runner's World" magazine...

    , two-time U.S. national marathon champion
  • Severin Roesen
    Severin Roesen
    Severin Roesen is a painter known for his abundant fruit and flower still lifes and is today recognized as one of the major American still-life painters of the mid-nineteenth century.-Life:...

     (1815? – 1872), still-life painter
  • Sal Rosato
    Sal Rosato
    Salvatore Rosato was an American football fullback in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins. He attended Villanova University....

    , American football player
  • Tina Russell
    Tina Russell
    Tina Russell , was the stage name of a pioneering adult film actress active in New York between about 1970 and 1975. She also performed in some of the earliest "live sex shows" to appear in New York in the early-1970s .Tina Russell was born Linda Marie Mintzer in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, to...

    , adult film actress
  • William Schreyer
    William Schreyer
    William Allen Schreyer was chairman emeritus and former CEO of Merrill Lynch & Co. He is also a past president of Pennsylvania State University's Board of Trustees.-Early life and career:...

    , financier
  • H. Paul Shuch
    H. Paul Shuch
    Dr. H. Paul Shuch is an American scientist and engineer who has coordinated radio amateurs to help in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.-Overview:...

    , SETI
    SETI
    The search for extraterrestrial intelligence is the collective name for a number of activities people undertake to search for intelligent extraterrestrial life. Some of the most well known projects are run by the SETI Institute. SETI projects use scientific methods to search for intelligent life...

     scientist
  • Trisha Rae Stahl
    Trisha Rae Stahl
    Trisha Rae Stahl is an American actress. Her feature films include Trailer Park of Terror and Kiss the Abyss. Ms. Stahl has also had roles on television and on webisodes . Trisha Stahl has also worked as a commercial actress. Ms. Stahl is originally from Williamsport, Pennsylvania...

    , actress
  • Carl Stotz
    Carl Stotz
    Carl E. Stotz is the American founder of Little League Baseball. He is honored in Williamsport by having the Carl E. Stotz Memorial Little League Bridge which carries U.S. Route 15 across the West Branch Susquehanna River between Williamsport and South WilliamsportStotz was born in Williamsport,...

    , founder of Little League Baseball


External links

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