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Potter Co, Historical Notes in the Development of- Herrick Newspapers, Coudy PSU

20200226HAv- https://digital.libraries.psu.edu/digital/collection/digitalbks4/id/1267/
Pamphlets relating to Potter County:

Historical Notes in the Development of Potter County
Printed by Herrick Newspapers, Coudersport, Pa., U. S. A.
Material for this booklet prepared by Mrs. Mary E. Welfling, Secretary, Potter County Historical Society, Coudersport, Pa.
Published by the Potter County Commissioners, 1949
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Rare Books Room
F157
P8
W45
1949

20200201HAv- file:///C:/Users/wetzu/Documents/FTM1540/WETZEL-SPRING_2020j%20Media/Potter%20Co,%20Historical%20Notes%20in%20the%20Development%20of-%20Herrick%20Newspapers,%20Coudy%20PSU.pdf

PAMPHILETS RELATING TO POTTER COUNTY
PENN STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Historical Notes
In The Development Of Potter County
Printed by Herrick Newspapers, Coudersport, Pa., U. S. A.
THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

ERRATA:
A paragraph on page five should read: "A Moravian missionary, David Zeisberger, was probably the first white man to set foot in Potter County. In the autumn of 1767, accompanied by two christian Indians, he traveled from Bethlehem, Pa., by way of the North Branch of the Susquehanna, Chemung, Tioga, Cowanesque, and Allegheny Rivers to a point near the mouth of Tionesta Creek to establish an Indian mission. According to the record of his journal the party camped on the night of October 8, 1767, near or on the present site of Coudersport.

Printed by Herrick Newspapers, Coudersport, Pa., U. S. A.

Among the present (1949) industries in Potter County are:
at Coudersport,
- Abbott's Dairies, Inc., manufacturers of milk products;16
- American Silver Truss Corporation, manufacturers of rubber goods;
- Anchor Toy Corporation, toy manufacturers;
- Brownhill & Kramer,Inc., manufacturers of full fashion hosiery;
- Coudersport Live Stock Market, Inc., operates cooperatively;
- James Elliott Lumber Company, lumber and mill work;
- Keystone Tanning and Glue Company, manufacturers of leather;
- L. H. Lincoln & Son, manufacturers of tanning materials;
- Victor Mason Creamery, manufactures ice cream.
(p.17)

BIBLIOGRAPHY-
- History of the Counties of McKean, Elk, Cameron, and Potter,Pennsylvania, with Biographical Selections. Chicago, J. H.Beers and Co., 1890.
- Pioneer Outline History of Northwestern Pennsylvania, W. J. Mc-Knight, M. D. Philadelphia, J. B. Liplincott Co., 1905
- History of Potter County, Almeron Nelson, Coudersport, 1875.
- History of Potter County, Victor L. Beebe, Coudersport, 1934
- Potter County Journal, Coudersport, 1848-1948
- Potter Enterprise, Coudersport, 1874-1948
- Indian Place Names, Dr. George P. Donehoo, The Telegraph Press,Harrisburg, Pa., 1928
- History of Ceres, Mary W. Mann and Maria King, Olean, N. Y.1896
- Potter County Records

Material for this booklet prepared by Mrs. Mary E. Welfling, Secretary, Potter County Historical Society, Coudersport, Pa.
Published by the Potter County Commissioners, 1949
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Potter County Records
POPULATION
1810 1820 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940
29 186 1265 3371 6048 11470 11265 13797 22464 30621 *29729 21089 17501 18201

Material for this booklet prepared by Mrs. Mary E. Welfling,
Secretary, Potter County Historical Society, Coudersport, Pa.
Published by the Potter County Commissioners, 1949
p.3

NATURAL FEATURES

Potter County lies in the center of the northern tier counties of
Pennsylvania. It extends north and south thirty-six miles, east and west thirty-one miles and has an area of 1092 square miles. It was originally rectangular in shape, but in 1860 the southwest corner be, came a part of the newly formed county of Cameron.
A water shed in nearly the center of the county divides the
sources and the headwaters of the Allegheny, the Genesee and the West Branch of the Susquehanna Rivers. The foothills of the Allegheny Mountains cover the greater part of the county. The northern part consists of plateaus and low hills while the southern part is
marked by high, steep hills with narrow valleys between. The general elevation above sea level is about 2,500 feet.
An ice mine was discovered near Sweden Valley, four miles
east of Coudersport, in 1901. It is a peculiar phenomenon, inasmuch as the ice accumulates in great quantities during the hottest months
of the year and disappears during the coldest months. In the lowest of winter temperatures the ground surrounding it does not freeze.
A flowing well of mineral water was opened at Harrison Valley
in 1901 which proved to be of commercial value owing to its medicinal qualities.
The only natural lake in the County is Rose Lake, in Allegany Township. It has an area of about two acres.

PRE-COUNTY HISTORY

In the early days the Minsi Tribe of the Leni Indians occupied
the region along the Allegheny River from their largest settlement at the mouth of Tionesta Creek, in Forest County, to its headwaters in
what is now Potter County. There is no evidence that the Indians established permanent homes within the present boundaries of Potter
County.
The site of what is thought to have been an ancient Indian village was discovered in 1926 on the Roswell Carmer farm, on Ford Hill in Hebron Township, by Dr. Arthur C. Parker,-New York State archeologist. Many years ago a quantity of carbonized corn, lying
between layers of bark, was discovered on the banks of the Allegheny River near the present village of Roulette. This spot is thought to be the site of an Indian granary, perhaps used when on hunting expeditions or as a reserve in case of attack by enemies.
Three Indian war trails crossed what is now. Potter County.
One led along the Allegheny River from Canoe Place (Port Allegany) through the present site of Coudersport, over the water shed, and down the Cowanesque River. Another followed the Oswayo
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Creek to the valley of the Genesee, while a third led from Canoe Place over Keating Summit and down the Sinnemahoning, the route
now closely followed by the Pennsylvania Railroad.
A Moravian missionary, David Zeisberger, was probably the
first white man to set foot in Potter County. In the autumn of 1767, accompanied by two Christian Indians, he traveled from Bethlehem, Pa., Cowanesque, and Allegheny Rivers to a point near the mouth
oga, Cowanesque, and Allegheny Rivers to a point near the mouth of Tionesta Creek to establish an Indian mission. According to the record of his journal the party camped on the night of October 8, 1767, near or on the present site of Coudersport.
On October 23rd, 1784, the commissioners of Pennsylvania negotiated a treaty with the Six Nations of the Iroquois at Fort Stanvix (Rome, N. Y.) by which purchase was made of 13,500 square miles of land, now included in the present counties of McKean, Potter, and nearly half of Tioga, for the sum of five thousand dollars.
The following January the treaty was also signed at Fort McIntosh (Beaver. Pa.) by representatives of the Delaware and Wyandott Indians who received two thousand dollars for their claims.
In 1792 the state of Pennsylvania offered for sale four million acres of land in the northern part. On December 23rd, 1794, William Bingham, a land speculator of Philadelphia, purchased one million, one hundred sixty thousand acres of this tract for approximately
thirteen cents per acre.
On December 21st, 1796, William Bingham sold two hundred ninety seven thousand, four hundred twenty eight acres of this land for the sum of eighty thousand dollars to a land company, consisting of John Keating and Richard Gernon of Philadelphia and John Sigsmund Roulet of New York City, who called themselves the "Ceres
Land Company," from the Goddess of Agriculture which was to be thie object of the proprietors.

ESTABLISHMENT AND ORGANIZATION

A portion of this land lay within the future boundaries of Potter County which was created from territory within Lycoming
County by act of the state legislature, approved March 26, 1804. It was named in honor of General James Potter of Penn Valley, Northumberland County, who served in General Washington's army during the American Revolution. Other original land owners included the Holland Land Company, Wahln and Learning, Vaux and Stewartson, and Isaac Wharton, whose holdings were in the southern and south-eastern parts of the county.
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The survey of the present site of Coudersport, which consisted
of ninety acres, was made by Francis King in July and August, 1807.
It was named "Coudersport" to honor Monsieur Jean Coudere
(Couderc), a member of the Amsterdam banking company which had lent funds to the Ceres Land Company forthe purchase of the land
The state legislature, on March 11, 1807, confirmed the seat of
justice at the town of Coudersport and at the same time accepted the gift of the land company of two thirds of the village lots for the benefit of the county and a square for public county buildings. Another
sqpare was given for the use of an academy, together with one hundred fifty acres of land and five hundred dollars to be used toward the erection of a suitable school building.
The state legislature, by Act approved March 26, 1814, authorized Potter and McKean Counties to elect three commissioners in October, 1815. Two were to be elected from McKean and one from
Potter and thereafter one should be elected annually from each
county alternately. Another Act of Assembly, approved March 27, 1824, provided that after the second Tuesday of the following October McKean and Potter should be detached from each other and have separate boards of county officers.
Another Act, approved the same day, established McKean
County as a fully organized county and directed that Potter be attached to it for judicial purposes. On April 8, 1833, it was enacted that on and after September 1, 1835, Potter County should be fully
organized as an independent county. The first term of court was held in the newly erected stone court house in the week of September 28, 1835.

EARLY ROADS

THE BOONE ROAD was opened in 1805 and extended from Ceres, Pa., to Young Woman's Creek in Clinton County.
THE JERSEY SHORE ROAD was explored in 1806 by Francis King of Ceres, Pa., and opened in 1807 as a pack horse trail. In
1811-12 it was widened to accommodate wagons and clearings made at Cartee Camp in Potter County and at Herod's in Lycoming County. An Act of legislature, approved by Governor Snyder on February 20, 1816, gave him the authority to incorporate a company
to build an artificial road from Jersey Shore to Coudersport. This road was officially known as the "Lycoming and Potter Turnpike Road." It was commenced at Jersey Shore in the fall of 1825 and completed to Coudersport on November 15, 1834, at a total cost of
$28,391.84. The mileage was seventy one and one fourth miles.

EAST AND WEST ROAD-An-Act of legislature passed on
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April 4, 1807, provided for the appointment of a commission to open a road "from the Moosic Mountains across the state in westerly direction to its western boundary." In 1808 the section was opened through Potter County where it follows approximately the Roosevelt
Highway, Route 6.

ANGELICA ROAD - In April, 1816, the court appointed
viewers to lay out a road "from a point on the New York State line
through which the Genesee River flows, in a southerly direction to the Jersey Shore Road and to the Ten-Mile Tree." At Genesee it connected with a road leading to Angelica, N. Y.

COWAN4ESQUE ROAD-A road to the Cowanesque Valley
which intersected the East and West Road was cut out in 1820.

A STATE ROAD, crossing the northern part of the counties of
Bradford, Tioga, and Potter, was authorized in 1821. It followed
the north fork of the Cowanesque through Whites Corners and North Bingham and met the Angelica Road at Genesee.

THE RIDGE ROAD was the first road to the Sinnemahoning
and was laid out in 1823. It left the Jersey Shore Pike two miles
south of Lymansville (Ladona), crossed Ayers Hill, followed the
ridge between Moore's Run and the south fork of the Sinnemahoning and came out at the Rees Settlement.

A STATE ROAD was opened in 1824 from Phineas Stratton's,
at the present site of Harrison Valley, and extended westward up what was called Stratton Hill, along the present "State Road" and passed J. Johnson's at the Sixteen Mile Tree."

THE COWANESQUE BRANCH ROAD was opened in 1825
and closely follows the main branch of the Cowanesque River.

EARLY SETTLERS

The first permanent settler was William Ayers who came with
his family and a colored slave boy, Aslyum Peters, from Ceres, Pa., in March, 1808, and settled at a point about two miles northeast of what is now Sweden Valley near which the East and West Road would pass. His home was open to travelers.
On the 16th of March, 1810, Major Isaac Lyman and family
located at a place later known as Lymansville, now known as Ladona.
Benjamin Burt and family came to Potter County on May 4, 1811, and settled on the East and West Road near the McKean
County line. John Peet, with his family, settled on a fifty acre tract of land about a mile below the present town of Coudersport on May 23, 1811.
In 1811, Isaac Lyman built a grist mill and in 1812 a saw mill
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at Lymansville. In 1816 he was appointed postmaster at Lymansville, the name of the post office being Coudersport. Mail was carried on horseback between Olean and Jersey Shore.
The election of county officers in 1824 necessitated the settlement of the county seat at Coudersport. John L. Cartee and family were the first permanent settlers within its present boundaries. He purchased what is now the jail site and in 1825 built a large frame house where he conducted a tavern.

COLONY SETTLERS

In September, 1852, a colony of Norwegians, under the leadership of Ole Bull, the famous Norwegian violinist, settled on a tract of land on Kettle Creek in Stewardson Township. This tract consisted
of 11,144 acres which Mr. Bull had purchased from John P. Cowan of Williamsport for the sum of $10,388. Four towns were laid out, New Bergen, New Norway, Valhalla, and Oleana, and several dweilings were erected.
Ole Bull's summer residence was situated on an eminence, about a mile from New Norway. It was a two story frame cottage 20x36 feet and was what is known today as "Ole Bull's Castle." According to reliable reports the total number of colonists was less than three
hundred.
Four months after the signing of the deed of purchase Ole Bull
transferred the property back to John F. Cowan, September 22, 1853, for the consideration of the purchase price. The colony immediately disbanded. Some pushed westward and settled in Minnesota and Wisconsin; others returned to Norway and a very few families remained in Potter County.
In 1855, William Radde, a book publisher of New York City,
organized the Pennsylvania Farm and Land Association which bought 90,000 acres from John F. Cowan in West Branch and Abbott Townships. The land was divided into 3,500 farms of twenty-five acres each and a city of 14,000 building lots, to be called Germania, was to be laid out in the center of the tract with public buildings.
The first log house was built in November, 1855. The following
winter was one of severe hardships for the new settlers who had arrived. In the spring of 1856, some land was cleared and a saw mill, store, hotel, and dwelling houses were erected by the company. Many settlers came in and took up farms. In 1858 there were about seventy
families in and near Germania who had come from the southeastern part of the state.
A handsome residence, surrounded by landscaped grounds, was built on the present site of the Braun homestead for the local agent,
Alexander Eydam.
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ORIGIN OF TOWNSHIPS

- Potter County was a part of Dunstable Township, Lycoming
County, until December 5, 1810, when Eulalia Township was organized which comprised the entire county. It was named in memory of the deceased wife of John Keating.
Roulet was next organized on January 29, 1816. It included
what are now Clara, Pleasant Valley, Roulette and Sharon Townships. It was named for John Sigsmund Roulet.
Harrison was formed from Eulalia on February 6, 1823. It'included parts of Bingham, Hector and Ulysses.
On May 3, 1826, Wharton was formed and named for Isaac
Wharton. On February 24, 1828, Eulalia was cut in half and fifteen townships, each approximately six miles square, were formed from the north half. These were Sharon, Chester, London, Bingham, Harrison, Milton, Hebron, Denmark, Ulysses, Hector, Roulet, Sweden, Eulalia, Jackson and Pike. At this time Harrison and Roulet were reduced to their present size.
Milton embraced what are now Pleasant Valley and Clara. Until organized it was attached to Roulet. In May, 1856, the name was changed to Clara.
The name of London was changed to Genesee on February 23, 1830.
When Sharon was organized on December 23,-1828, Chester
was detached from Roulet and attached to it. There is no record as to when it became a separate township. The name was changed to Oswayo on February 23, 1830.
Sharon when formed was attached to Roulet; when fully organized on December 23, 1828, Chester and Milton were attached to it.
Bingham was named in honor of William Bingham. It was fully
'organized' on February 23, 1830, and at that time detached from Harrison.
Hector was named for the town of Hector in New York State,
the former home of an early settler. It was fully organized in September, 1830, and then detached from Harrison.
Pike was organized on February 29, 1832. At an unknown date
it was detached from Harrison and attached to Sweden, as on January 2, 1832, Pike and Jackson were ordered to be separated from Sweden and conduct business with each other. It was named for John Zebulon Pike, a hero of the War of 1812.
Hebron was fully organized and detached from Eulalia on December 31, 1832., It was settled by Seventh Day Adventists who gave it the Biblical name. The first election was held in the house of Asa Coon.
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Ulysses was also organized on December 31, 1832, and at that
time detached from Harrison. It was named by Charles Parish for his home in New York State. The first election was held at the
house of Stephen Brace.
Jackson was attached to Harrison when formed. At some undiscovered date it was attached to Sweden from which it was separated, together with Pike, and ordered to conduct its business with Pike. It was separated from Pike and became a part of Ulysses on
December 18, 1875, by a decision of the voters in both townships.
Summit was formed in September, 1834, and attached to Sweden for purposes of government. No record can be found of its organization. The line between it and Homer was established on January 1, 1849.
West Branch was formed from Eulalia in September, 1834, and
named from the stream which flows through it. No date can be found of its organization and separation from Pike. A change in the township line in 1895, gave Austin Borough and eight square miles of territory to Portage.
When formed, Denmark was attached to Harrison. On February 23, 1830, it was attached to Genesee and took the name of Allegany from the river which flows within its borders. It was fully organized and separated from Genesee at September term of court in
1835.
No exact record of the organization of Sweden is found. An Act of Assembly, approved July 11, 1842, directed that "hereafter the township of Sweden should form a separate election district and elections be held in the house of George C. Rossiter. Its name was changed to Pine Creek on February 23, 1830, but soon reverted to
the original one.
Homer was formed from Eulalia. The only record relating to it
is an Act, approved March 7, 1843, directing that "the voters hereafter hold their elections in the house of John Snow in said township." It was named from a town in New York State, the former home of an early settler.
Portage was formed from Wharton and Eulalia. No dates can be found concerning it. A history of the county indicates that it was laid out about 1843 and covered the entire southwestern part of the county, west of Wharton and south of Roulet townships, including what is now Portage and practically all of Keating. It extended
eighteen miles along the McKean County line and eastward five miles.
All of the inhabited portion of Portage was included in the area which became a part of Cameron County in 1860, by Act of Legislature which provided that the township might resume its municipal
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organization whenever it should contain a sufficient population. In 1871, a portion of Sylvania along Freeman Run to Portage, containing the necessary population, was set off and organized as Portage Township.
Stewardson was formed from Eulalia and named for Thomas Stewardson. No exact dates are available, but an Act of Assembly, passed April 11, 1844, directed that Stewardson should be a separate election district and elections held at the house of Benjamin Atwood. Since no change in the election place is indicated, it may be inferred that this was the first election.
Pleasant Valley was formed from Clara in 1847 for geographical reasons and named for the fertility of the soil. No changes were ever made in its boundaries.
Abbott was formed from Eulalia and established on January 8, 1852. It was named for Thomas B. Abbott, the first postmaster at Carter Camp. It was made an election district on May 3, 1852, with elections to be held at the house of Thomas B. Abbott.
Keating was formed from Portage and Homer and approved by the court on December 19, 1856. Elections were held in the house of Pliny Harris.
Sylvania was created from Homer and Wharton and approved on December 20, 1856. The viewers recommended that the township be called "Sinnemahoning" but the court chose the name of "Sylvania."
East Fork Road District was formed from Abbott, Eulalia, Stewardson, and Wharton and was approved by Act of Assembly, April 3, 1869. Abiathar Rounsville and Samuel Hull were appointed commissioners to supervise the public highways in the district. This district is attached to Eulalia for election purposes.

ORIGIN OF BOROUGHS

AUSTIN - Incorporated from Sylvania, September 21, 1888, and was transferred to Portage in 1894. It was founded in 1856 and called Freeman Run. The name was changed to Austin to honor E. 0. Austin, the owner of the site.
COUDERSPORT - Chartered by Act of Legislature, February 7, 1848.
GALETON - Incorporation from Pike on September 7, 1896, when the population was 1800. It was first known as Pike Mills.
The present name was given in honor of William Gale and his son, Loring Gale, builders of the Galeton Tannery.
LEWISVILLE - Incorporation from Ulysses on September 23,
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1869. Named in honor of the Lewis family who settled there in1830.
OSWAYO - Incorporated from Oswayo on January 8, 1901, and named from the township. The settlement was formerly called Brindleville.
SHINGLEHOUSE - Incorporated from Sharon in March 1901.
Named from a house covered with shingles, built by a Frenchman, named Jaundrie, nearly on the site, in 1806.

20200201HAv-
UNDERGROUND RAILROAD

The route taken by fugitive slaves, known as the "Underground Railroad," passed through Potter County. The "stations" on thisroad, so far as known, were the store of John S. Mann in Coudersport, the farm of Nelson Clark two miles north of Coudersport, thehome of Sala Stevens in Clara Township, the home of Rodney Nich-ols at Millport, and the John King homstead at Ceres, Pa. Fromthat point they were guided or assisted across the frontier into Canada.

MILITARY RECORD

The number of Potter County soldiers who served in the Civil War is estimated to have been one seventh of the entire population .Every able bodied man was at the front during the latter part of the war, a record said to have not been equalled by any other county inthe United States. The soldiers' monument on the court house squarewas completed in 1874 at a cost of between $1,200 and $1,500, theamount being raised by public subscription. The names of 318soldiers who died in the Civil War are inscribed on its marble tablets.In June, 1917, 1,666 men registered for service in World War Iin addition to twenty who had already enlisted. On National Registration Day, October 16, 1940, 2,017 Potter County men, between the ages of 21 and 35, registered for service inWorld War II. Further registration statistics and service recordsare not available.

COUNTY BUILDINGS

A new court house was erected in 1852 and remodeled in 1888.In 1934, by means of a Civilian Works Administration project, ex-cavations were made underneath the building to provide space forthree additional office rooms and two rest rooms.The stone from the old combination court house and -jail wasused in the construction of the present jail, the corner stone of which...

UNDERGROUND RAILROAD

The route taken by fugitive slaves, known as the "Underground Railroad," passed through Potter County. The "stations" on this road, so far as known, were the store of John S. Mann in Coudersport, the farm of Nelson Clark two miles north of Coudersport, the home of Sala Stevens in Clara Township, the home of Rodney Nichols at Millport, and the John King homstead at Ceres, Pa. From that point they were guided or assisted across the frontier into Canada.

MILITARY RECORD

The number of Potter County soldiers who served in the Civil War is estimated to have been one seventh of the entire population.
Every able bodied man was at the front during the latter part of the war, a record said to have not been equalled by any other county in the United States. The soldiers' monument on the court house square was completed in 1874 at a cost of between $1,200 and $1,500, the amount being raised by public subscription. The names of 318 soldiers who died in the Civil War are inscribed on its marble tablets.
In June, 1917, -1,666 men registered for service in World War I in addition to twenty who had already enlisted.
On National Registration Day, October 16, 1940, 2,017 Potter County men, between the ages of 21 and 35, registered for service in World War II. Further registration statistics and service records are not available.

COUNTY BUILDINGS

A new court house was erected in 1852 and remodeled in 1888.
In 1934, by means of a Civilian Works Administration project, excavations were made underneath the building to provide space for three additional office rooms and two rest rooms. The stone from the old combination court house and -jail was used in the construction of the present jail, the corner stone of which
p.14

was laid on August 14, 1869. The contract with R. L. Decker, the builder, provided also for the building of a fire proof vault in the prothonotary's office at a total cost of $33,500.
The County Home was built at Ladona in 1901 at a cost of $58,300, plus $10,000 for the site of 400 acres.

COUDERSPORT FIRE

On May 18, 1880, occurred the great fire which laid waste
nearly all of the business section of Coudersport. The buildings on the west side of Main Street, between First and Third Streets, were totally destroyed as well as the buildings on Second Street, between West and East Streets, with the exception of the court house. Temporary buildings were erected at once and immediate measures were
taken to replace the destroyed wooden buildings by those of brick, many of which were ready for occupancy the following autumn.
The year 1880 marked the beginning of a new era for Potter
County. Increased lumber manufacture, erection of tanneries, and the building of railroads gave promise of many industries soon to follow.

TANNERIES

The early settlers tanned animal hides and manufactured their
own leather. In 1850 a small tannery was built at Kibbeville, in
Ulysses Township, and in 1861 the Sandberg Brothers erected a tannery in Coudersport.
The first of the large tanneries was built in Oswayo in 1877 and
operated until 1903. The Coudersport Tannery, built by Francis Hammond in 1880, is still in operation.
The Galeton Tannery was built in 1880 and closed in 1927. The
tannery at Harrison Valley was built in 1881 and closed in 1923.
The same year the tannery was built at Costello. This was claimed to be the largest in the world. It closed in 1922. A tannery was built in Roulette in 1886 which operated until 1901.

LUMBER INDUSTRY

Before its settlement Potter County was covered almost entirely by a virgin forest in which pine and hemlock predominated. Giant pines covered the Oswayo Valley and another tract covered the
southern and south eastern parts. Mingled with the pine forests were magnificent hemlocks. Those on the slopes of Freeman Run were judged to be the finest in the world. Beautiful specimens of
hardwood timber were also abundant.
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Commercialized lumber business began in 1837 when the jOswayo Lumber-Company was organized for the purpose of marketing the pine timber in the Oswayo Valley.
In the early days a large number of water power saw mills operated for local use only. In- 1850 there were 83 saw mills in the county with an annual output of 20,750,000 -feet, valued at seven dollars per thousand. Only two of these mills, located in Hebron Township, were operated by steam.
Rafts were the chief means of transporting the timber. They were usually run in the spring when the streams were swollen. The principal streams of the county were declared by the state to be public highways, thus making them free for the running of timber. In 1889 the supply of pine timber was practically exhausted.
Lumbering on a much larger scale began in 1884 when Frank
H. Goodyear of Buffalo, N. Y., -bought timber tracts in the county and began the manufacture of lumber on Freeman Run which, in a
few months, brought the town of Austin into existence.
With his brother, Charles W. Goodyear as partner, the firm
was known as the Goodyear Lumber Company. Additional purchases extended nearly across the southern part of the county. Mills were built at various points which were quickly surrounded by towns of
mushroom growth and rails were laid for a- transportation system.
The last tract of the Goodyear hemlock was cut on the Nine Mile in 1908.
The Emporium Lumber Company built, a large saw mill at Keating Summit in 1892, another at Crippentown on the West Branch in 1899, and in 1901 purchased the hardwood mill at Austin, built by A. G. Lyman in 1890.
R. W. Clinton's Sons built a large mill in 1884 a short distance east of Pike Mills which they sold to the Goodyears in 1895.
In 1887 the Lackawanna Lumber Company built a large saw mill
five miles below Coudersport. The expansion of their business produced the town of Mina. This company also built a large mill on the Cross Fork in 1893 which became the nucleus of the town of Cross Fork which reached a population of 1500.
In 1911 the Central Pennsylvania Lumber Company purchased the Goodyear mill at Galeton. In 1916 they built a mill at Portage Run, near Costello, where in December, 1920, was sawed the last hemlock log, thus bringing to a close the great lumber industry of Potter County.

OTHER INDUSTRIES

Among the present (1949) industries in Potter County are:
at Coudersport,
- Abbott's Dairies, Inc., manufacturers of milk products;
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- American Silver Truss Corporation, manufacturers of rubber goods;
- Anchor Toy Corporation, toy manufacturers;
- Brownhill & Kramer,Inc., manufacturers of full fashion hosiery;
- Coudersport Live Stock Market, Inc., operates cooperatively;
- James Elliott Lumber Company, lumber and mill work;
- Keystone Tanning and Glue Company, manufacturers of leather;
- L. H. Lincoln & Son, manufacturers of tanning materials;
- Victor Mason Creamery, manufactures ice cream.
(p.17)

At Galeton,
- M. M. Smith and Son, manufacturers of gloves;
Galeton Production Company, a branch of the Sylvania Tube Inc.,
manufacturers of radio tubes; Galeton Foundry, a branch of the Lennox Stove Company, and the B & 0 Railroad Shops.
At Shinglehouse is located a planing mill, the Sharon Feed Mill, and the Norton Cement Block plant.
- In January, 1946, the Gray Chemical Plant at Roulette and a chemical plant at Genesee came under the ownership of the Susquehanna Chemical Corporation.
The plant at Genesee ceased operation on February 28, 1949, and was immediately dismantled. The plant at Roulette, the only remaining chemical plant in the county, closed permanently on March 19, 1949.
Industries that formerly operated but are non-existant include
glass plants, a tile plant, bottle plant, basket factory, clothes-pin factory, kindling wood plants, heading and stave plants, roller bearing plant, mangle roller plant, a brick plant, a hub factory, furniture plant, two breweries, and several chemical plants.
The Bayless Pulp and Paper Company erected a large plant at
Austin in 1900 and also constructed a huge dam about a mile above
the town. On September 30, 1911, the dam broke and it flood waters ravaged the town, causing about eighty deaths and great property damage in the Freeman Run valley. On July 18, 1942, the dam
again burst and caused great damage to the town of Austin. On December 23, 1943, the plant was destroyed by fire.

TRANSPORTATION

In early days much of the traveling was done on foot or on
horseback. As the roads were improved wagons were used more generally. Goods were brought into the county from New York City to Dansville, N. Y., by way of the Erie Canal and hauled from there by wagon. Goods from Philadelphia were brought to Jersey Shore on
the canals and transported by wagon teams from that point.
In 1851 the Erie Railroad reached Genesee Station (Wellsville, N. Y.), twenty miles from Coudersport. A weekly mail and passenger service was begun in April of that year and in September was scheduled to operate every day except Sunday.
p.17

The first railroad to enter Potter County was the Buffalo, New
York, and Philadelphia Road which was opened to Port Allegany on November 10, 1872, and to Emporium by January 1, 1873. An attempt had been made to build a railroad, to be known as the Buffalo, Pine Creek, and Jersey Shore Road from Port Allegany to Williamsport which was to pass through Coudersport and shorten the present rail distance by one hundred miles. Construction was made on the roadbed at both ends of the line, the southern part of which entered the Pine Creek Gorge at Harrison Park. The project
was abandoned for various reasons, chief of which was the bankruptcy of the Reading Rail Road which was the sponsor.
In 1882 the Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad Company
built a narrow gauge line between Port Allegany and Coudersport. It was widened to standard gauge in 1889.
The Fall Brook Road was extended from Westfield, Pa., to Harrison Valley in 1883, to Mills in 1890, and to Ulysses in 1893. In 1895, the C. and P. A. connected with this line at Ulysses.
The Addison and Pennsylvania Railroad was built to Gaines in
Tioga County by way of the Cowanesque Valley in 1883 and was extended to Pike Mills later that year. The first train ran into Galeton on January 5, 1885.
The New York and Pennsylvania, first known as the Olean, Oswayo, and Eastern, was begun at Genesee and opened to Oswayo in 1894. An extension was opened to Rexville, N. Y., in 1895 and to Canisteo in 1896. In 1899 it was continued to Millport and in 1900 to Shinglehouse. A year later it was extended to Ceres.
In 1885 Frank H. Goodyear built a railroad from Keating Summit to Freeman Run, extended it to Costello the following year, and
to Hulls in 1892. He completed a road from Austin to Galeton over the "Switch Back" in 1893 which was opened for passenger traffic from Austin to Galeton and to Cross Fork in 1894. A branch line was opened from the "Switch Back" to Cross Fork about the same time. A line between Galeton and Ansonia was opened in 1894.
In 1893 the Goodyear lines were consolidated into one system,
known as the Buffalo and Susquehanna. A line was opened from Galeton to Wellsville in 1895, the Goodyears having obtained the
Wellsville, Coudersport, and Pine Creek Road which was built from Wellsville to Genesee in 1890. This line was extended to Buffalo in December, 1906. The shops were located in Galeton and the main office established there in 1898. In this year the B. and S. and the
Addison and Northern Roads were consolidated.
The first train ran to Sinnemahoning in January, 1901, and to DuBois in 1905. In 1897 a spur was built from Hickox to Harmon
p.18

town in the Genesee valley. Another branch left the main line at Jamison, two miles below Hulls, and ran over the hill to Hammersley by way of Foster Hollow.
A trolley line from Shinglehouse to Bolivar and Olean was
opened in 1902 and operated until 1927.
The last train ran into Cross Fork on May 31, 1913, the population having dwindled to less than two hundred. The Cross Fork Branch was taken up soon after.
The Wellsville-Buffalo Division of the B. and S. was discontinued in November, 1916. In 1932 the B. and S. System merged with the Baltimore and Ohio. The line now extends from Wellsville to Addison via Galeton.
In September, 1916, the stockholders of the N. Y. and P. Road asked permission of the Public Service Commission to abandon the road. Permission was granted and the western end ceased operation in December, 1917, and was partly dismantled east of Genesee. In
1919 the company was reorganized, the line restored, and freight traffic resumed to Canisteo. Owing to financial difficulties the line was abandoned in June, 1936.
The line between Austin and Keating Summit was abandoned in December, 1935.
The flood of July 18, 1942, so seriously damaged the Sinnema'
honing Valley Line that permission was granted by the Interstate Commerce Commission to abandon fifty-four miles of the road, from
Sinnemahoning through Wharton to Burrows, and from Wharton
to Austin.
The same flood removed so much of the C. and P. A. Road that no trains reached Roulette until September. There has been no service below that point since. The eastern end of the line extends to Newfield Junction to connect with the B. and 0. A Diesel engine was put into operation on the C. and P. A. in August, 1946.
Bus service through Potter County was established on April 9, 1928, by the Great Eastern Stages, Inc. This line was acquired by the Eastern Greyhound Lines, Inc., of Ohio, in January, 1930, transferred to Eastern Greyhound Lines, Inc., of New York, in January, 1934, and the name changed to Central Greyhound Lines, Inc., of New York, November 27, 1935. The operation finally changed to Central Greyhound Lines, Inc., on April 1, 1948.
The Colussy Air Port, between Coudersport and Roulette, was
opened in September, 1933, the Cherry Springs Air Field in August, 1935, and the Potato City Air Port in August, 1948.
p.19

GAS AND ELECTRICTY

The first gas line in the county was laid to Millport from a well
in Sharon Township in December, 1886. In 1893 gas was piped to Coudersport from fields near Port Allegany. The first gas well in the Hebron field was opened in August, 1900, and the Roulette field in 1901.
The first of the deep wells was opened on the Samuel Booth farm in Hebron on November 10, 1931, which revived the gas industry for several years. Its decline began with the beginning of World War II.
A large gas well in Wharton Township in 1948 has attracted attention to that locality.
An electric light plant was built in Coudersport in 1893 for local
use. In 1927 the West Penn Power Company extended a line from Springdale, Pa., to Coudersport. In April, 1923, the North Penn Power Company began service to Galeton from its plant at Blossburg.
Rural electrification began in the fall of 1937 when the first lines
were built in Harrison Township.

TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH

The Tide Water Pipe Line Company completed a telegraph line to Coudersport on February 24, 1879. The following day Coudersport sent a dispatch to Williamsport and received a reply the same
day.
The first telephone line was opened from Keating Summit to
Costello in November, 1881. It was built by the Costello Company for use in their tannery office. A line from Coudersport to Harrison Valley, via Sweden Valley, Brookland, and Ulysses was opened May 7, 1883.

SCHOOLS

The first school in the county was taught on Ayers Hill in the
winter of 1816-17. The Coudersport Academy was built in 1840 and opened in February, 1841. The Lewisville Academy was built in 1859 and opened in September of that year. The first graded school in the county was opened in Oswayo Township in 1868 in a two room school house. It existed for only two terms. A larger graded school was established about 1890.

RELIGIOUS MEETINGS

John Peet, the pioneer of 1811, was the first to act in the capacity of a preacher, often reading sermons to gatherings and conducting
p.20

funerals. Elder Davenport of Massachusetts, a Baptist Missionary, held meetings at Lymansville about 1816. In 1825, Father Conant, a Methodist Missionary, living at what is now Westfield, Pa., held services in the homes of settlers.

OTHER INSTITUTIONS

Potter County has four public libraries, one hospital, and one
Children's Home. Coudersport is said to be the smallest town, in size, in the world, to have a Masonic Consistory.
Potter County has a total of 259,297 acres of state forest land which has been under the supervision of District Forester, Harry E. Elliott, since 1923. On this area nine Civilian Conservation Corps camps were established in 1933. This was a federal project for che
purpose of counteracting the disasterous results of the depression on youths by providing them with employment, housing, and food, under
the supervision of competent United States officers.
In April, 1945, the Lyman Run Camp received two hundred
German Prisoners of War who were employed in the cutting of
wood for chemical use until the following December when they were discharged.
Potter County is also known as the "Sportsman Paradise." Five
thousand hunting licenses were issued in 1947.

AGRICULTURE

On December 21, 1852, the Potter County Agricultural and
Horticultural Society was organized. Under its management the first
county fair was held in the court house on October 13-14, 1858.
These fairs were discontinued during the Civil War, resumed in 1876 and abandoned in 1897.
The decline of the lumber industry focused attention upon agriculture. In 1916 a Potter County Farm Extension Bureau was established under the management and direction of County Agent, Bert Straw. In 1921, B. A. Rockwell was appointed to fill the newly
created office of County Supervisor of Agricultural Education. In 1925 he was succeeded by Henry W. Staiger who established vocational schools in various parts of the county.
The first successful experiment in certified seed potatoes in Potter County was conducted by Lewis S. Erway on his farm at Raymond in 1919-1920, when he produced what was called "The Erway Certified Seed Potato.
It was soon discovered that Potter County possesses the essential
p.21

natural factors for the successful production of potatoes. In 1926 a project, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Cooperative Potato Growers'
Association, was begun which, in its development, has made Potter County foremost in the experimentation and production of potatoes.
In that year Dr. Ernest L. Nixon of State College, Pa., began
experimenting in the county with seedling potatoes. To date (January 1949) more than 150,000 seedlings have been developed and tested and four varieties have been named. In 1948 Potter County achieved a record of raising ninety per cent of all the certified potatoes in the state.
In 1938 Camp Potato on Denton Hill, eight miles east of Coudersport, was dedicated to this project. In July, 1947, the Potato Growers' Association purchased adjoining property and, in 1948, ground was broken for "Potato City," to consist of an administration building, one hundred feet square, of native stone, at a cost of $100,-
000 and also a number of county or district cottages to bring the
total cost to one half million dollars.
Potato Field Day, held annually in August, is an event which
brings together hundreds of potato growers throughout the state. Inspection tours are made to various potato fields and the occasion is climaxed by the ceremony of crowning a "Potato Queen," a custom which began in 1936 and has continued since.
The project of raising peas and string beans on a large scale was begun in the spring of 1947 and a vinery was erected at Gold.

SOIL CONSERVATION

On December 5, 1945, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture announced that Potter County had become the first in the state to establish a soil conservation district, under the State Soil Conservation Act, passed by the 1945 legislature. The object is to assist farmers in conserving their soil through control of erosion, improving woodlands, draining and improving wet lands, preservation of wild life, and improving economic conditions.
The county organization, consisting of one county commissioner and four practical farmers, was completed and a survey of the county begun in May, 1946, by three representatives of the Soil Conservation Service.
Several farmers have availed themselves of this service and, by means of strip ploughing and ditching, are conserving their hillside soil.
Thus, after a century and a half of development, Potter County
has finally achieved the goal which its owners and founders prescribed for it, viz., an agricultural county of distinction.
p.22

INDEX TO CONTENTS
Agriculture - page 21
Colony Settlers -page 8
Coudersport Fire -page 15
County Buildings -page 14
Early Roads -page 6
Early Settlers - page 7
Establishment and Organization -page 5
Gas and Electricity -page 20
Lumber Industry -page 15
Map of Potter County -page 12
Military Records- .. page 14
Natural Features -page 4
Origin of Boroughs - page 11
Origin of Townships -page 9
Other Industries - ----- page 16
Other Institutions -....... ----- page 21
Religious Meetings ----- page 20
Schools . ..... page 20
Soil Conservation --- -- page 22
Tanneries ----- page 15
Telephone and Telegraph -- --- page 20
Transportation ----- page 17
Underground Railroad -... ----- page 14
p.23

Rare Books Room
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