Nippenose Township, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Nippenose Township is a township in Lycoming County
, Pennsylvania
, in the United States. The population was 729 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Metropolitan Statistical Area.
in 1786 by a session of the Northumberland County court that was held in Sunbury
. It did not become part of Lycoming County until Lycoming County was also formed from Northumberland County in 1795. Nippenose Township was originally much larger than it is today. It spread over parts of what are now, Clinton
, Centre
and Lycoming Counties. The population of Nippenose Township was 588, in 1890, compared to the slightly higher population of 729 as of the 2000 census.
, hence the name "Nippenose."
An additional source of the name is that there is only one way into and out of the valley without going over a mountain. This gap is bordered on the west by a mountain with nip in the end of it. Like a nipped nose.
. One of the most prominent eary settlers was Colonel John Henry Antes. He is thought to have arrived as early as 1772. His last name is featured prominently in place names in Nippenose Township. Antes Creek the main creek in the valley and Antes Fort a small village both bear his name. Antes built stockade
around his home, his neighbors came to call it "Antes Fort
" and the name has lived on to today. Colonel Antes also built a grist mill at the mouth of Antes Creek on the West Branch Susquehanna River
in 1777. This mill was burned during the Revolutionary war.
During the American Revolutionary War
, settlements throughout the Susquehanna valley were attacked by Loyalists
and Native Americans allied with the British. After the Wyoming Valley battle and massacre in the summer of 1778 (near what is now Wilkes-Barre
) and smaller local attacks, the "Big Runaway
" occurred throughout the West Branch Susquehanna valley. Settlers fled feared and actual attacks by the British and their allies. Homes and fields were abandoned, with livestock driven along and a few possessions floated on rafts on the river east to Muncy
, then further south to Sunbury
. The abandoned property was burnt by the attackers. Some settlers soon returned, only to flee again in the summer of 1779 in the "Little Runaway". Sullivan's Expedition helped stabilize the area and encouraged resettlement, which continued after the war.
When things finally calmed down in 1792, Colonel Antes returned to Nippenose Township and rebuilt his mill this second mill was a vital link the economy of Nippenose Township until 1873 when a new mill was built in its place. Antes furthered his enterprises by building a carding
and fulling mill on the banks of Antes Creek in 1810. Antes died in 1820. Ownership of the mills was passed onto his son-in-law Elias P. Youngman. Youngman and his sons expanded the business yet again in 1835 by adding machinery that was able to clean clover
seed. Clover seed was very expensive at the time, a bushel
of the seed sold for as much as $24.00. Clover was very important to farmers for providing ground cover and as a food supply for their grazing dairy cows.
and Bastress Townships to the east, Limestone Township
to the south, and Clinton County
, Porter Township
and Jersey Shore to the west. As the crow flies
, 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
, the township has a total area of 11.2 square miles (29.1 km²).10.7 square miles (27.7 km²) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.4 km²) of it (4.81%) is water.
Within a number of caves in this valley a new species of fish, a type of troglomorphic sculpin, was identified in 2003 by Luis Espinasa, an associate professor of biology at Marist College.
of 2000, there were 729 people, 284 households, and 211 families residing in the township. The population density
was 68.2 people per square mile (26.3/km²). There were 296 housing units at an average density of 27.7/sq mi (10.7/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 98.90% White, 0.14% from other races
, and 0.96% from two or more races.
There were 284 households out of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.9% were married couples
living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.4% were non-families. 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the township the population was spread out with 24.6% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 98.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.0 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $40,357, and the median income for a family was $45,469. Males had a median income of $33,958 versus $19,167 for females. The per capita income
for the township was $18,118. About 4.8% of families and 6.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.7% of those under age 18 and 3.4% of those age 65 or over.
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. The population was 729 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Williamsport is a city in and the county seat of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania in the United States. In 2009, the population was estimated at 29,304...
Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Nippenose Township was formed as part of Northumberland CountyNorthumberland County, Pennsylvania
There were 38,835 households out of which 27.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.40% were married couples living together, 9.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.10% were non-families. 30.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.50% had...
in 1786 by a session of the Northumberland County court that was held in Sunbury
Sunbury, Pennsylvania
Sunbury is a city in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city is located on the east bank of the Susquehanna River, just downstream of the confluence of its main and West branches. The population was 9,905 at the 2010 census...
. It did not become part of Lycoming County until Lycoming County was also formed from Northumberland County in 1795. Nippenose Township was originally much larger than it is today. It spread over parts of what are now, Clinton
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...
, Centre
Centre County, Pennsylvania
Centre County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 153,990....
and Lycoming Counties. The population of Nippenose Township was 588, in 1890, compared to the slightly higher population of 729 as of the 2000 census.
Etymology
The story behind the name of Nippenose Township is unclear. There are two competing stories. One states that it is named for the Indian phrase, "Nippeno-wi", meaning a warm and genial summer like place. The other story behind the name is traces back an old Indian named Nippenose. The early settlers told the story of the old man who lingered in the valley after it was settled by whites. Apparently this man's nose had been "nipped" by exposure to the frostFrost
Frost is the solid deposition of water vapor from saturated air. It is formed when solid surfaces are cooled to below the dew point of the adjacent air as well as below the freezing point of water. Frost crystals' size differ depending on time and water vapour available. Frost is also usually...
, hence the name "Nippenose."
An additional source of the name is that there is only one way into and out of the valley without going over a mountain. This gap is bordered on the west by a mountain with nip in the end of it. Like a nipped nose.
Colonel John Henry Antes
The first colonial settlers arrived in the Nippenose area in 1769. Henry Clark was the first to arrive with a "warrant" to the land from the colonial Pennsylvania governmentProvince of Pennsylvania
The Province of Pennsylvania, also known as Pennsylvania Colony, was founded in British America by William Penn on March 4, 1681 as dictated in a royal charter granted by King Charles II...
. One of the most prominent eary settlers was Colonel John Henry Antes. He is thought to have arrived as early as 1772. His last name is featured prominently in place names in Nippenose Township. Antes Creek the main creek in the valley and Antes Fort a small village both bear his name. Antes built stockade
Stockade
A stockade is an enclosure of palisades and tall walls made of logs placed side by side vertically with the tops sharpened to provide security.-Stockade as a security fence:...
around his home, his neighbors came to call it "Antes Fort
Fort Antes
Fort Antes was a stockade surrounding the home of Colonel John Henry Antes, built circa 1778 in Revolutionary Pennsylvania in the United States. The fort was built under the direction of Colonel Antes, who was a member of the Pennsylvania militia...
" and the name has lived on to today. Colonel Antes also built a grist mill at the mouth of Antes Creek on the West Branch Susquehanna River
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 1777. This mill was burned during the Revolutionary war.
During the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, settlements throughout the Susquehanna valley were attacked by Loyalists
Loyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
and Native Americans allied with the British. After the Wyoming Valley battle and massacre in the summer of 1778 (near what is now Wilkes-Barre
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...
) and smaller local attacks, the "Big Runaway
Big Runaway
The Big Runaway occurred in 1778, during the American Revolutionary War, when settlements throughout the West Branch Susquehanna Valley in Pennsylvania in what became the United States were attacked by Loyalists and Native Americans allied with the British...
" occurred throughout the West Branch Susquehanna valley. Settlers fled feared and actual attacks by the British and their allies. Homes and fields were abandoned, with livestock driven along and a few possessions floated on rafts on the river east to Muncy
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...
, then further south to Sunbury
Sunbury, Pennsylvania
Sunbury is a city in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city is located on the east bank of the Susquehanna River, just downstream of the confluence of its main and West branches. The population was 9,905 at the 2010 census...
. The abandoned property was burnt by the attackers. Some settlers soon returned, only to flee again in the summer of 1779 in the "Little Runaway". Sullivan's Expedition helped stabilize the area and encouraged resettlement, which continued after the war.
When things finally calmed down in 1792, Colonel Antes returned to Nippenose Township and rebuilt his mill this second mill was a vital link the economy of Nippenose Township until 1873 when a new mill was built in its place. Antes furthered his enterprises by building a carding
Carding
Carding is a mechanical process that breaks up locks and unorganised clumps of fibre and then aligns the individual fibres so that they are more or less parallel with each other. The word is derived from the Latin carduus meaning teasel, as dried vegetable teasels were first used to comb the raw wool...
and fulling mill on the banks of Antes Creek in 1810. Antes died in 1820. Ownership of the mills was passed onto his son-in-law Elias P. Youngman. Youngman and his sons expanded the business yet again in 1835 by adding machinery that was able to clean clover
Clover
Clover , or trefoil, is a genus of about 300 species of plants in the leguminous pea family Fabaceae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution; the highest diversity is found in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, but many species also occur in South America and Africa, including at high altitudes...
seed. Clover seed was very expensive at the time, a bushel
Bushel
A bushel is an imperial and U.S. customary unit of dry volume, equivalent in each of these systems to 4 pecks or 8 gallons. It is used for volumes of dry commodities , most often in agriculture...
of the seed sold for as much as $24.00. Clover was very important to farmers for providing ground cover and as a food supply for their grazing dairy cows.
Antes Fort
The village of Antes Fort rose up around the train station that was built in Nippenose Township to service the borough of Jersey Shore which is the north and across the West Branch Susquehanna River from Nippenose Township. Antes Fort went through several name changes. The surveyor who drew up the towns plans called it "Granville". This name was seldom uses as the locals preferred to call it "Jersey Shore Station". The name Antes Fort was not bestowed on the village until 1861 when the United States Post Office established a branch there and named it in honor of Colonel Antes' stockade.Geography
Nippenose Township is on the south shore of the West Branch Susquehanna River in western Lycoming County. It is bordered by the river to the north, SusquehannaSusquehanna 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:...
and Bastress Townships to the east, Limestone Township
Limestone Township, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania
Limestone Township is a township in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The population was 2,136 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
to the south, and 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...
, Porter Township
Porter Township, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania
Porter Township is a township in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The population was 1,633 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:Porter Township, named for David R...
and Jersey Shore 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 township has a total area of 11.2 square miles (29.1 km²).10.7 square miles (27.7 km²) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.4 km²) of it (4.81%) is water.
Nippenose Valley
The region includes anticlinal karst Nippenose Valley part of the northernmost fold sequence of the Ridge and Valley Physiographic Province. Nippenose Valley is uniquely bowl-shaped and consists of a doubly plunging anticline. According to a research paper from the University of Akron, The center has been eroded, exposing carbonate rocks in the valley. There is an average total of about 470 meters of Lower to Middle Ordovician limestone and dolomite underlying the valley. The Reedsville Shale is stratigraphically above them, and overlain by the ridge forming Bald Eagle Sandstone. The valley has been intensely karstified, as evidenced by the numerous sinkholes, springs, caves, and disappearing streams.Within a number of caves in this valley a new species of fish, a type of troglomorphic sculpin, was identified in 2003 by Luis Espinasa, an associate professor of biology at Marist College.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
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 729 people, 284 households, and 211 families residing in the township. 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 68.2 people per square mile (26.3/km²). There were 296 housing units at an average density of 27.7/sq mi (10.7/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 98.90% White, 0.14% 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 0.96% from two or more races.
There were 284 households out of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.9% 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, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.4% were non-families. 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the township the population was spread out with 24.6% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 98.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.0 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $40,357, and the median income for a family was $45,469. Males had a median income of $33,958 versus $19,167 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 township was $18,118. About 4.8% of families and 6.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.7% of those under age 18 and 3.4% of those age 65 or over.
See also
For histories of the other townships in Lycoming County see- History of the Townships of Lycoming County, PennsylvaniaHistory of the Townships of Lycoming County, PennsylvaniaLycoming County was formed from Northumberland County on April 13, 1795. At the time it was formed the county was much larger than it is today. It took up most of the land that is now north central Pennsylvania....