Plunketts Creek Township, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Plunketts Creek Township is a township in Lycoming County
, Pennsylvania
, in the United States. It includes the villages of Barbours and Proctor. The population was 771 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Williamsport
, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area.
and what is now Davidson Township, Sullivan County by the Pennsylvania General Assembly
during its December sessions of 1836. The township was once much larger in size, more than a few townships in both Lycoming and Sullivan Counties have been carved from what was once Plunketts Creek Township. The township is named for Plunketts Creek
which is a tributary
of Loyalsock Creek
. The creek is in turn named for Colonel William Plunkett who was a frontier doctor and militia
officer during the pre-Revolution
years in the Province of Pennsylvania
. He was noted for his skill in dressing the wounds of pioneers who had been scalped
by both the French and Indians during the French and Indian War
. Plunkett was also a veteran of the Pennamite-Yankee War
which pitted settlers from Connecticut
to the Wyoming Valley
of Pennsylvania against those who had been established in Pennsylvania prior to the Connecticut settlers arrival. He received title to land at what is now the mouth of Plunketts Creek. Therefore the land surrounding the creek was generally known as "Plunketts Creek". The township was to originally be called Plunkett Township. Some residents of the township did not approve of this name. They questioned William Plunkett's loyalty for he had remained largely "passive" regarding the American Revolution. Some believed that he sympathized with the cause of the Tories
during the Revolution.
A compromise was reached by naming it Plunketts Creek Township. While others wanted to honor one of the first and most important settlers to the area.
The first white man to live in Plunketts Creek Township was a man with the surname of Paulhamus. Tradition states that he was deserter during the Revolutionary War. He fled from the Red coats
and cleared a small piece of land in the wilderness along Loyalsock Creek near the mouth of Bear Creek. Paulhamus was a squatter on the land from 1770 until 1776 when it is thought that he was forced to rejoin the British Army. Permanent settlers did not arrive in Plunketts Creek Township until 1818. Three men Donelly, Smith and Payne found the cabin that had been abandoned by Paulhamus. They expanded Paulhamus' improvements and began farming
, fishing
and hunting
in the area.
was the principal industry in Plunketts Creek Township during the mid-to-late 19th century. Thousands of acres of old-growth forest were harvested and floated down Loyalsock Creek and its tributaries to one of the many sawmill
s that had sprung up throughout Lycoming County. There were several sawmills in Barbours, a village along Loyalsock Creek, in Plunketts Creek Township.
In 1832 John Barbour built a sawmill
on Loyalsock Creek near the mouth of Plunketts Creek. This developed into the village of Barbours Mills, today known as Barbours. In the 19th century, Barbours had several blacksmith
s, a temperance
hotel, post office
, many sawmills, a school, store and wagon maker. In 1840, a road was built north from Barbours along Plunketts Creek, crossing it several times. This is the earliest possible date for construction of the bridge, but the surviving county road docket on the construction does not mention either bridges or fords for crossing the creek.
The bridge is at the mouth of Coal Mine Hollow, and the road it was on was used by the lumber
and coal
industries, which were active in Plunketts Creek Township during the 19th century and early 20th century. Creeks in the township supplied water power to 14 mills in 1861, and in 1876 there were 19 sawmills, a shingle
mill, a wool
en factory, and a tannery
there. ref name="sock country"> These industries supported the inhabitants of two villages in Plunketts Creek Township by the latter half of the 19th century.
In 1868 the village of Proctorville was built as a company town
for Thomas E. Proctor's tannery. Proctor, as it is now known, is 1.66 miles (2.7 km) north of Barbours along Plunketts Creek. The bark from Eastern hemlock
trees was used in the tanning process, and the village originally sat in the midst of vast forests of hemlock. The tannery employed "several hundred" at wages between 50 cents and US$
1.75 a day. These employees lived in one hundred twenty company houses, which each rented for $2 a month. In 1892, Proctor had a barber shop, two blacksmiths, cigar stand, I.O.O.F
hall, leather shop, news stand, a post office (established in 1885), a two-room school, two stores, and a wagon shop.
Hemlock bark, used in the tanning process, was hauled to the tannery from up to 8 miles (12.9 km) away in both summer and winter, using wagons and sleds. The hides which were tanned to make leather came from the United States, and as far away as Mexico
, Argentina
, and China
. Finished sole leather was hauled by horse-drawn wagon south about 8 miles (12.9 km) to Little Bear Creek, where it was exchanged for "green" hides
and other supplies brought north from Montoursville
. The lumber boom on Plunketts Creek ended when the virgin timber ran out. By 1898, the old growth hemlock was exhausted and the Proctor tannery, then owned by the Elk Tanning Company, was closed and dismantled.
Plunketts Creek Township has been a place for both lumber and tourism since its villages were founded, and as industry declined, nature recovered. Second growth forest
s have since covered most of the clear-cut land. Pennsylvania's state legislature authorized the acquisition of abandoned and clear-cut land for Pennsylvania State Game Lands
in 1919, and the Pennsylvania Game Commission
(PGC) acquired property along Plunketts Creek for State Game Lands Number 134 between 1937 and 1945. The main entrance to State Game Lands 134 is just north of the bridge site, on the east side of the creek.
The PGC established the Northcentral State Game Farm in 1945 on part of State Game Lands 134 to raise wild turkey. The farm was converted to ringneck pheasant
production in 1981, and, as of 2007, it was one of four Pennsylvania state game farms producing about 200,000 pheasants each year for release on land open to public hunting. The Northcentral State Game Farm is chiefly in the Plunketts Creek valley, just south of Proctor and north of the bridge. The opening weekend of the trout season brings more people into the village of Barbours at the mouth of Plunketts Creek than any other time of the year.
The Bridge in Plunketts Creek Township
was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1988, but delisted in 2002, after washed out by a flood in 1996.
Plunketts Creek Township is bordered by Sullivan County
to the northeast, Shrewsbury Township
to the southeast, Mill Creek
and Upper Fairfield Townships to the south, and Eldred
, Gamble and Cascade Townships 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 55.2 square miles (143.1 km²).55.2 square miles (143.0 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.04%) is water.
of 2000, there were 771 people, 322 households, and 226 families residing in the township. The population density
was 14.0 people per square mile (5.4/km²). There were 501 housing units at an average density of 9.1/sq mi (3.5/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 98.44% White, 0.52% African American, 0.91% Native American, and 0.13% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.26% of the population.
There were 322 households out of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.1% were married couples
living together, 4.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.8% were non-families. 23.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.84.
In the township the population was spread out with 21.4% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 97.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.7 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $40,481, and the median income for a family was $43,542. Males had a median income of $31,125 versus $22,014 for females. The per capita income
for the township was $20,563. About 4.7% of families and 6.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.6% of those under age 18 and 1.9% 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. It includes the villages of Barbours and Proctor. The population was 771 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Williamsport
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...
, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Colonial and Revolutionary era
Plunketts Creek Township was formed from parts of Franklin Township, Lycoming CountyFranklin Township, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania
Franklin Township is a township in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The population was 915 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
and what is now Davidson Township, Sullivan County by the Pennsylvania General Assembly
Pennsylvania General Assembly
The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. In colonial times , the legislature was known as the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly. Since the Constitution of 1776, written by...
during its December sessions of 1836. The township was once much larger in size, more than a few townships in both Lycoming and Sullivan Counties have been carved from what was once Plunketts Creek Township. The township is named for Plunketts Creek
Plunketts Creek (Loyalsock Creek)
Plunketts Creek is an approximately tributary of Loyalsock Creek in Lycoming and Sullivan counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Two unincorporated villages and a hamlet are on the creek, and its watershed drains in parts of five townships...
which is a tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of Loyalsock Creek
Loyalsock Creek
Loyalsock Creek is a tributary of the West Branch Susquehanna River located chiefly in Sullivan and Lycoming counties in Pennsylvania in the United States...
. The creek is in turn named for Colonel William Plunkett who was a frontier doctor and militia
Militia (United States)
The role of militia, also known as military service and duty, in the United States is complex and has transformed over time.Spitzer, Robert J.: The Politics of Gun Control, Page 36. Chatham House Publishers, Inc., 1995. " The term militia can be used to describe any number of groups within the...
officer during the pre-Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
years in the Province of Pennsylvania
Province 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...
. He was noted for his skill in dressing the wounds of pioneers who had been scalped
Scalping
Scalping is the act of removing another person's scalp or a portion of their scalp, either from a dead body or from a living person. The initial purpose of scalping was to provide a trophy of battle or portable proof of a combatant's prowess in war...
by both the French and Indians during the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
. Plunkett was also a veteran of the Pennamite-Yankee War
Pennamite-Yankee War
The Pennamite-Yankee War was the intermittent conflict between 1769 and 1799 between settlers from Connecticut who claimed the land along the North Branch of the Susquehanna River in the present Wyoming Valley, and settlers from Pennsylvania who laid claim to the same lands.-Grants to Connecticut...
which pitted settlers from Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
to the Wyoming Valley
Wyoming Valley
Wyoming Valley is a region of northeastern Pennsylvania. As a metropolitan area, it is also known as the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area, after its principal cities, Scranton and Wilkes-Barre....
of Pennsylvania against those who had been established in Pennsylvania prior to the Connecticut settlers arrival. He received title to land at what is now the mouth of Plunketts Creek. Therefore the land surrounding the creek was generally known as "Plunketts Creek". The township was to originally be called Plunkett Township. Some residents of the township did not approve of this name. They questioned William Plunkett's loyalty for he had remained largely "passive" regarding the American Revolution. Some believed that he sympathized with the cause of the Tories
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...
during the Revolution.
A compromise was reached by naming it Plunketts Creek Township. While others wanted to honor one of the first and most important settlers to the area.
The first white man to live in Plunketts Creek Township was a man with the surname of Paulhamus. Tradition states that he was deserter during the Revolutionary War. He fled from the Red coats
Red coat (British army)
Red coat or Redcoat is a historical term used to refer to soldiers of the British Army because of the red uniforms formerly worn by the majority of regiments. From the late 17th century to the early 20th century, the uniform of most British soldiers, , included a madder red coat or coatee...
and cleared a small piece of land in the wilderness along Loyalsock Creek near the mouth of Bear Creek. Paulhamus was a squatter on the land from 1770 until 1776 when it is thought that he was forced to rejoin the British Army. Permanent settlers did not arrive in Plunketts Creek Township until 1818. Three men Donelly, Smith and Payne found the cabin that had been abandoned by Paulhamus. They expanded Paulhamus' improvements and began farming
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
and hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
in the area.
Logging and tanning era
LoggingLogging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
was the principal industry in Plunketts Creek Township during the mid-to-late 19th century. Thousands of acres of old-growth forest were harvested and floated down Loyalsock Creek and its tributaries to one of the many sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
s that had sprung up throughout Lycoming County. There were several sawmills in Barbours, a village along Loyalsock Creek, in Plunketts Creek Township.
In 1832 John Barbour built a sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
on Loyalsock Creek near the mouth of Plunketts Creek. This developed into the village of Barbours Mills, today known as Barbours. In the 19th century, Barbours had several blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
s, a temperance
Temperance movement
A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
hotel, 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...
, many sawmills, a school, store and wagon maker. In 1840, a road was built north from Barbours along Plunketts Creek, crossing it several times. This is the earliest possible date for construction of the bridge, but the surviving county road docket on the construction does not mention either bridges or fords for crossing the creek.
The bridge is at the mouth of Coal Mine Hollow, and the road it was on was used by the lumber
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
and coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
industries, which were active in Plunketts Creek Township during the 19th century and early 20th century. Creeks in the township supplied water power to 14 mills in 1861, and in 1876 there were 19 sawmills, a shingle
Shake (shingle)
A shake is a basic wooden shingle that is made from split logs. Shakes have traditionally been used for roofing and siding applications around the world. Higher grade shakes are typically used for roofing purposes, while the lower grades are used for siding purposes...
mill, a wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
en factory, and a tannery
Tanning
Tanning is the making of leather from the skins of animals which does not easily decompose. Traditionally, tanning used tannin, an acidic chemical compound from which the tanning process draws its name . Coloring may occur during tanning...
there. ref name="sock country"> These industries supported the inhabitants of two villages in Plunketts Creek Township by the latter half of the 19th century.
In 1868 the village of Proctorville was built as a company town
Company town
A company town is a town or city in which much or all real estate, buildings , utilities, hospitals, small businesses such as grocery stores and gas stations, and other necessities or luxuries of life within its borders are owned by a single company...
for Thomas E. Proctor's tannery. Proctor, as it is now known, is 1.66 miles (2.7 km) north of Barbours along Plunketts Creek. The bark from Eastern hemlock
Eastern Hemlock
Tsuga canadensis, also known as eastern or Canadian hemlock, and in the French-speaking regions of Canada as pruche du Canada, is a coniferous tree native to eastern North America. It ranges from northeastern Minnesota eastward through southern Quebec to Nova Scotia, and south in the Appalachian...
trees was used in the tanning process, and the village originally sat in the midst of vast forests of hemlock. The tannery employed "several hundred" at wages between 50 cents and US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
1.75 a day. These employees lived in one hundred twenty company houses, which each rented for $2 a month. In 1892, Proctor had a barber shop, two blacksmiths, cigar stand, I.O.O.F
Independent Order of Odd Fellows
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows , also known as the Three Link Fraternity, is an altruistic and benevolent fraternal organization derived from the similar British Oddfellows service organizations which came into being during the 18th century, at a time when altruistic and charitable acts were...
hall, leather shop, news stand, a post office (established in 1885), a two-room school, two stores, and a wagon shop.
Hemlock bark, used in the tanning process, was hauled to the tannery from up to 8 miles (12.9 km) away in both summer and winter, using wagons and sleds. The hides which were tanned to make leather came from the United States, and as far away as Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Finished sole leather was hauled by horse-drawn wagon south about 8 miles (12.9 km) to Little Bear Creek, where it was exchanged for "green" hides
Hides
A hide is an animal skin treated for human use. Hides include leather from cattle and other livestock animals, alligator skins, snake skins for shoes and fashion accessories and furs from wild cats, mink and bears. In some areas, leather is produced on a domestic or small industrial scale, but most...
and other supplies brought north from 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...
. The lumber boom on Plunketts Creek ended when the virgin timber ran out. By 1898, the old growth hemlock was exhausted and the Proctor tannery, then owned by the Elk Tanning Company, was closed and dismantled.
20th century
Without timber and the tannery, the populations of Proctor and Barbours declined. The Barbours post office closed in the 1930s and the Proctor post office closed on July 1, 1953. Both villages also lost their schools and almost all of their businesses. Proctor celebrated its centennial in 1968, and a 1970 newspaper article on its thirty-ninth annual "Proctor Homecoming" reunion called it a "near-deserted old tannery town". In the 1980s, the last store in Barbours closed, and the former hotel (which had become a hunting club) was torn down to make way for a new bridge across Loyalsock Creek.Plunketts Creek Township has been a place for both lumber and tourism since its villages were founded, and as industry declined, nature recovered. Second growth forest
Secondary forest
A secondary forest is a forest or woodland area which has re-grown after a major disturbance such as fire, insect infestation, timber harvest or windthrow, until a long enough period has passed so that the effects of the disturbance are no longer evident...
s have since covered most of the clear-cut land. Pennsylvania's state legislature authorized the acquisition of abandoned and clear-cut land for Pennsylvania State Game Lands
Pennsylvania State Game Lands
The Pennsylvania State Game Lands are lands managed by the Pennsylvania Game Commission for hunting, trapping, and fishing. These lands, often not usable for farming or development, are donated to the PGC or purchased by the PGC with hunting license monies.The Pennsylvania Game Commission runs a...
in 1919, and the Pennsylvania Game Commission
Pennsylvania Game Commission
The Pennsylvania Game Commission is the state agency responsible for wildlife conservation and management in Pennsylvania in the United States...
(PGC) acquired property along Plunketts Creek for State Game Lands Number 134 between 1937 and 1945. The main entrance to State Game Lands 134 is just north of the bridge site, on the east side of the creek.
The PGC established the Northcentral State Game Farm in 1945 on part of State Game Lands 134 to raise wild turkey. The farm was converted to ringneck pheasant
Common Pheasant
The Common Pheasant , is a bird in the pheasant family . It is native to Georgia and has been widely introduced elsewhere as a game bird. In parts of its range, namely in places where none of its relatives occur such as in Europe , it is simply known as the "pheasant"...
production in 1981, and, as of 2007, it was one of four Pennsylvania state game farms producing about 200,000 pheasants each year for release on land open to public hunting. The Northcentral State Game Farm is chiefly in the Plunketts Creek valley, just south of Proctor and north of the bridge. The opening weekend of the trout season brings more people into the village of Barbours at the mouth of Plunketts Creek than any other time of the year.
The Bridge in Plunketts Creek Township
Plunketts Creek Bridge No. 3
Plunketts Creek Bridge No. 3 was a rubble masonry stone arch bridge over Plunketts Creek in Plunketts Creek Township, Lycoming County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It was built between 1840 and 1875, probably closer to 1840, when the road along the creek between the unincorporated villages of...
was added to 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...
in 1988, but delisted in 2002, after washed out by a flood in 1996.
Geography
Sullivan County, Pennsylvania
Sullivan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population is 6,428. Sullivan County was created on March 15, 1847, from part of Lycoming County and named for Charles Sullivan, leader of the Pennsylvania Senate...
to the northeast, Shrewsbury Township
Shrewsbury Township, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania
Shrewsbury Township is a township in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The population was 433 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
to the southeast, Mill Creek
Mill Creek Township, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania
Mill Creek Township is a township in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The population was 572 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
and Upper Fairfield Townships to the south, and Eldred
Eldred Township, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania
Eldred Township is a township in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The population was 2,178 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. The unincorporated village of Warrensville is located in Eldred Township.-Formation and...
, Gamble and Cascade Townships 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 55.2 square miles (143.1 km²).55.2 square miles (143.0 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.04%) is water.
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 771 people, 322 households, and 226 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 14.0 people per square mile (5.4/km²). There were 501 housing units at an average density of 9.1/sq mi (3.5/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 98.44% White, 0.52% African American, 0.91% Native American, and 0.13% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.26% of the population.
There were 322 households out of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.1% 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, 4.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.8% were non-families. 23.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.84.
In the township the population was spread out with 21.4% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 97.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.7 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $40,481, and the median income for a family was $43,542. Males had a median income of $31,125 versus $22,014 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 $20,563. About 4.7% of families and 6.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.6% of those under age 18 and 1.9% 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....