Woodward Township, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Woodward Township is a township in Lycoming County
, Pennsylvania
, in the United States. The population was 2,397 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Williamsport
, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area.
. It is named for Apollos Woodward who was an associate judge in Williamsport
at the time. The population of Woodward Township has grown to 2,397 as of the 2000 census. This is up from 817 during the 1890 census. The township which is bisceted by Quenshukeny Run semi-rural in nature. The northern parts of the township less heavily populated than the southern parts which lie on U.S. Route 220
and serve as a suburb
for Williamsport and Jersey Shore
.
When Woodward township was first settled by migrants from Europe
it was outside the boundaries of the Province of Pennsylvania
. These settlers were not under the rule or protection of the colonial government in Philadelphia. Together they formed their own form of government that was administerd by a group of pioneers known as the Fair Play Men
. These early settlers banded together to provide law and order to a land that was wild and dangerous.
Brattan Caldwell, a native of County Kildare
, Ireland
, migrated to the Thirteen Colonies
in 1770. He arrived in Philadelphia and from there moved to Lancaster County
. He joined with other pioneers and they followed the Susquehanna River
and West Branch Susquehann River into the frontier. Brattan Caldwell and the other settlers arrived in what is now Woodward Township in 1772. They cleared land along the river its tributaries. Caldwell married Elcy Hughes in the winter of 1775 on the south side of the river in Nippenose Township. This part of the West Branch Susquehanna River Valley was under the jurisdiction and protection of the colonial government of Pennsylvania. The Hughes' were married by a Northumberland County
Justice of the Peace
. It was the first marriage to take place in the settlements west of Lycoming Creek
.
In 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. Brattan Caldwell and his family fled to Lancaster County and did not return to their land until after Sullivan's Expedition. Caldwell obtain legal rights to the land he has settled in 1784 following the second Treaty of Fort Stanwix
.
Linden is the only village in Woodward Township. It sprung up as a shanty town
during the construction of the Pennsylvania Canal
. The contractors building the canal
built a shanty town
for the laborer
s who were building the canal.
, the township has a total area of 13.6 square miles (35.3 km²).13.2 square miles (34.1 km²) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.2 km²) of it (3.45%) is water.
Woodward Township is bordered by Anthony Township
to the north, Old Lycoming Township and Williamsport
to the east, the West Branch Susquehanna River
to the south (with Susquehanna Township
south of the river), and Piatt Township to the west. The township contains the unincorporated communities of Glosser View, Linden, and Pine Run.
As the crow flies
, Lycoming County is about 130 miles (209 km) northwest of Philadelphia and 165 miles (266 km) east-northeast of Pittsburgh.
of 2000, there were 2,397 people, 946 households, and 693 families residing in the township. The population density
was 182.2 people per square mile (70.3/km²). There were 1,010 housing units at an average density of 76.8/sq mi (29.6/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 98.25% White, 0.75% African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.08% from other races
, and 0.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.17% of the population.
There were 946 households out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.6% were married couples
living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 21.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the township the population was spread out with 23.5% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 27.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 99.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.3 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $35,398, and the median income for a family was $38,750. Males had a median income of $30,345 versus $19,500 for females. The per capita income
for the township was $15,659. About 6.8% of families and 8.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.7% of those under age 18 and 6.6% 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 2,397 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.
History
Woodward Township was formed on November 23, 1855 by dividing Anthony TownshipAnthony Township, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania
Anthony Township is a township in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The population was 904 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
. It is named for Apollos Woodward who was an associate judge in 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...
at the time. The population of Woodward Township has grown to 2,397 as of the 2000 census. This is up from 817 during the 1890 census. The township which is bisceted by Quenshukeny Run semi-rural in nature. The northern parts of the township less heavily populated than the southern parts which lie on U.S. Route 220
U.S. Route 220
U.S. Route 220 is a long U.S. Route in the eastern United States.US 220 is a spur route of U.S. Route 20 but at present, the two routes do not intersect nor do they connect via other spurs of US 20. The former U. S. Route 120, which was signed in Pennsylvania between 1926 and 1967, intersected...
and serve as a suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
for Williamsport and Jersey Shore
Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania
Jersey Shore is a borough in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is on the West Branch Susquehanna River, west by south of Williamsport. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. In the past, Jersey Shore held farms, railroad shops, cigar factories, a...
.
When Woodward township was first settled by migrants from Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
it was outside the boundaries of 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...
. These settlers were not under the rule or protection of the colonial government in Philadelphia. Together they formed their own form of government that was administerd by a group of pioneers known as the Fair Play Men
Fair Play Men
The Fair Play Men were illegal settlers who established their own system of self-rule from 1773 to 1785 in the West Branch Susquehanna River valley of Pennsylvania in what is now the United States. Because they settled in territory claimed by Native Americans, they had no recourse to the...
. These early settlers banded together to provide law and order to a land that was wild and dangerous.
Brattan Caldwell, a native of County Kildare
County Kildare
County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, migrated to the Thirteen Colonies
Thirteen Colonies
The Thirteen Colonies were English and later British colonies established on the Atlantic coast of North America between 1607 and 1733. They declared their independence in the American Revolution and formed the United States of America...
in 1770. He arrived in Philadelphia and from there moved to Lancaster County
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Lancaster County, known as the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is a county located in the southeastern part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010 the population was 519,445. Lancaster County forms the Lancaster Metropolitan Statistical Area, the...
. He joined with other pioneers and they followed the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
and West Branch Susquehann River into the frontier. Brattan Caldwell and the other settlers arrived in what is now Woodward Township in 1772. They cleared land along the river its tributaries. Caldwell married Elcy Hughes in the winter of 1775 on the south side of the river in Nippenose Township. This part of the West Branch Susquehanna River Valley was under the jurisdiction and protection of the colonial government of Pennsylvania. The Hughes' were married by a Northumberland County
Northumberland 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...
Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
. It was the first marriage to take place in the settlements west of Lycoming Creek
Lycoming Creek
Lycoming Creek is a tributary of the West Branch Susquehanna River located in Tioga and Lycoming counties in Pennsylvania in the United States.-Geography:...
.
In 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. Brattan Caldwell and his family fled to Lancaster County and did not return to their land until after Sullivan's Expedition. Caldwell obtain legal rights to the land he has settled in 1784 following the second Treaty of Fort Stanwix
Treaty of Fort Stanwix
The Treaty of Fort Stanwix was an important treaty between North American Indians and the British Empire. It was signed in 1768 at Fort Stanwix, located in present-day Rome, New York...
.
Linden is the only village in Woodward Township. It sprung up as a shanty town
Shanty town
A shanty town is a slum settlement of impoverished people who live in improvised dwellings made from scrap materials: often plywood, corrugated metal and sheets of plastic...
during the construction of the Pennsylvania Canal
Pennsylvania Canal
Pennsylvania Canal refers generally to a complex system of canals, dams, locks, tow paths, aqueducts, and other infrastructure including, in some cases, railroads in Pennsylvania...
. The contractors building the canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
built a shanty town
Shanty town
A shanty town is a slum settlement of impoverished people who live in improvised dwellings made from scrap materials: often plywood, corrugated metal and sheets of plastic...
for the laborer
Laborer
A Laborer or labourer - see variation in english spelling - is one of the construction trades, traditionally considered unskilled manual labor, as opposed to skilled labor. In the division of labor, laborers have all blasting, hand tools, power tools, air tools, and small heavy equipment, and act...
s who were building the canal.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited 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 13.6 square miles (35.3 km²).13.2 square miles (34.1 km²) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.2 km²) of it (3.45%) is water.
Woodward Township is bordered by Anthony Township
Anthony Township, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania
Anthony Township is a township in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The population was 904 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
to the north, Old Lycoming Township and 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...
to the east, the West Branch Susquehanna River
West Branch Susquehanna River
The West Branch Susquehanna River is one of the two principal branches, along with the North Branch, of the Susquehanna River in the northeastern United States. The North Branch, which rises in upstate New York, is generally regarded as the extension of the main branch, with the shorter West Branch...
to the south (with Susquehanna Township
Susquehanna Township, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania
Susquehanna Township is a township in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The population was 993 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
south of the river), and Piatt Township to the west. The township contains the unincorporated communities of Glosser View, Linden, and Pine Run.
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.
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 2,397 people, 946 households, and 693 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 182.2 people per square mile (70.3/km²). There were 1,010 housing units at an average density of 76.8/sq mi (29.6/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 98.25% White, 0.75% African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.08% 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 0.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.17% of the population.
There were 946 households out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.6% 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, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 21.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the township the population was spread out with 23.5% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 27.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 99.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.3 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $35,398, and the median income for a family was $38,750. Males had a median income of $30,345 versus $19,500 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 $15,659. About 6.8% of families and 8.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.7% of those under age 18 and 6.6% 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....