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McHenry Township, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania

McHenry Township,
Lycoming County,
Pennsylvania
Township
Pine Creek Gorge
Map of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania highlighting McHenry Township
Map of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania highlighting McHenry Township
Map of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania
Map of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania
Coordinates: 41°23′10″N 77°27′12″W / 41.38611°N 77.45333°W / 41.38611; -77.45333Coordinates: 41°23′10″N 77°27′12″W / 41.38611°N 77.45333°W / 41.38611; -77.45333
Country United States
State Pennsylvania
County Lycoming
Settled 1785
Incorporated 1861
Government
 • Type Board of Supervisors
 • Chairman Paul W. Hoffmaster II
 • Vice-chairman Jay F. McCormick, Jr.
Area
 • Total 76.5 sq mi (198.1 km2)
 • Land 76.0 sq mi (196.9 km2)
 • Water 0.5 sq mi (1.2 km2)
Elevation 1,896 ft (578 m)
Population (2000)
 • Total 145
 • Density 1.9/sq mi (0.7/km2)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
FIPS code 42-46184
GNIS feature ID 1216757
Website McHenry Township

McHenry Township is a township in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 145 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area.

McHenry Township was tentatively formed from parts of Cummings, Brown and Cogan House Townships on November 15, 1856. It was originally known as Kingston Township. Soon afterwards the name was changed to McHenry in honor of a Jersey Shore surveyor, Alexander H. McHenry. The formal establishment of the township remained in limbo for nearly five years. Some of the residents in the area were opposed to the formation of a new township. In fact it took sixteen years for what is now McHenry Township to finally be formed. The initial proposal was placed before the court in 1845 and again in 1855, this was followed by the 1856 case and was finally settled on August 21, 1861 when it was formed from Cummings and Brown Township.

The first warrant for land in what is now McHenry Township was issued to John Nixon on May 17, 1785. John English and his wife, Fanny Boatman, settled on the largest island in the area as early as 1784. They left hurriedly after a warning from a friendly Indian, Shawnee John, returning about a year later. Claudius Boatman and his son-in-law, Comfort Wanzer, married to Mary "Polly" Boatman, settled in the area in 1785. Boatman, a Frenchman by birth, formerly lived in the Buffalo Valley area of Union county, Pennsylvania, first near Winfield, then in Mahoning township, before moving further up the West Branch Susquehanna River to Pine Creek. Boatman, at that time married to his second wife, Esther, had a rather large family. A daughter, Rebecca, married and lived a long life despite being partially scalped when she was 15 in 1782; her mother, Boatman's first wife was killed in the same incident. Esther Boatman served as a nurse and rural physician for the pioneers along Pine Creek. The descendants of Claudius Boatman remain in fairly large numbers in western Lycoming County.


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