Potter County, PA
| Potter County, Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|
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 Location in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania |
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 Pennsylvania's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | September 1, 1826 |
| Named for | James Potter |
| Seat | Coudersport |
| Largest borough | Coudersport |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1,082 sq mi (2,802 km2) |
| • Land | 1,081 sq mi (2,800 km2) |
| • Water | 0.2 sq mi (1 km2), 0.02% |
| Population (est.) | |
| • (2015) | 17,093 |
| • Density | 16/sq mi (6/km²) |
| Congressional district | 5th |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 |
| Website | www |
Potter County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 17,457, making it the fifth-least populous county in Pennsylvania. Its county seat is Coudersport. The county was created in 1804 and later organized in 1836. It is named after James Potter, who was a general from Pennsylvania in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. Though it is named for him, James Potter never actually lived in Potter County and may have never even visited the area.
Potter County is located in the Allegheny Plateau region.
Major Isaac Lyman, an American Revolutionary war veteran was one of the first permanent settlers in Potter County. Major Lyman is recognized as the founder of Potter County. He was paid ten dollars for each settler he convinced to move to Potter County. He built his home in 1809 in nearby Lymansville, now known as Ladona, now Coudersport. Major Lyman also built the first road to cross Potter County and Potter County's first sawmill and gristmill.
Lyman had a colorful personal history. After the death in childbirth of his first wife, Sally Edgecombe, he remarried; later he left his second wife and started a third family in Potter County. The second Mrs. Lyman was determined not to suffer on her own. She sought out the Major, travelling from Bolton Landing, New York to Potter County with the help of their son, Burrell, who was 18 at the time. Major Lyman lived with these two families in Potter County. Historical accounts of the living situation vary. Some say that Lyman kept both wives under one roof. Others state that there were two log homes for the families on the same piece of property. Descendants of Major Isaac Lyman's three families still live and work in Potter County.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,082 square miles (2,800 km2), of which 1,081 square miles (2,800 km2) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2) (0.02%) is water.
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