Williamsport, Pennsylvania
| Williamsport | |
|---|---|
| City | |
| City of Williamsport | |
West 4th Street in Downtown Williamsport (2014)
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| Nickname(s): Billtown | |
| Motto: The will is in us | |
 Map of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania highlighting Williamsport |
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 Williamsport
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| Coordinates: 41°14′40″N 77°1′7″W / 41.24444°N 77.01861°WCoordinates: 41°14′40″N 77°1′7″W / 41.24444°N 77.01861°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Lycoming |
| Settled | 1769 |
| Incorporated | 1806 (borough) |
| 1866 (city) | |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Gabe Campana (R) |
| • City Council President | Dr. Jonathon Williamson (R) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 9.5 sq mi (24.7 km2) |
| • Land | 8.9 sq mi (23.0 km2) |
| • Water | 0.7 sq mi (1.7 km2) |
| Elevation | 518 ft (158 m) |
| Population (2009) | |
| • Total | 29,304 |
| • Density | 3,456.3/sq mi (3,456.3/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC−5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC−4) |
| ZIP Codes | 17701,17702,17703,17705 |
| Area code | 570 |
| FIPS code | 42-85312 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1213655 |
| Website | www.cityofwilliamsport.org |
Williamsport is a city in and the county seat of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. In 2009, the population was estimated at 29,304. It is the principal city of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of about 117,000.
Williamsport was settled by Americans late in the 18th century, and the town began to prosper due to its lumber industry. By the early 20th century, the town reached the height of its prosperity and the population has since declined by about a third from its peak of around 45,000 in 1950.
Williamsport is the birthplace of Little League Baseball. South Williamsport, a town nearby, is the headquarters of Little League Baseball and annually hosts the Little League World Series in late summer.
Colonial settlement in what is today Williamsport dates back to 1786 but the area was previously inhabited by the Iroquois. Williamsport was incorporated as a borough on March 1, 1806, and as a city on January 15, 1866. In the late 19th century, Williamsport was known as "The Lumber Capital of the World" because of its thriving lumber industry. The city is the original home of Little League Baseball, founded in 1939 as a three-team league. Following World War II the city's population and economic prosperity have declined.
In 1763 the Battle of Muncy Hills took place during the French and Indian War. It was a clash between the Native Americans and colonists seeking homestead sites in Native American territory. In 1768, at the Treaty of Fort Stanwix, the British purchased the land that became Lycoming County from the Iroquois Nation who controlled the lands.
In 1786 the first house was built in Williamsport. James Russell built his inn on what is now the corner of East Third and Mulberry Streets in downtown. On April 13, 1795 Lycoming County was formed from Northumberland County. It encompassed all the lands of Northumberland County situated west of Muncy Hills and was a domain of 12,500 square miles (32,000 km2), comprising most of north central Pennsylvania. In 1796 the first recorded childbirth in Williamsport was James Russell the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Russell and grandson of James Russell of the Russell Inn and the first school was built as a one-room log addition to the building that would eventually become the first Lycoming County Courthouse. In 1798 the first brick house in Williamsport was erected on Front Street, between Market and Mulberry, by Andrew Tulloh, a lawyer. The bricks were made on the banks of Grafius Run where that stream crossed Hepburn Street.
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Wikipedia