South Williamsport is a borough in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United
States. It is famous for hosting the Little League World Series. The
population was 6,412 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Williamsport,
Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History South Williamsport celebrated the
centennial of its incorporation as a borough in 1986. On November 29, 1886,
the Lycoming County court incorporated the villages of Rocktown, Billman, and
vicinities as the borough of South Williamsport. The land had previously
been part of Armstrong Township. The first recorded inhabitants of the
Susquehanna River valley were the Iroquoian speaking Susquehannocks. Their
name meant "people of the muddy river" in Algonquian. Decimated by diseases and
warfare, they had died out, moved away, or been assimilated into other tribes by
the early 18th century. The lands of the West Branch Susquehanna River valley
were then chiefly occupied by the Munsee clan or phratry of the Lenape, and were
under the nominal control of the Five Nations of the Iroquois.
The British purchased land from the Iroquois in the Treaty of Fort Stanwix
of 1768, opening what is now Lycoming County to settlement. After the American
Revolutionary War, Lycoming County was formed from Northumberland County, on
April 13, 1795. The county's area was originally over 12,000 square miles and
several other counties were subsequently formed from it.
Williamsport, across the river from South Williamsport, was also founded in
1795 and chosen as the county seat. The first settler in what is now South
Williamsport is believed to have been Aaron Hagerman, a transplanted
Hollander, who is thought to have arrived shortly after the end of the
American Revolutionary War. Hagermans Run, which flows through the borough,
bears his name. One of the predecessor communities was
"Rocktown". And another was Bootstown. One of the first businesses was a tavern
established near the mouth of Hagermans Run by Michael McDonough. Another early
entrepreneur, Jacob Weiss, gave the village a push toward borough status by
purchasing a tract of 40 acres and laying out town lots. Weiss also
established a brickyard near McDonough’s tavern and for many years operated an
oil mill and a gristmill. From those early times to the present,
South Williamsport’s fortunes have been linked to those of Williamsport.
Sawmills and furniture factories were among the most prosperous industries in
both communities. Planing mills and woodworking factories of all types
reached a peak of activity during the logging boom of the post-Civil War years
of the last century. The industry gradually declined in the 1890s when the
surrounding hills were finally stripped of saleable lumber and the logging crews
moved west. Today, manufacturing diversity is the
rule. The area is reforested with second-growth timber, providing scenic
beauty as well as woodland recreational opportunities. In South Williamsport,
prime employers include: Little League Baseball, Inc., Keystone Friction Hinge,
South Williamsport Area School District and the New Lycoming Bakery. Although
Bald Eagle Mountain to the south and the river on the north have restricted
development in South Williamsport, growth has been steady.
In 1890, there were 2,900 residents. About 600 young scholars attended 10
borough schools. The 2000 census counted 6,412 residents and today, 1,534
students are enrolled in three South Williamsport Area Schools Central
Elementary is on West Mountain Ave. Rommelt Elementary is on West Central
Ave. South Williamsport Area Jr./Sr. High School, Home of the Mountaineers,
is on Percy Street. The School District is also home to one of the oldest high
school football stadiums in the state, Rodney K. Morgans Stadium, which is
built into the hillside directly between Central and Rommelt Elementary Schools.
Geography South Williamsport is located at
41°13′45″N 77°0′2″W, and is surrounded by the West Branch Susquehanna River to
the north, Armstrong Township to the east and south, and Duboistown to the
west. As the crow flies, Lycoming County is about 130 miles northwest of
Philadelphia and 165 miles east-northeast of Pittsburgh.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of
2.1 square miles.1.9 square miles of it is land and 0.2 square miles of it is
water. The South Williamsport flood-control
levees are in the Baltimore District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and
have been cited as "levees of maintenance concern". Failure to repair
them will result in loss of federal assistance in a flood.
Demographics As of the census of 2000, there were
6,412 people, 2,735 households, and 1,775 families residing in the borough.
The population density was 3,414.0 people per square mile. There were 2,884
housing units at an average density of 1,535.5 per square mile. The racial
makeup of the borough was 98.74% White, 0.44% African American, 0.12% Native
American, 0.20% Asian, 0.03% from other races, and 0.47% from two or more races.
Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.56% of the population.
There were 2,735 households, out of which 30.1% had children under the age
of 18 living with them, 50.5% were married couples living together, 10.4%
had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.1% were non-families.
29.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone
living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was
2.33 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the borough the population was spread out, with 23.5% under the age of 18,
8.0% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 18.6% who were
65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females
there were 95.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.0
males. The median income for a household in the
borough was $34,018, and the median income for a family was $40,673. Males
had a median income of $31,892 versus $22,088 for females. The per capita
income for the borough was $18,658. About 8.1% of families and 10.3% of the
population were below the poverty line, including 17.2% of those under age 18
and 6.6% of those age 65 or over. Major ancestry groups reported by South
Williamsport residents include: German - 37%, Irish - 12%, Italian - 10%, English
- 8%, Pennsylvania Dutch - 5% Polish - 4%, French - 3%, Welsh - 1%, Scots-Irish
- 1%, Scottish - 1%, Swedish - 1%, Swiss - 1%
See also History of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania
References External links
South Williamsport Area School District South Williamsport History