While Michael Ross was settling the City of Williamsport, selling parcels of land to frontier families and immigrants, another enterprising resident of the West Branch Valley was being hoodwinked from her home and business. Widow Smith's Walk Catherine Smith, an old woman "of great business tact and energy," had erected gristmills and sawmills
Rachel Silverthorn warns the settlers (WPA mural) While Gen. George Washington's Continental Army fought the British, settlers along the Susquehanna River also considered themselves at war with the displaced Indians. Conflicts escalated daily. Rumors of a planned massacre of settlers were taken seriously. In August 1778, the Big Runaway began along the
Samuel Wallis was among the giants of early Lycoming County history -- probably the largest landholder in the area in the last 30 years of the 18th century. According to John F. Meginness' monumental "History of Lycoming County" written in 1892, Wallis was "the most energetic, ambitious, persistent, and untiring land speculator who ever
Coin found at Long Reach Archaeology Dig Historic preservation is an admirable, though difficult, goal to obtain. Preservation works best in communities that have programs managed at the local government level. In 2003, Williamsport's City Council considered an amendment to a zoning ordinance that would result in new
During the tumultuous years leading up to the French and Indian War, early settlers in Northcentral Pennsylvania had two choices: They could leave the fertile valleys of the Susquehanna, or take their chances with sporadic AmericanIndian raids during which farms were destroyed and entire families would be slaughtered.
Prehistoric American Indians skillfully managed the natural bounty of the Susquehanna River region by living in accordance with the seasons. They hunted, fished, gathered nuts, berries and other wild foods, and they cultivated corn, beans and squash. According to archaeologists, Indians were successful in populating the New World for more than 16,000 years --
Scott Barn in The Narrows, Lycoming County Williamsport, Pennsylvania is a small metropolis with a dramatic history. Famous throughout the world for its impressive forest products, it once boasted more millionaires per capita than any American city. A hale and hearty pioneer village on the West Branch of the Susquehanna River, early
I'm collecting resources for an ambitious project in a different genre -- gaslight/steampunk. I've combed the Internet and Amazon for articles and books, focusing my research on technology, flight, and European events and people circa 1860-1870. I wanted a visual resource so I ordered Irwin Allen's "Five Weeks in a Balloon." Based upon the Jules
I have a confession: the title of my upcoming book, "East of Eaton," is not original.No, the bookstore with the cunning name (a play upon John Steinbeck's "East of Eden"), had been "Gateway." My idea was to partition the store with arched gateways leading from one section of the store to another. Gateway also referred
Now that "Distracted" is published, available as an eBook and a paperback through the major booksellers -- Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, iBooks, Smashwords, etc. -- I'm planning a virtual book tour. The more I research book tours and blogging, the more I think marketing the book is harder than writing it. Not only that,
I recall that early summer day in Chicago well. I was excited about attending Book Expo America, an annual conference for book publishers and authors to promote directly to book sellers.It was my first book -- a non-fiction title I co-authored. We were standing at a podium in the large arena with a long line
We do it all the time. We say "yes" to people when we really mean to say "no." For some reason, most of us think we should put other people's wants and needs first; that our wants and needs are secondary.
Let's say you're a writer and you've been working on a new book. Is it close to being finished? Have you worked with a professional editor to smooth out the rough spots, clean up your grammar and fix the punctuation? What's holding you back from self-publishing it? Just asking because the sales statistics for
Everybody loves to get something free, and plenty of writers are sharing their books with new readers. It's interesting to see how other writers are using the digital marketplace to promote their books. I've worked with publishers before and can assure you, they don't always work hard to promote a book. In fact, one publisher
Famous in the 19th century for its lumber products, Williamsport, Pennsylvania is a small mountainous town. Situated on the West Branch of the Susquehanna River, its residents enjoyed easy access to virgin forests of hemlock and white pine. It once boasted more millionaires per capita than any American city. Its legacy is Millionaires Row, Victorian-era
