News of Yesteryear and Historic Williamsport is a section of the web site by Robin Van Auken dedicated to educating and entertaining visitors of all ages with stories and illustrations of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and its surrounding towns.

Ten Hours or No Sawdust: Sawdust War of 1872

Sawdust riot. America in the 1870s was rife with labor strife and turbulence. The lumber camps and sawmills of the Williamsport area were no exception. In 1872, Williamsport’s “lumber boom” was in full flower and great fortunes were being made by a select few. Unfortunately, the great wealth did not make its

Schools Through the Years

8-Square School was the first public school in Lycoming County Multi-million dollar physical plants, computer labs, swimming pools, gymnasiums and various bits of audiovisual equipment make a modern day school in Lycoming County a virtual palace of learning, but it wasn’t always this way. The first schools in Lycoming County had the humblest

Allen P. Perley

West Branch National Bank In  past ages the history of a country was the record of wars and conquests; today it is the record of commercial activity, and those whose names are foremost in its annals are the leaders in business circles. The conquests now made are those of mind over matter,

2017-10-27T13:29:29-04:00By |News of Yesteryear|

The Office of the Coroner ~ Then and Now

“In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes.” ~ Benjamin Franklin Yes—it is certain. Our days on this earth are numbered. Most of us will live a long, interesting, and fulfilling life. Some of us, unfortunately, will die suddenly, mysteriously, or violently. In those cases, that is the time when the county

The Lycoming County Prison: Then and Now

Throughout history, the question of how to punish criminals has been answered quite differently. Throwing the misdeed-doer in jail has not always been the solution. Corporal punishment, forced labor, and social ostracism were methods more often used in medieval Europe, in England and colonial America. But by the 18th century, the first prisons in

Salladasburg and its founder

One of the most picturesque towns in the western part of Lycoming County is Salladasburg. It also is the home of the noted Cohick's Trading Post, a Lycoming County institution.Captain Jacob Sallade founded Salladasburg in 1837, laying out lots for the town and building Lutheran and Presbyterian churches there. Larry's Creek Bridge Located on Larry's

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