News of Yesteryear

James Pollock: ‘In God We Trust’
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James Pollock: ‘In God We Trust’

When you look at your coins with the inscription “In God We Trust,” know that a former President Judge of the Lycoming County Courts was responsible. That judge’s name was James Pollock, whose career would span a broad canvas of public service. Born in Milton on September 11, 1810, he was educated at the

2020-09-19T17:15:36-04:00By Lou Hunsinger Jr.|Lou Hunsinger Jr., News of Yesteryear|

Fred Plankenhorn
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Fred Plankenhorn

Remember the days of sock hops, school dances and DJs spinning "hot wax"? Fred Plankenhorn does. He was right in the middle of all that and is still keeping memories alive after 46 years. As a teenager Plankenhorn always wanted to be a disc jockey. When he was a sophomore in high school he

2017-10-27T13:46:50-04:00By Lou Hunsinger Jr.|Lou Hunsinger Jr., News of Yesteryear|

Early railroads in Lycoming County

The arrival of the railroads in Lycoming County came fairly early but it was somewhat tentative.The first railroad in the Williamsport area was the Williamsport and Elmira Railroad, which was incorporated by the Pennsylvania legislature on June 9, 1832. But it would not be until 1839 that the railroad was fully operational.According to an article

2016-11-30T10:20:10-05:00By Lou Hunsinger Jr.|News of Yesteryear|

When Johnny Went Marching to War

Civil War Soldiers' Monument in Muncy Cemetery. Lycoming County, like other areas across the North, answered President Abraham Lincoln’s call for 75,000 troops to put down the rebellion by the Confederate states with great patriotic fervor. Within 12 days of the Confederates firing on Fort Sumter, Lycoming County mustered three companies consisting

2017-10-27T13:46:59-04:00By Lou Hunsinger Jr.|Lou Hunsinger Jr., News of Yesteryear|

Christmas of 1942

A war was raging across the globe and there were many vacant chairs at dinner tables that Christmas of 1942. They were vacant either through the absence of a loved one serving his country in some far flung place across the world, or sadder yet the chairs may have been made permanently vacant to due

2016-11-29T12:24:58-05:00By Lou Hunsinger Jr.|Lou Hunsinger Jr., News of Yesteryear|

A Renovo Mystery
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A Renovo Mystery

The following is a reprint from Grit: America’s Greatest Family Newspaper A Renovo Mystery Dec. 15, 1882 A newsboy delivers Grit to a rural customer. RENOVO -- Patrick Shelly, a well-known citizen who held the positions of the town council, high constable, and tax collector, was found dead along the water's edge of

2021-03-11T11:45:03-05:00By Robin Van Auken|News of Yesteryear|

Henry Johnson: The Soldiers’ Suffragist

An obscure state senator from Lycoming County may have played a pivotal role in helping to gain President Abraham Lincoln re-election in the tough election campaign of 1864. That state senator's name was Henry Johnson. Henry Johnson Henry Johnson was born in Newton, New Jersey, on June 12, 1819. He came from

2017-10-27T13:48:04-04:00By Lou Hunsinger Jr.|Lou Hunsinger Jr., News of Yesteryear|

Charles A. Rubright

There were numerous Lycoming County soldiers held prisoner by the Confederates during the course of the Civil War. Charles A. Rubright is one of the most notable examples. Rubright was born in Prussia on May 14, 1842. He and his family moved to America in 1845, settling in Jarrettsville, Maryland. Rubright's father died in

2017-10-27T13:48:15-04:00By Lou Hunsinger Jr.|Lou Hunsinger Jr., News of Yesteryear|

James H. Perkins: Father of the Susquehanna Boom

One of the most important men of vision and entrepreneurial skill that helped to develop Williamsport and Lycoming County into a major center of commerce was Major James H. Perkins. His foresight and boldness helped to make Williamsport the “Lumber Capital of the World” in the mid- and late-nineteenth century.Perkins was born at South Market,

2016-11-30T09:15:37-05:00By Lou Hunsinger Jr.|Lou Hunsinger Jr., News of Yesteryear|

Presidential visits to Williamsport

Williamsport has always been the most important crossroads community of Northcentral Pennsylvania. This strategic position has yielded many visits by important and distinguished personages, among these several U.S. presidents, vice presidents, and presidential candidates. Before he became president, the only native Pennsylvania president, James Buchanan is said to have visited Williamsport on several occasions.

2021-07-13T08:04:20-04:00By Lou Hunsinger Jr.|Lou Hunsinger Jr., News of Yesteryear|

D. Vincent Smith
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D. Vincent Smith

From the 1890s to the early 1950s, D. Vincent Smith was a familiar sight throughout Northcentral Pennsylvania with his box camera and heavy-duty bicycle, wearing his knickers, sneakers and scoop cap. He left behind a priceless photographic heritage. Smith was born July 24, 1875, in the Nippenose Valley, the son of James W. and

2024-10-15T14:47:59-04:00By Lou Hunsinger Jr.|Lou Hunsinger Jr., News of Yesteryear|

Militia Quells the 1833 Canal Riot

The times of the West Branch Canal from the 1830s to approximately the 1880s contain many interesting and colorful events. One of the most colorful was the "Canal Riot of 1833."

2017-10-27T13:51:52-04:00By Lou Hunsinger Jr.|Lou Hunsinger Jr., News of Yesteryear|

The ‘Great Cyclone’ of 1892

This area has had more than its share of significant weather events, the most notable being the various floods that have plagued the valley during the years. But there have been other types of weather events that have been memorable such as severe windstorms. A recent horrific storm was the “Tornado of 1985,” which

2017-10-27T13:59:51-04:00By Lou Hunsinger Jr.|Lou Hunsinger Jr., News of Yesteryear|