Louis E. Hunsinger, Jr.
Louis Hunsinger Jr. is a freelance writer and historic researcher. He contributes to newspapers, as well as research journals. His areas of expertise include writing, researching, baseball, politics, popular culture, military history, and Lycoming County topics. A former writer with the Williamsport Sun-Gazette, he has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and History. He has written several books on Minor League Baseball and regional history. His hobbies are reading and watching the Williamsport CrossCutters.
- Williamsport’s Baseball Heritage, Arcadia,
- Gateway to the Majors, Penn State Press,
- Williamsport: Boomtown on the Susquehanna, Arcadia
- Williamsport: Grit Photograph Collection, Arcadia
- Lycoming County’s Industrial Heritage, Arcadia
- Williamsport Sun-Gazette: A Pictorial History, Vol. 1-3
Browse Lou’s Articles
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 1850 and his mother re-married to Daniel Dorman and in December of 1856 and they
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, New Hampshire, on March 13, 1803. After learning to work as a millwright and machinist
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. On May 28, 1892, the 23rd president of the United States, Benjamin Harrison, visited here
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 Mathilda Homan Smith. He likely learned photography from his father, James, who began taking photographs
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."
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 claimed several lives in the Elimsport area, but there have been others as well. One