USA > Pennsylvania > Lycoming County > Picture of Lycoming County, 1st ed > Part 10
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The first rural community vocational school was estab- lished in the county in 1922, and junior high schools with classes in home economics were inaugurated two years later.
Household duties were lightened by the increased use of electrical appliances. The development and improvement in radio provided the home with a new source of entertainment and en- lightenment.
Unlike many other sections of the United States, Lycom- ing County was fortunate in that the post-war boom continued for a longer period. Even the stock market crash in the fall of 1929, when prices of stocks and bonds dropped to extremely low levels had little immediate effect upon the county and its industries.
DEPRESSION DAYS
Industry continued on an even keel until the early spring of 1930, when there was a sharp decline in all commodity prices. This was followed by a curtailment in industrial ac- tivities and unemployment soon became a serious problem. In November 1930 a group of public spirited business men in Wil- liamsport formed a "Central Emergency Relief Committee" to distribute food and clothing to the needy unemployed. All of the work of this committee was done by non-salaried volunteers.
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Money to carry on the work was contributed by various com- panies, organizations, and individuals, and by means of benefit performances and dances. The first C. E. R. C. report for the period from November 24, 1930 to April 11, 1931, showed expenditures of approximately $28,000. Approximately one- fifth of the population of the city was given assistance.
In addition to food and clothing, coal, coke, and fire wood were supplied to needy families. Doctors and dentists provided medical care, and drugstores filled prescriptions at cost. In con- junction with its other activities the C. E. R. C. conducted a city-wide survey of the unemployed and appointed an employ- ment sub-committee whose function was to place men in part- time or permanent jobs. An important feature of the employ- ment sub-committee was the "re-training program" by which men who had lost jobs were taught other occupations. During the first year the committee obtained 10,169 days of work for 470 men.
The C. E. R. C. during its two years of existence pre- vented a great deal of suffering among the unemployed. Because of the work of this organization and the extensive road building program of the State Department of Highways, unemployment in the county was kept at a minimum until 1932. During the summer and fall of 1931 more than a hundred miles of high- way were constructed, a job which provided work for more than 800 men. In 1932, with the passage of the Talbot Act, money for relief purposes was provided by the state. Under this system relief was administered through a County Relief Board composed of twelve persons.
Distribution of food, fuel, and clothing by the county relief board was accomplished under the so-called "Commissary Plan." Relief was administered by volunteers. All funds were used for the purchase of food and other necessities. When it became apparent that the relief problem was a long term propo-
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sition, the State Board made provision for administrative ex- penses and assumed direct responsibility for the distribution of relief.
Under the State Emergency Relief Administration the "Community Market System" was adopted. The purpose of this method was to provide the recipient with a properly bal- anced diet at a low cost to the taxpayers. In September, 1933, the Community Market System was discontinued, and a budget system established. Under this system relief was given in a uni- form manner throughout the state. The peak of the relief case load in Lycoming County occurred in March and April of 1934 when the total number of cases reached 4,500, representing ap- proximately 22,000 persons. By July 1936 the load had fallen to 1,100 cases.
WORK PROGRAM ESTABLISHED
The Works Progress Administration was established July 1, 1935. From that date until the end of the third fiscal year on June 30, 1938, a total of $5,343,170 was expended for work relief in Lycoming County. Of this amount, $4,830,350 was paid out in wages, with $512,805 representing the cost of material and equipment. In June, 1938, W. P. A. was employ- ing 3,120 persons in the county. The greatest number em- ployed at any one time was during the two-month period im- mediately following the flood of March 1936, when 3,637 persons were on the rolls. Every employable man eligible for relief work was pressed into the task of clearing up the debris resulting from the flood.
The program of the W. P. A. was designed to provide jobs for unemployed persons of all classes including "white- collar" and professional and skilled tradesmen. Both men and women were employed. In June 1938, women's and profes- sional projects in the county employed 627 persons, 42 of whom were engaged in educational and recreational work.
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A major portion of the W. P. A. program has been con- cerned with the improvement of the county's highways. This work took on many forms. Pavements were widened, shoulders, and berms were stabilized and graded; ditches and drains opened up and improved; curves eliminated or eased; bridges constructed or repaired; retaining walls to prevent washouts and slides were built; and banks cleared of debris, fallen leaves and brush. On a number of important traffic routes in the county projects for landscaping and beautifying the rights-of-way were operated. W. P. A. projects have improved in one way or another 49 miles of primary highways, 30 miles of berms and shoulders, two miles of drainage and in addition have widened 17 miles of pavement. Rural or farm-to-market roads also have been im- proved under the program. Twenty and one-half miles of streets were paved, one mile and a half repaved, 56 miles im- proved and three miles of sidewalk laid in Williamsport and boroughs of the county. Other phases of public work include the construction or improvement of recreational facilities, such as parks, tennis courts, athletic fields, and swimming pools. During the three years 1935-1938, three new school buildings have been built, 56 rehabilitated, and additions made to two others. Twenty-four municipal buildings have been improved and three new public structures erected. Flood hazards along most of the important streams of the county have been elimi- nated. A modern airport and hangar were constructed at Mon- toursville.
Shortly after the establishment of the work program, it was recognized that many needy persons were not able to per- form manual labor. Many eligible persons had educational qualifications which could be utilized on educational and recrea- tional projects. Thirty-nine educational centers were established. Among the subjects taught in these centers were English, music, naturalization, parliamentary law, public speaking, dramatics,
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A PICTURE OF LYCOMING COUNTY
sewing, auto mechanics, Diesel and electrical engineering, build- ing construction, shop mathematics, and tool maintenance. The W. P. A. also provided instructors for the Williamsport Re- training School which had been created in 1931. This school, a cooperative enterprise, diagnoses the causes of individual unem- ployment, offers vocational training, and assists the student in adjusting himself to changing industrial requirements. More than 200 representatives of industries in the county cooperate with the school in placing retrained men in jobs. The success of the school has attracted considerable attention throughout the coun- try.
Another important depression activity is that of the Na- tional Youth Administration, which gives assistance to students who are without funds to continue their studies. During the three years of N. Y. A. ending June 30, 1938, the sum of $34,145 was spent for this phase of assistance in Lycoming County.
Information pertaining to W. P. A. activities was obtained from report of W. P. A. District, No. 8, now No. 4, for period 1935-1938.
QUESTIONS CHAPTER XII
1. What was the condition of industry and agriculture in Lycoming County in 1914?
2. How did the World War affect local industry?
3. What were the duties of the Committee of Public Safety in Lycoming County?
4. What measures were adopted to conserve food and fuel?
5. What methods were used to finance the war?
6. How was the influenza epidemic combatted in Lycoming County?
7. When did Lycoming County experience its greatest building boom?
8. How did the Central Emergency Relief Committee combat unemploy- ment?
9. What has the Works Progress Administration done in Lycoming County?
CHAPTER XIII
Contemporary Scene
N area the county contains 1,220 square miles, situated be- I tween the ridge belt and the Allegheny plateau, its topog- raphy varies from rugged mountains to the flat river plain. The boundary line of the Allegheny plateau borders the northern limits of Shrewsbury, Mill Creek, Eldred, and Hepburn Town- ships, and from the northwest corner of the latter township, it runs southwestward to the county line in Watson Township. The ridge belt lies south of this line and the Allegheny plateau north of it.
The southern half of the county consists of a hilly low- land ranging in elevation from about 500 feet in the river valleys to 1,000 feet on the hill-tops. The northern half is a plateau with an elevation of about 2,000 feet. This plateau is dissected by several large creeks, each of which has a valley about a thousand feet deep. The highest elevation in the county is more than 2,300 feet.
The streams have cut deep valleys through which they flow rapidly, and the process of stream cutting is still active. The West Branch of the Susquehanna River has a fall of about 3 feet a mile; the larger tributaries descend from 8 to 30 feet a mile; and many of the small streams in the mountains have gradients ranging from 100 to 200 or more feet a mile.
Population is densest in the valley of the West Branch, and the more important towns are located there. The moun- tainous regions are sparsely settled except along the railroads and in the lowland belts. The population is made up of native-
Williamsport as seen from Wildwood Cemetery. Bald Eagle Ridge in distance
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CONTEMPORARY SCENE
born whites, with many families of German and Irish extraction and a sprinkling of other nationalities in the industrial centers. The early settlers came largely from the southeastern part of the State. The population of the county, according to the 1930 census, is 93,421, an increase of 12.4 per cent over the 1920 figure. Growth of the county is shown by the following census figures: 1870, 47,626; 1880, 57,486; 1890, 70,579; 1900, 75,663; and 1910, 80,813.
Lycoming County lies entirely within the drainage basin of the West Branch. Its most important tributaries are Pine, Lycoming, Loyalsock, and Muncy Creeks, all of which drain the section of the county north and east of the river. Pine, Loyal- sock, and Lycoming Creeks rise in lowland belts of the plateau region outside the county, but in Lycoming County they cut through elevated sections of the plateau and form narrow val- leys 1,000 to 1,500 feet in depth. Little Muncy, Little Pine, and Larrys Creeks all have rather extensive drainage basins with- in the county. Nippenose Valley is drained by subterranean streams which disappear when they reach the limestone strata underlying the valley. Uniting under ground, they emerge in an immense spring at the valley outlet and form Nippenose Creek, which cuts a rugged gap through Bald Eagle Mountain. This stream joins the West Branch opposite Jersey Shore.
With the exception of Williamsport, Lycoming County is without a large industrial center. There are nine boroughs with a combined population of 22,557 (1930) which, with the population of Williamsport, makes a total of 68,286 resi- dents in the more thickly populated centers. Since the total population of the county is 93,421 (1930), roughly one- quarter of the residents live in rural sections. If all centers of population under 2,500 are classed as rural, the farm population would figure approximately 27 people to the square mile.
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A PICTURE OF LYCOMING COUNTY
JAKES AUT CHARTS
ATLANTIC
GASOLINE
Third Street, Williamsport, looking East, during 1936 Flood
The 1935 census gives the number of farms as 3,014. They range in size from less than 3 acres, of which there are 14, to more than 1,000 acres, of which there are 4. The farms average 100 acres in area. The average value of the farms is $3,676. Although many of the farms are thin of soil and poorly cultivated, the greater number are in an excellent state of production and yield sufficient income to support a large part of the population.
The typical Lycoming countian is proud of his county and its historical background. He firmly believes that his county is the favored spot of the world, and no amount of argument will cause him to retract. He loves to tell of the significant
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part his locality has played in the development of the state and nation. He recites tales of pioneering days on the turbulent Susquehanna and stories of trips through the wilderness from Philadelphia. The clearing of land, the building of homes and the reaping of the first crops are subjects for familiar stories handed down from father to son, mother to daughter. Family ties are closely held, and there is considerable interest in geneal- ogy. The interest in history is exemplified by collections of documents and relics brought together by local historians and anthropologists. The Lycoming Historical Society in Wil- liamsport and the Muncy Historical Society have been particu- larly active in the field of research and in the preservation of historical data. There are several excellent privately owned col- lections in the county.
Because of excellent communication and transportation facilities, the average resident of the county frequently attends grange and fraternal gatherings, and is usually well informed in current events. He is keenly interested in politics, conversant with topics of the day, and he usually has definite ideas and opinions regarding them. He will travel miles to listen to a po- litical speech and will sacrifice a night's sleep to march in a torch-light parade.
In matters of culture the county was quick to accept the idea of public education, and the philosophy of common schools was early entrenched. When an attempt to repeal the Free School Act, of 1834, was being made throughout the state, friends of education in Lycoming County vigorously fought the move- ment, and made their influence felt, not only in the retention of the original act, but also in securing valuable amendments.
Unique in the history of education in the state was the founding of the Lycoming County Normal School of Muncy, which was a pioneer of this type. District teachers' institutes which are now so popular throughout the state, owe much to
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A PICTURE OF LYCOMING COUNTY
this institution for their origin. This school, during its sixty years of existence, sent forth many scholars who later took prominent places in the educational institutions and school sys- tem of the state. Dr. Charles A. Lose of Montoursville, oldest educator in the county in years of service, was an early principal of this school. He later held the position of County Superin- tendent of Schools, Superintendent of Schools of Williamsport, Principal of the Central State Normal School at Lock Haven, President of Pennsylvania State Educational Association, and was a Member of the General Assembly for three terms. The late Dr. J. George Becht also was a principal of this institution. Through various educational stages, he was elevated to the posi- tion of Superintendent of Public Instruction. The same exper- ience holds true with Dr. Lester K. Ade who was Superintendent of Public Instruction 1935-1939. The above mentioned are but a few of the many men and women who have gone forth from this school to fill important positions.
From the time when pioneers hunted the deer and wild turkey by day and feasted and danced about the fireplace by night, the people of Lycoming County have been a sporting, pleasure-loving, light-hearted folk. There has always been time for sport and recreation here. Because of a wide diversifica- tion of landscape, the county is particularly attractive to de- votees of hunting. fishing, and hiking. Its rugged, forest- covered hills and mountains, its green valleys, and its rushing streams offer healthful out-of-doors recreation to everyone.
The mountain streams are particularly suitable for trout because of their gravelly and rocky bottoms and their sharp descent. These swift pure streams provide ideal habitats for three species of trout: the brook or charr, a native fish and the region's favorite; the rainbow, popular and game, brought from the Pacific coast; and the brown trout, imported from Europe. In the larger, slower streams the angler has a wide range in
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which to exercise his art. Depending on the time, the place, and his luck he may land one of the following species: large or small mouth black bass, pickerel, wall-eyed pike, catfish, suckers, carp, eels, yellow perch, rock bass, sunfish, chubs and any of the various types of minnows.
A network of improved roads gives the hunter easy access to the remotest mountain regions, and the county is literally peppered with hunting and fishing lodges. It is estimated that of the 127,000 deer killed in Pennsylvania during the 1938 season, Lycoming contributed 8,000. More than 350 bears were killed in the season. Ringneck pheasants are plentiful and they are hunted extensively. The State Game Farm at Loyalsockville raises thousands of game birds annually for stocking purposes. Trappers and hunters of fur-bearing animals may seek the valu- able beaver, fox, mink, raccoon, wild cat, skunk, and weasel.
THE FLOOD OF 1936
Of the many floods which have visited the county since its settlement, the one which swept through the West Branch Valley in March 1936 was by far the most widespread.
The winter of 1935-1936 had been a season of unusual severity. For weeks the temperature registered close to the zero mark and there were record snowfalls. The mountains and val- leys were blanketed to the depth of several feet. The river and its tributaries were frozen. In March sudden warm weather thawed the deep snows, and rain fell heavily in the watershed drained by the river. Despite these threatening conditions the residents were not alarmed when the river overflowed its banks in a number of places. The rain stopped falling and colder weather caused the water to recede without causing great damage.
Several days later it began to rain again. A warm sun melted the snow so quickly that water ran off the hillsides in torrents. On the night of March 17, at 9 o'clock, the Disaster
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A PICTURE OF LYCOMING COUNTY
Looking South on Market Street from Pennsylvania Railroad in Williamsport during the 1936 Flood
Preparedness and Relief Committee was called together and met in the Grit office. Steps were immediately taken to prepare for the emergency. A warning was broadcast by radio urging the people living in the threatened area to move to elevated sec- tions. The fire whistle also sounded the warning. Thousands of persons left their homes and went to higher ground.
Throughout the night the flood warnings continued. By morning the Susquehanna had overflowed its banks, and water swirled through the lower sections of cities and towns along its course. The Lycoming and Loyalsock creeks left their banks and grew to the size of rivers.
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CONTEMPORARY SCENE
At 3:30 A.M. the river stage at Williamsport had reached a height of 23 feet 11 inches. Five hours later the gauge regis- tered 27 feet 6 inches, and during the night flood stage reached the unprecedented height of 33.9 feet. Almost two-thirds of the municipality was covered with water, in some places more than ten feet deep. Most of the business and industrial district was in the flooded area. The waters deluged all but a few of the manufacturing establishments, most of the churches, all of the theatres, many schools, public buildings, hotels, and thou- sands of homes.
Hundreds of marooned persons were rescued in boats. At the height of the flood, water swept through streets and build- ings with terrific force, carrying debris, breaking windows and doors, and overturning automobiles. Telegraph and telephone lines were broken and railroad tracks wiped out. The only contact with the outer world was the radio. Station WRAK broadcast thousands of personal and business messages. With the cooperation of several amateur stations service was main- tained 24 hours a day.
Although losses were enormous, hundreds of thousands of dollars in goods were saved by the advance warnings. Despite the damage, only three lives were lost, a child at Williamsport and two men near Jersey Shore.
Shortly before daybreak on Thursday morning, March 19, the water began to recede. The downtown business district was guarded against looters. Although guards prevented pre- sons from entering parts of the city which had been flooded, ex- cept on business, hundreds of men, women, and children began to sweep out the mud in a seemingly hopeless attempt to restore a semblance of order.
An army of volunteer workers joined established agencies in relief work. Thousands of families were sheltered and fed
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in school buildings outside the flooded area. Countless others were given quarters in private homes.
Governmental agencies placed their entire forces at the dis- posal of the stricken communities. The Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Progress Administration employed hun- dreds of men in cleaning out flooded cellars and in spreading disinfectants. The American Red Cross played its part in the rehabilitation of financially embarrassed flood victims. Assist- ance came from all parts of the state. Food, fuel, and clothing were sent from other districts by the truckloads. At one time so much of this material was available that it was diverted to other areas. The Disaster Preparedness and Relief Committee was formed about four years prior to the flood of 1936, hence was ready for immediate action when the necessity arose. Had it not been for the warning issued by it the loss of life and property would have been much greater. Although the per- sonnel has been changed the committee is still intact and in case of an emergency functions in conjunction with the Lycoming County Chapter of the American Red Cross.
THE LAST RAFT
The greatest news event in Lycoming County during 1938 was the tragedy of Pennsylvania's "Last Raft." The lives of seven men were lost when the log craft crashed against the piers of the railroad bridge at Muncy, March 20, 1938, while on its historic trip down the West Branch of the Susquehanna River. Without warning, a happy carefree journey, heralded as a last tribute to the daring raftsmen of the logging days, sud- denly turned to tragedy before the horrified eyes of hundreds of onlookers.
The men who perished in the disaster were Harry C. Con- nor, of Burnside, chief pilot; Dr. Charles F. Taylor, Burgess of Montgomery; Thomas C. Proffitt, of Chester, newsreel cam-
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View of Williamsport, 1854
eraman; Harold Berringer, of Tyrone; Malcolm McFarland, of Montclair; W. W. Holly, of Bradford; and W. C. VanScoyoc, of Philadelphia.
The raft, 112 feet long and 28 feet wide, was built of giant white pine logs cut from the forests near McGees Mills, Clearfield County, near the source of the West Branch. R. Dudley Tonkin, of Clearfield, one of the surviving members of an old lumbering family, suggested the project to re-enact a typical rafting scene from the hewing of the timber to the final "tie-up" a hundred or more miles down the river. The proposal aroused enthusiastic support.
On Monday, March 14, the raft, containing 35,000 feet of timber, was pushed into the swirling water about four miles
-
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A PICTURE OF LYCOMING COUNTY
west of McGees Mills and after the short trip to the Mills was anchored for the night.
The official start began early in the morning of March 15th. Manned by a crew of six men and carrying 38 passengers, the raft moved out of McGees Mills on a four-foot rise in the river. Hundreds of persons lined the shores as it got under way.
At nightfall the party reached Clearfield, where it received a rousing welcome. On Wednesday morning the raft left Clear- field. It was maneuvered successfully over the dam and headed for Karthaus. A cold rain fell during the day, but bad weather could not dampen the enthusiasm of the raftsmen. At Karthaus the current was too swift to allow the craft to be moored, so the tie-up was made at Salt Lick Landing.
Anchor was again lifted on Thursday morning. After Buttermilk Falls and the Cataracts had been negotiated, the raft party stopped at Keating for a noontime snack. Renovo was reached before dark.
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