Potter County is a
countyIn the United States, a county is a geographic subdivision of a state , usually assigned some governmental authority. The term "county" is used in 48 of the 50 states; Louisiana is divided into parishes and Alaska into boroughs. Parishes and boroughs are called "county-equivalents" by the U.S...
located in the
U.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of
PennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. It is in the
Allegheny PlateauThe Allegheny Plateau is a large dissected plateau area in western and central New York, northern and western Pennsylvania, northern and western West Virginia, and eastern Ohio...
region. As of 2010, the population was 17,457. Its
county seatA county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
is
CoudersportCoudersport is a borough in Potter County, Pennsylvania, east by south of Erie on the Allegheny River. The populations were these: 1,530 in 1890; 3,217 in 1900; and 3,100 in 1910. The population was 2,650 at the 2000 census...
. Potter County was named after James Potter, who was a general from Pennsylvania in the
Continental ArmyThe Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
during the
American RevolutionThe American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. Though it is named for him, James Potter never actually lived in Potter County and may have never even visited the area.
Geography
According to the
U.S. Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the county has a total area of 1,081 square miles (2,801 km²), of which 1,081 square miles (2,800 km²) is land and 0 square miles (1 km²) (0.02%) is water.
Three major watersheds meet in Potter County: the watersheds of the
Chesapeake BayThe Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
, St. Lawrence River, and
Mississippi RiverThe Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. Moreover, the main stem by volume of the entire Mississippi river system, the
Allegheny RiverThe Allegheny River is a principal tributary of the Ohio River; it is located in the Eastern United States. The Allegheny River joins with the Monongahela River to form the Ohio River at the "Point" of Point State Park in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
, has its source in central Potter County, near Cobb Hill.
Adjacent counties
- Allegany County, New York
Allegany County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 48,946. Its name derives from a Delaware Indian word, applied by settlers of Western New York State to a trail that followed the Allegheny River. Its county seat is...
(north)
- Steuben County, New York
Steuben County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 98,990. Its name is in honor of Baron von Steuben, a German general who fought on the American side in the American Revolutionary War, though it is not pronounced the same...
(northeast)
- Tioga County
Tioga County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 41,981. Tioga County was created on March 26, 1804, from part of Lycoming County and named for the Tioga River. Its county seat is Wellsboro....
(east)
- Lycoming County
-Appalachian Mountains and Allegheny Plateau:Lycoming County is divided between the Appalachian Mountains in the south, the dissected Allegheny Plateau in the north and east, and the valley of the West Branch Susquehanna River between these.-West Branch Susquehanna River:The West Branch of the...
(southeast)
- Clinton County
As of the census of 2000, there were 37,914 people, 14,773 households, and 9,927 families residing in the county. The population density was 43 people per square mile . There were 18,166 housing units at an average density of 20 per square mile...
(south)
- Cameron County
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,974 people, 2,465 households, and 1,624 families residing in the county. The population density was 15 people per square mile . There were 4,592 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile...
(southwest)
- McKean County
As of the census of 2000, there were 45,936 people, 18,024 households, and 12,094 families residing in the county. The population density was 47 people per square mile . There were 21,644 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile...
(west)
Major roads
-
US Route 6
-
Pennsylvania Route 44Pennsylvania Route 44 is a -long state highway in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The route is designated from Interstate 80 and Pennsylvania Route 42 in Buckhorn to the New York state line near New York State Route 417 in Ceres Township....
-
Pennsylvania Route 49Pennsylvania Route 49 is a long state highway located in northern Pennsylvania. The western terminus of the route is at Pennsylvania Route 44 three miles north of Coudersport. The eastern terminus is at PA 287 in Lawrenceville less than south of the New York-Pennsylvania border...
-
Pennsylvania Route 144Pennsylvania Route 144 is a state highway located in the US state of Pennsylvania, covering a distance of 109.3 miles . The southern terminus is located at U.S. Route 322 in Potter Township while the northern terminus is located at U.S. Route 6 in Galeton.- History :PA 144 was first designated by...
-
Pennsylvania Route 155Pennsylvania Route 155 is an long state highway located in Cameron, Potter and McKean counties in Pennsylvania. The southern terminus is at PA 120 in Emporium...
-
Pennsylvania Route 244Pennsylvania Route 244 is an long state highway located in Potter county in Pennsylvania. The western terminus is at PA 44 in Coneville...
-
Pennsylvania Route 449Pennsylvania Route 449 is an long state highway located in Potter county in Pennsylvania. The southern terminus is at US 6 in Walton. The northern terminus is the New York state line in Genesee Township.-Route description:...
-
Pennsylvania Route 607Pennsylvania Route 607 is an long state highway located in Potter county in Pennsylvania. The western terminus is at a fork from Route 155 in Keating Township...
-
Pennsylvania Route 872Pennsylvania Route 872 is a long state highway located in Cameron and Potter counties in Pennsylvania. The southern terminus is at PA 120 in Grove Township. The northern terminus is at US 6/PA 44 in Coudersport.-Cameron County:...
Demographics
As of the
censusA census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 18,080 people, 7,005 households, and 5,001 families residing in the county. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 17 people per square mile (6/km²). There were 12,159 housing units at an average density of 11 per square mile (4/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.06%
WhiteRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.29%
BlackRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or
African AmericanRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.22%
Native AmericanRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.50%
AsianRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.03%
Pacific IslanderRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.19% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.71% from two or more races. 0.57% of the population were
HispanicRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or
LatinoRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race. 26.9% were of German, 14.0%
EnglishThe English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
, 13.3%
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, 9.9%
IrishThe Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
and 5.8%
ItalianThe Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 7,005 households out of which 31.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.50% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 7.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.60% were non-families. 24.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the county, the population was spread out with 26.00% under the age of 18, 6.90% from 18 to 24, 26.10% from 25 to 44, 24.30% from 45 to 64, and 16.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 97.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.80 males.
Municipalities
Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities:
cities,
boroughs,
townships, and, in at most two cases, towns. The following boroughs and townships are located in Potter County:
Boroughs
- Austin
Austin is a borough in Potter County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 623 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Austin is located at ....
- Coudersport
Coudersport is a borough in Potter County, Pennsylvania, east by south of Erie on the Allegheny River. The populations were these: 1,530 in 1890; 3,217 in 1900; and 3,100 in 1910. The population was 2,650 at the 2000 census...
- Galeton
Galeton is a borough in Potter County, Pennsylvania, United States, southeast of Bradford. Light industries such as knitting mills and a tannery have existed in Galeton. In 1900, 2,415 people lived in Galeton, and 4,027 people lived there in 1910...
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Oswayo Oswayo is a borough in Potter County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 159 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Oswayo is located at ....
ShinglehouseShinglehouse is a borough in Potter County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,250 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Shinglehouse is located at ....
UlyssesUlysses is a borough in Potter County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 684 at the 2000 census. When first settled, in 1831, Ulysses was named Lewisville, after an early settler, Orange Lewis. Orange Lewis was a prominent farmer who later became Justice of the Peace, and then county...
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Townships
- Abbott Township
- Allegany Township
- Bingham Township
- Clara Township
- Eulalia Township
- Genesee Township
- Harrison Township
Harrison Township is a township in Potter County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,093 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which, of it is land and 0.03% is water.Harrison Township is bordered by New...
- Hebron Township
- Hector Township
- Homer Township
- Keating Township
Keating Township is a township in Potter County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 307 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , all of it land....
- Oswayo Township
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Pike TownshipPike Township is a township in Potter County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 292 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 37.0 square miles , all of it land.Pike Township is bordered by Hector Township to the...
Pleasant Valley Township
Portage TownshipPortage Township is a township in Potter County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 223 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 37.7 square miles , all of it land.Portage Township is bordered by Keating Township...
Roulette Township
Sharon Township
Stewardson Township
Summit TownshipSummit Township is a township in Potter County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 112 at the 2000 census. Two of the smallest Pennsylvania state parks, Prouty Place State Park and Patterson State Park are in Summit Township.-Geography:...
Sweden Township
Sylvania Township
Ulysses Township
West Branch Township
Wharton TownshipWharton Township is a township in Potter County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 91 at the 2000 census.-Geography:In 2000, according to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 61.8 square miles , all of it land...
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Road district (defunct)
- East Fork
East Fork was a road district in Potter County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 14 at the 2000 census. On January 1, 2004, the road district was dissolved and the area merged with Wharton Township.-Geography:...
was a former "road district" which merged with Wharton Township on January 1, 2004. The eastern part of Wharton Township was East Fork.
History
Major Isaac Lyman, an
American RevolutionThe American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
ary war veteran was one of the first permanent settlers in Potter County. Major Lyman is recognized as the founder of Potter County. He was paid ten dollars for each settler he convinced to move to Potter County. He built his home in 1809 in nearby Lymansville, now known as Ladonna. Major Lyman also built the first road to cross Potter County and Potter County's first
sawmillA sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
and
gristmillThe terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
.
Lyman had a colorful personal history. After the death in childbirth of his first wife, Sally Edgecombe, he remarried; later he left his second wife and started a third family in Potter County. The second Mrs. Lyman was determined not to suffer on her own. She sought out the Major, travelling from
Bolton Landing, New YorkBolton Landing is a hamlet in the town of Bolton in Warren County, New York, United States. It is located on Lake George in the Adirondack Mountains. It is a common tourist destination and the closest town to the State Park lands and islands of the Lake George Narrows...
to Potter County with the help of their son, Burrell, who was 18 at the time. Major Lyman lived with these two families in Potter County. Historical accounts of the living situation vary. Some say that Lyman kept both wives under one roof. Others state that there were two log homes for the families on the same piece of property. Descendants of Major Isaac Lyman's three families still live and work in Potter County.
Politics
Potter County is one of if not the most Republican counties in Pennsylvania. In 2004,
George W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
received 5,640 votes (71%) to 2,268 votes (29%) for
John KerryJohn Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
. The county has voted for the Republican in every
presidential electionA presidential election is the election of any head of state whose official title is president.- United States :The United States has elections on the state and local levels...
since 1964. In 2006,
Rick SantorumRichard John "Rick" Santorum is a lawyer and a former United States Senator from the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Santorum was the chairman of the Senate Republican Conference -making him the third-ranking Senate Republican from 2001 until his leave in 2007. Santorum is considered both a social...
received 3,476 votes (63%) to 2,012 votes (37%) for
Bob Casey, Jr.Robert Patrick "Bob" Casey, Jr. is the senior U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania and a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served as Pennsylvania Treasurer, and Pennsylvania Auditor General. He is the son of former Governor Bob Casey, Sr..He is the first Democrat elected to a full term in...
, making it Santorum's strongest county in his defeat.
Lynn Swann-Collegiate:Swann attended the University of Southern California, where he was an All-American on the Trojans football team. He played under legendary coach John McKay, including the 1972 undefeated and national championship season. McKay said of Swann, "He has speed, soft hands, and grace." He...
also received more than 60% of the Potter County vote in his defeat.
Potter County was formerly home to the compound of the
Aryan NationsAryan Nations is a white supremacist religious organization originally based in Hayden Lake, Idaho. Richard Girnt Butler founded the group in the 1970s, as an arm of the Christian Identity organization Church of Jesus Christ–Christian...
, who established themselves just West of the limits of the town of Ulysses in 2002 after losing their compound in
Hayden Lake, IdahoHayden Lake is a both a city and a lake in Kootenai County, Idaho, United States. Hayden Lake is one of several natural lakes in northern Idaho...
. The group left in 2005 for
Lexington, South CarolinaLexington is a town in and the county seat of Lexington County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 17,870 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Lexington is located at ....
.
Recreation
Potter County is home to 8 state parks and many more acres of state forest and gamelands.
- Cherry Springs State Park
Cherry Springs State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Potter County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The park was created from land within the Susquehannock State Forest, and is on Pennsylvania Route 44 in West Branch Township. Cherry Springs, named for a large stand of Black Cherry trees...
- Denton Hill State Park
Denton Hill State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Ulysses Township, Potter County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The park is a downhill skiing resort. Denton Hill State Park is on U.S. Route 6 between Coudersport and Galeton...
- Lyman Run State Park
Lyman Run State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Ulysses and West Branch Townships in Potter County, Pennsylvania in the United States. Lyman Run Lake is a man-made lake within the park surrounded by a northern hardwood forest of mainly maple and cherry trees...
- Ole Bull State Park
Ole Bull State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Stewardson Township, Potter County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is located on Pennsylvania Route 144, north of Renovo and south of Galeton. Ole Bull State Park is in the Kettle Creek Valley, and is surrounded by Susquehannock...
- Patterson State Park
Patterson State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on in Summit Township, Potter County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is on Pennsylvania Route 44 near Sweden Valley. The park has two rustic roadside pavilions.-History:...
- Prouty Place State Park
Prouty Place State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on in Summit Township, Potter County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is southwest of Pennsylvania Route 44, along Long Tree Road, near Sweden Valley. The park provides access points for hiking, hunting and fishing in the...
- Sinnemahoning State Park
Sinnemahoning State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Grove Township, Cameron County and Wharton Township, Potter County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is surrounded by Elk State Forest and is mountainous with deep valleys. The park is home to the rarely seen Elk and Bald Eagle...
parts in Cameron County
- Sizerville State Park
Sizerville State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Portage Township, Cameron County and Portage Township, Potter County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is nearly surrounded by Elk State Forest making it part of one of the largest blocks of state-owned land in Pennsylvania...
parts in Cameron County
The county is also the location of the annual "God's Country Marathon" race between Galeton and Coudersport.
Education
Public School Districts
- Austin Area School District
The Austin Area School District covers the Austin Boro as well as Keating, Portage, Sylvania and Wharton townships in Potter County, Pennsylvania. The district is part of the which provides services for special education students, curriculum development and teacher training.The district operates...
- Coudersport Area School District
The Coudersport Area School District is a small rural, public school district which covers the Borough of Coudersport and the southern and western portions of Allegany Township, Eulalia Township, Hebron Township, Homer Township, Summit Township and Sweden Township in Potter County, Pennsylvania. ...
- Galeton Area School District
The Galeton Area School District is a public school district in Potter County, Pennsylvania. It serves the municipalties of Galeton, Abbott Township, West Branch Township, Pike Township, and a portion of Hector Township in Potter County, plus the townships of Elk and Gaines in Tioga County,...
(also in Tioga County)
- Keystone Central School District
The Keystone Central School District is a school district based in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania that includes public schools in Clinton County, and that serves students in Clinton County, Centre County, and Potter County...
(also in Clinton County)
- Northern Potter School District
The Northern Potter School District is a public school district in Potter County, Pennsylvania. It serves the municipalities of Ulysses, Ulysses Township, Genesee, Bingham, and Harrison. Portions of Allegany and Hector Townships are also within its boundaries...
- Oswayo Valley School District
The Oswayo Valley School District is a public school district in Potter County. The school serves the boroughs of Oswayo and Shinglehouse, as well as Clara Township, Sharon Township, and Oswayo Township. McKean County's Ceres Township is also within district boundaries...
(also in McKean County)
- Port Allegany School District
Port Allegany School District is a Public school district located in McKean County, Pennsylvania, United States. Geographically the district is situated in the north-central-west part of the state. The district bridges two counties: McKean and Potter. The offices for the school system are in Port...
(also in McKean County)
Private Schools
- Chestnut Ridge School Genesee, Grades 1-8
- Hebron Center Christian School Coudersport, Grades PK-12
- Musto Hollow Amish School Genesee, Grades 1-8
- Ulysses Amish School Ulysses, Grades 1-8
List from National Center for Education Statistics
See also
External links