Stories & History From Muncy, Pennsylvania
North Main Street, Muncy Pa
Social Life & Events In Muncy, Pa
Schools
The Lycoming Normal School
Stores & Businesses
Harters Crawford Hotel The Ritz
The Muncy Opera House The Hotel Stover
Trains, Bridges, & Boats
Muncy Train Station Canal At Muncy
Muncy Heritage Park [Canal Park]
Industries
Grist Mill
MAPS
Sanborn Fire Maps:
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Red Oak Log Cut Near Muncy PA
History of Lycoming County, Lloyd, Chapter 13:
Muncy - That portion of what is now Lycoming County in the vicinity of Muncy was one of the earliest settlements made by the white man in the West Branch of the Susquehanna Valley. It was ordered surveyed by John Penn in 1769 and was held in reserve in accordance with the policy of the proprietaries.
Muncy took its name from the tribe of Monsey Indians who occupied the valley and were subsequently driven out and removed to Indiana and settled near the present town of Muncie in that state.
The town was laid out by Benjamin McCarty in 1797, ten years after he had settled in the valley with his brothers, Silas, William and Isaac. He laid it out in lots and was followed by his brother, William, and Isaac Walton.
It had a struggling existence for many years and was known as "Hardscrabble." March 15, 1826, it was incorporated as a borough with the name of Pennsborough. The next year, January 19. 1827, the name was changed to Muncy because of its historic associations with the tribe of Indians who had occupied that section of the state. By act of April 1, 1867, the borough was considerably enlarged.
A post office was established in April, 1801 and Henry Shoemaker was the first postmaster. The first hotel was opened about the year 1812 and was conducted by Jacob Merrill.
Since then Muncy has progressed slowly but substantially and is today one of the most delightful towns in which to live to be found anywhere. It possesses a delightful social atmosphere and its people are noted far and wide for their culture and refinement. It is located on the Susquehanna Trail about fourteen miles east of Williamsport, and thousands of tourists pass through it in a single day. It is also on the Reading railroad line and the Pennsylvania is on the other side of the river, two miles away, but a bus connects with all trains. There is also a bus line to Williamsport, one to Milton, one to Hughesville and Picture Rocks and, during the summer season, one to Eagles Mere.
It has a number of important industries, among them Sprout, Waldron Company, employing about 300 men and women, and the Robinson Manufacturing Company, employing about two hundred, both of them engaged in the manufacture of milling machinery.
The Muncy Woolen Mills, employing about fifty persons, has a reputation which is only bounded by the two coasts. Until very recently it had been in the hands of two members of the same families for more than seventy years. The company devotes itself entirely to the manufacture of all-wool blankets and its reputation for good workmanship and the high quality of its output extends from the Atlantic to the Pacific and even to Europe. it is in almost continuous operation.
The Muncy Furniture Company is another live concern which employs about fifty men and the Maxwell Throwing Company employs about forty. Both of them are prosperous and have a large output.
Muncy has two banks, the Citizen's National and the Muncy Banking Company and both are in a prosperous condition. Both of them have recently erected new buildings. There is one good weekly newspaper, the Muncy Luminary, which has been in the Painter family for nearly a century and is still owned by one of them, T. D. Painter. It is one of the oldest papers in the country.
The town has an excellent borough government and a modern, motorized fire apparatus of the latest design. It also has a fully equipped hospital ambulance which is used in connection with the Muncy Valley Hospital, which is located just outside the borough limits. The Muncy Valley Hospital is a modern and well equipped institution in every way and is doing a good work throughout the entire valley. It is sell-sustaining and receives no help from the state or county. Its only revenue is derived from its patients and from individual contributions. Taxes in Muncy are reasonable and most of its citizens are home owners. It is no disparagement to other towns to say that there is perhaps no other place in the county where there are more beautiful homes and the owners take a pardonable pride in keeping them in excellent condition. There are no unsightly edges in Muncy.
The town is the home of the Muncy Normal School, the only one of its kind that is not under state supervision, and it has always possessed an enviable reputation for the high character of its teacher-training.
Muncy has an excellent water system, getting its supply from the White Deer Mountain, and a modern lighting system. Its streets are well paved and well kept. The Susquehanna Trail passes along the entire length of its main street. The health of the town is of the best and epidemics of sickness are of rare occurrence. There are practically no dependents as there is work for all who are willing to work.
The State Industrial Home for Women is located at the base of the mountain on the other side of the river from Muncy and, under its capable management and supervision, is doing a good work in the reformation of women who have gone wrong.
There is an attractive community house and Y. W. C. A. building which was bought and remodeled with money raised by popular subscription.
Muncy has produced some remarkable men and women, some of whom have become known beyond the limits of the town and others have shone only at home. Hon. Henry Johnson was 1argelesponsib1e for the second election of Abraham Lincoln because of his authorship of the amendment to the state constitution which permitted Civil war soldiers to vote in the field. George A. Boal was an able lawyer, Robert Hawley was a poet of no mean ability, William Cox Ellis, General William A. Petrikin, Henry W. Petrikin, and rare Dr. Ben Langdon were all men of high intellectual attainments.
From the time of its first settlement Muncy has been noted for its delightful social atmosphere. Today there are few better towns in the state in which to make a home. By the census of 1920 it had a population of 2,054. - History of Lycoming County, Lloyd, Chapter 13
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Muncy
The land on which Muncy is located was reported by John F. Meginness in his 1892 “History of Lycoming County Pennsylvania” to have been one of the first places in the West Branch Susquehanna River Valley to have been populated by white settlers. It is named after the Monsey Tribe, which populated the area before their arrival. The Monsey Tribe was eventually driven out of the region and settled in what is now Muncie, Indiana (Lloyd 1929, p167). The original tract of land, Muncy Manor, was ordered surveyed and laid out by John Penn in 1769. The area was settled soon after. Thomas W. Lloyd states:
“During the gloomy period of the year 1777, settlers… flock[ed] to the West Branch Valley. Most of them came from New Jersey, which had been overrun by both the British and Continental Armies, and they were desirous of settling in a more quiet neighborhood. But, except for the more fertile land which they were enabled to acquire by this move, it is a matter of doubt whether they had bettered themselves materially, for the valley now became under constant menace from the northern Indian tribes.” (p108)
William and Benjamin McCarty, two of four Quaker brothers who came to the area from Bucks County in 1787, purchased a 300 acre tract of land known as the “John Brady Farm.” The brothers split the land, the portion of Muncy occupying the area between West Water Street and Muncy Creek being occupied by William, and the portion between West Water Street and the current southern boundary of the town being occupied by Benjamin. What is now Main Street marked the boundary between the Brady Farm and the neighboring farm, owned by Isaac Walton (Meginness 1892, p468).
In 1797, 10 years after coming to the area, Benjamin McCarty decided to start a town. Benjamin laid out lots on the boundary of his farm, now Main Street; his brother, William, laid out lots on his land, north of Water Street; and neighbor Isaac Walton laid out lots on his land as well. They called the town Pennsborough, in honor of the Penns who first ordered the original tract of land surveyed. For many years, the town experienced slow growth and was “nothing but a straggling village for many years” and as such became known as “Hardscrabble” for many years (Meginness 1892, 468-469).
Almost thirty years after Benjamin McCarty had the idea of starting a town, Pennsborough was incorporated as a borough by act approved March 15, 1826. On January 19, 1827, an act changed the name from Pennsborough to Muncy, as the named would “be more in accordance with the historical associations of the place, and serve to perpetuate the name of the tribe that first dwelt there” (Meginness 1892, p469). A subsequent act of assembly in 1853, extended the northern boundary of the town to its current location to include additional lots laid out by H. Noble, then known as Nobletown.
In Thomas W. Lloyd’s “History of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania,” published in 1929, he describes Muncy thusly:
“…Muncy has progressed slowly but substantially and is today one of the most delightful towns in which to live to be found anywhere. It possesses a delightful social atmosphere and its people are noted far and wide for their culture and refinement. It is located on the Susquehanna Trail about fourteen miles east of Williamsport, and thousands of tourists pass through it in a single day. It is also on the Reading railroad line and the Pennsylvania is on the other side of the river, two miles away, but a bus connects with all trains. There is also a bus line to Williamsport, one to Milton, one to Hughesville and Picture Rocks, and during the summer season, one to Eagles Mere.” (p167-168)
The Pennsylvania Canal (West Branch Division) began construction in 1828 and was completed in 1835. The canal ranfrom Northumberland through Muncy, Williamsport, Jersey Shore, and Lock Haven to Farrandsville (Shank 1986, p52- 53). Because of its location on the river and the location of the canal, as well as the abundance of natural resources in the region, Muncy became a small center of commerce and industry. Saw and planing mills were constructed, and Muncy became a stopping point for timberman transporting logs down the river. The lumbermen patronized and helped to support Muncy’s taverns, hotels, and distilleries. The canal was used for transporting exports around the region. These included hogs, wheat, flour, leather, spirits such as whisky, and the ubiquitous lumber. These industries allowed Muncy to support carriage makers, an iron foundry, drug stores, broom makers, dry goods stores, drug stores, a newspaper, hotels, restaurants, and an opera house which also housed
the town’s billiards room (Muncy Historical Society Website).
As a result of cheap transportation, first the Canal then later the Railroad, several industries thrived in Muncy creating “an era of well-being and prosperity for a wide spectrum of its residents” (Ritchey 1979, p9). The Muncy Woolen Mills Company was founded in 1882 and chartered in 1892. In 1891 the company manufactured and sold 30,000 blankets and utilized the canal for shipping and receiving. Average employment ranged from 50-60 people (Meginness 1892, p476). Thomas W. Lloyd described it and its products in 1929:
“The Muncy Woolen Mills, employing about fifty persons, has a reputation which is only bounded by the two coasts. Until very recently, it had been in the hands of two members of the same families for more than seventy years. The company devotes itself entirely to the manufacture of all-wool blankets and its reputation for good workmanship and the high quality of its output extends from the Atlantic to the Pacific and even to Europe. It is in almost continuous operation.” (p168)
The Muncy Manufacturing Company, Limited was a furniture producer which was active at the turn of the 20th Century. It was established in 1887 and was located between the railroad and the canal. Its annual production value was $100,000, and it employed between 50 and 60 people (Meginness 1892, p476). Other industries included Waldron Company, employing about 800 men and women, and the Robinson Manufacturing Company, employing about two hundred, both of them engaged in the manufacture of milling machinery (Lloyd 1929, p168).
These are only some of the ventures that established what became known as the “Merchants Era” in Muncy. According to Tom Ritchey, “[A]s a direct result of this affluence, Muncy become recognized during this era, a heyday, for its cultural and educational facilities, and its pervading air of intellectualism. It had become the social and economic center in Lycoming County” (p8). That is until the economic rise of Williamsport during the latter half of the 19th century. Ritchey describes the decline in the National Register Nomination Form for the Muncy Historic District:
“Slow at first, the decline of Muncy as a center of trade became rapid during the beginning of the 20th
century. An inevitable switch caused in part by the Civil War from an economic base founded in individually run businesses, to one founded in industrialism and its mass employment, changes the economic and social complexion of the community. Muncy became a “working town” or a “factory town”, rather than a town run by individual businesses. Over the course of a few years the various cultural and educational establishments, and the general air of intellectualism that prevailed a half century before, slowly faded.” (1979, p9)
McMichaels Lookout, Muncy PA
Another Lookout Area:
The view from the residence on the Mensch estate, well situated above the river, at the foot of the Bald Eagle, opposite the borough of Muncy, is gorgeous, as well as historically and geologically interesting. The Muncy Hills, beginning a mile or more west of the rock-faced river gap, from a large semicircular bend in the form of a horseshoe, almost conformable to the graceful bend of the river from west to south around the Bald Eagle. The broad and fertile basin thus partially environed by the Muncy Hills is mainly the Muncy Valley; in which are pleasantly located the peaceful hamlet of Pennsdale – with its plain but very substantial Friends' Meeting House, built about 110 years ago – and the enterprising towns of Muncy and Hughesville; while in allied gorges are hidden from view, but pleasingly situated, Clarkestown on Little Muncy Creek, and Picture Rocks on Big Muncy. Muncy is located east of the river, close to the great bend, about two miles from the Mensch dwelling; and Hughesville is delightfully situated at the head of the basin, about five miles east of Muncy. The residence portion of the growing borough of Montgomery, three or four miles southwest of the terminus, is comfortably nestled on the top of a hill. On dark nights, when Montgomery, Muncy, and Hughesville are illuminated with their electric lights, the effect as seen from various points is agreeable and impressive, and is suggestive of the great change that has taken place since John Scudder built his cabin at the mouth of Glade Run. Light was often produced in his day, and still later, by burning pine knots.
The pioneers "— came with strong arms, log cabins to raise,
And read their Bibles by the pine knot's blaze."
Gernerd, J. M. M., The Muncy Valley: Snap-Shots of Scenery, Geology and History, 1909, Press of the Gazette and Bulletin, Williamsport PA
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Stories & History Of Muncy PA
For More Stories and History From Surrounding Towns:
"Between the broad, curbing end of the Bald Eagle and the stately bend of the river there may be nearly 600 acres of the best farm land, only a narrow fringe of which along the river – perhaps a hundred acres-was inundated by the extraordinary freshets of 1889 and 1894. Between the south side of the mountain and the gap in the Muncy Hill, through which the river and the railroads pass, there may be more than two thousand acres of the same rich alluvium. For productiveness this might in fact be termed the garden spot of the Muncy Valley. It is conceded that vegetation in the Spring is usually from a week to ten days earlier than on the east side of the river. This favored part of the vale of Muncy is usually designated as the Black Hole Valley. There is nothing, however, that is black or gloomy in it, or about it; and no section of the West Branch Valley presents a brighter, richer, cleaner, and more cheerful and fertile aspect. Several traditions have been advanced to explain the inapplicable title, but not one is satisfactory enough to apply now. Such a forbidding name for such a beaming garden spot is a misnomer. It was perhaps no less than the east side of the river for many generations a favorite camping ground and garden spot for the Indians; and has in consequence also for years, from the river gap to the end of the Bald Eagle, been a veritable "garden spot" for Indian relic hunters."
Gernerd, J. M. M., The Muncy Valley: Snap-Shots of Scenery, Geology and History, 1909, Press of the Gazette and Bulletin, Williamsport PA
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