The Williamsport Boom (Ep23)

EPISODE 23: THE WILLIAMSPORT BOOM. The story of Pennsylvania, first as a colony and later as the Commonwealth, is in many ways inseparable from its trees. The name Pennsylvania, which means “Penn’s Woods,” is itself a reflection of the fact that, when William Penn arrived in Pennsylvania in1682, over 27 million acres – or about 95% – of what is now the Commonwealth was heavily forested. Those trees were a highly valued resource, especially the expansive stands of eastern white pine that stretched across northern Pennsylvania. One might say that, in this case, money does grow on trees – or, at least, from trees. Although the lumber industry was present throughout the state, it was especially foundational to the development of North Central Pennsylvania. This episode highlights the Susquehanna Boom, an innovative structure that held the huge numbers of felled trees – primarily eastern white pines – that had been floated downriver to the sawmills of Williamsport. Williamsport became the lumber capital of the United States, with a population that increased more than ten-fold from 1850 to 1870. This episode details the wood hicks, boom rats and sawmill workers whose labor built the industry, and the lumber barons who controlled it. We also talk about Williamsport at its Gilded Age height, with its Millionaire’s Row of mansions. Finally, Williamsport was the scene of the only large labor strike of the Pennsylvania lumber industry – the Sawdust War of 1872.

Timestamps for major events/discussions

[03:05] – Pennsylvania settlers cut down trees for four reasons

[04:22] – The high value of eastern white pine trees

[07:31] – The four eras of lumbering in Pennsylvania

[10:07] – The western branch of the Susquehanna and the founding of Williamsport

[14:19] – What is a log boom?

[21:40] – Introducing the wood hicks

[27:35] – Meet the boom rats

[31:45] – Say hello to the sawmill workers

[41:08] – Peter Herdic and the lumber barons of Williamsport

[48:02] – The Sawdust War of 1872

[54:04] – The lumber industry on the verge of a shift

Books to read

• Lumbering Pennsylvania – Volume I and II by Thomas T. Taber III, reprinted in 2022 by the Lumber Heritage Region of Pennsylvania.

Places to visit mentioned in or that inspired this episode

• Williamsport’s Millionaire’s Row – take a walking tour of this historic district consisting of 263 contributing buildings. Click here for more information and here for my short video post on Instagram.

• Thomas T. Taber Museum in Williamsport – the museum of the Lycoming County Historical Society. Click here for the Museum’s website.

• Pennsylvania Lumber Museum – on Route 6 in Ulysses, PA, between Coudersport and Galeton. This is a fantastic museum – fun, exciting, and immersive. There's lots of period lumbering outbuildings and equipment. Click here for Museum’s website.

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