Potter+County

Potter County Potter county was created on March 26th, 1804 from part of Lycoming County. It was named for General James Potter of Cumberland and later Northumberland Counties. He was a hero of both the French and Indian and Revolutionary Wars, and a member of the Supreme Executive Council and the Council of Censors. Potter County was attached to Lycoming County until 1814, when it was authorized to elect commissioners jointly with McKean County. In October 1776, in the vicinity of what became the borough of Coudersport, a white man and two Indians camped for the night. The white man, David Zeisberger, a Moravian Missionary, was probably the first man to enter the area. James Potter of the Revolutionary War era, had no relation to this area. However, the U.S government had to recognize him and they saw this as an opportunity to do so. So they named Potter County after him. In 1810 Potter County's total population was 29 with only two households listed. They were that of Isaac Lyman with 22 members and that of Willian Ayers with 6 members. The twenty-ninth member was Sampson Crawford. In 1838 the first murder was committed by Joshua Jones. Jones had killed his wife. He was sentenced to be hung, but escaped ten days before his death date. His neighbor the caught him and took him to where he was to be hung. Jones paid Dr. French ten dollars to bring him back to life. He naturally didn't succeed and the doctor kept his skeleton in his office until 1911. Jones's skull is a current exhibit at the Potter County Historical Museum. In 1850 the Underground Railroad was operated by people such as John Mann. During the Civil War many men were recruited to serve in the "Bucktails Company". Only one-half of the boys and men came back alive. In 1872 the first Railroad in Potter County enters near Keating Summit. These five miles of railroad were the first in Potter County and now they are the last and only remaining operational tracks. In 1877 the first of many large tanneries was built in Oswayo. The Tidewater Pipeline was laid in Potter County in 1878. This was the first pipeline in the nation to pump crude oil overland. In 1881 the first telephone line was installed from Keating Summit to Costello. The Goodyear Lumber Company began sawing in Austin in 1886. In 1889 Austin was destroyed by fire and later rebuilt. In 1903 and 1907 the first automobile was purchased and the first moving picture was shown in Potter County. 1919 was the year that the Potter County Historical Society was founded. 1942 Austin has another flood. In 2004 Potter County celebrates it's bicentennial.