Railroads

Railroads were the new means of transportation in the 1800's. Not only were railroads the easiest way for people to get from town to town, they were also the best way to transport goods. Williamsport leaders felt that it was time for their own railroad to keep them up with the ever-changing world.

In November of 1836, a railroad convention was held to urge the community to approve the development of a railroad line starting in Philadelphia and traveling through large towns such as Sunbury and Williamsport, and ending in Erie (2).

"Governor Joseph Ritner had signed the charter for the Sunbury and Erie in April 1837, but construction was put on delay by the demise of the Bank of the United States, a main source of the line's funds. The subsequent Panic of 1837 and the lengthy depression that followed kept funds scarce." This kept the construction at a standstill until 1852. The railroad was done from Sunbury to Williamsport in 1855 and was completed in Erie in 1864 (2).

At the same time, Robert Ralston was developing iron mines and a blast furnace north of Williamsport. This would require a railroad from Ralston to Williamsport to move large amount of pig iron to the canal at River City. The line was poorly constructed and mules hauled the freight along the tracks for years because the engine was too heavy for the rails. The line failed financially for a variety of reasons and was sold at auction for $6000. It was reorganized, renamed the Elmira and Williamsport, and extended in September 1854 (2).

Peter Herdic was an important aspect in the production, creation and funding of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Herdic almost single-handedly created South Williamsport and extended the railroad by convincing the Pennsylvania Railroad to build tracks along the bank of the Susquehanna River. Then, to his benefit, he sold land that he owned to developers (2).

On May 31, a dam above Johnstown broke, wiping out many houses. Also, a large part of the Pennsylvania Railroad was taken out. Because this happened, the lines were forced to close for almost six weeks. As a result, trains detoured through Williamsport and other towns.

One of the most interesting events that the community witnessed was to be able to see President William B. McKinley's funeral train pass the Pennsylvania Railroad Station, September 16, 1901. A very large crowd was drawn to the tracks to pay its respects to the former president. This was made possible by the Pennsylvania Railroad's route.

The Pennsylvania Railroad now has 12,000 miles of road and 30,000 miles of track. The tracks cover the District of Columbia and thirteen states: New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri and Pennsylvania (1).

The railroads running through and around Williamsport helped the development of the city. With them the city expanded and prospered. They helped with transferring goods in and out of the city and kept Williamsport up with the rest of the country.

1. Irlam, Michael. Mike's Railway History. Railfan.net. January 30, 2002. http://mikes.railhistory.railfan.net.

2. Larson, Robert and Richard Morris, John Piper, Jr.. Williamsport Frontier Village to Regional Center. Woodland Hills: Windsor Publications Inc., 1984.

3. Schafer, Mike and Brian Soloman. Pennsylvania Railroad. Osceola, Wisconsin: Motor Books International Publishers & Wholesalers, 1997.