Potter County, Pennsylvania facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Potter County
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Potter County Courthouse
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Location within the U.S. state of Pennsylvania
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 Pennsylvania's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  Pennsylvania |
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| Founded | September 1, 1826 | ||
| Named for | James Potter | ||
| Seat | Coudersport | ||
| Largest borough | Coudersport | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 1,082 sq mi (2,800 km2) | ||
| • Land | 1,081 sq mi (2,800 km2) | ||
| • Water | 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km2) 0.02%% | ||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 16,396  |
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| • Density | 15/sq mi (6/km2) | ||
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | ||
| Congressional district | 15th | ||
Potter County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, its population was 16,396, making it the fifth-least populous county in Pennsylvania. Its county seat is Coudersport. The county was created in 1804 and later organized in 1836. It is named after James Potter, who was a general from Pennsylvania in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. Due to its remoteness and natural environment, it has been nicknamed “God's Country”.
The county is part of the North Central Pennsylvania region of the state.
Contents
History
Major Isaac Lyman, an American Revolutionary 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 $10 for each settler he convinced to move to Potter County. He built his home in 1809 in nearby Lymansville, now known as Ladona, just east of Coudersport along Rt. 6. Major Lyman also built the first road to cross Potter County and Potter County's first sawmill and gristmill.
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 York, 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 two log homes for the families were on the same piece of property. Descendants of Major Lyman's three families still live and work in Potter County.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,082 square miles (2,800 km2), of which 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2) (0.02%) is covered by water.
Three major watersheds meet, forming a triple divide, in Potter County: Chesapeake Bay, St. Lawrence River, and Mississippi River. Moreover, the main stem by volume of the entire Mississippi river system, the Allegheny River, has its source in central Potter County, near Cobb Hill.
Potter has a warm-summer humid continental climate (Dfb) and average monthly temperatures in Coudersport range from 22.0 °F in January to 66.4 °F in July.
Adjacent counties
- Allegany County, New York (north)
- Steuben County, New York (northeast)
- Tioga County (east)
- Lycoming County (southeast)
- Clinton County (south)
- Cameron County (southwest)
- McKean County (west)
Major highways
US 6
PA 44
PA 49
PA 144
PA 155
PA 244
PA 449
PA 607
PA 872
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1810 | 29 | — | |
| 1820 | 186 | 541.4% | |
| 1830 | 1,265 | 580.1% | |
| 1840 | 3,371 | 166.5% | |
| 1850 | 6,048 | 79.4% | |
| 1860 | 11,470 | 89.6% | |
| 1870 | 11,265 | −1.8% | |
| 1880 | 13,797 | 22.5% | |
| 1890 | 22,778 | 65.1% | |
| 1900 | 30,621 | 34.4% | |
| 1910 | 29,729 | −2.9% | |
| 1920 | 21,089 | −29.1% | |
| 1930 | 17,489 | −17.1% | |
| 1940 | 18,201 | 4.1% | |
| 1950 | 16,810 | −7.6% | |
| 1960 | 16,483 | −1.9% | |
| 1970 | 16,395 | −0.5% | |
| 1980 | 17,726 | 8.1% | |
| 1990 | 16,717 | −5.7% | |
| 2000 | 18,080 | 8.2% | |
| 2010 | 17,457 | −3.4% | |
| 2020 | 16,396 | −6.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2017 2010-2020 |
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As of the census of 2000, 18,080 people, 7,005 households, and 5,001 families resided in the county. The population density was 17 people per square mile (6.6 people/km2). The 12,159 housing units had an average density of 11 units per square mile (4.2 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 98.06% White, 0.29% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.50% Asian, 0.22% from other races, and 0.71% from two or more races. About 0.57% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race. By ancestry, 27.3% were of English, 26.9% were of German, 9.9% Irish and 5.8% Italian.
Of the 7,005 households, 31.5% had children under 18 living with them, 59.5% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.6% were not families. About 24.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.54, and the average family size was 3.02.
In Potter County, the age distribution was 26.0% under 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were 65 or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.40 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 94.80 males.
2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 15,494 | 94.5% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 43 | 0.26% |
| Native American (NH) | 25 | 0.15% |
| Asian (NH) | 69 | 0.42% |
| Other/mixed (NH) | 518 | 3.16% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 247 | 1.5% |
Education
Public school districts
School districts include:
- Austin Area School District
- Coudersport Area School District
- Galeton Area School District (also in Tioga County)
- Keystone Central School District (also in Clinton County)
- Northern Potter School District
- Oswayo Valley School District (also in McKean County)
- Port Allegany School District (also in McKean County)
Private schools
- Chestnut Ridge School, Genesee, grades 1–8
- Hebron Center Christian School, Coudersport, prekindergarten – grade 12
- Meadow View School, Genesee, grades 1–8
- Musto Hollow Amish School, Genesee, grades 1–8
- Penn-York Camp and Retreat Center, Ulysses
- Ulysses Amish School, Ulysses, grades 1–8
List from National Center for Education Statistics
Libraries
- Coudersport Public Library
- Galeton Public Library
- Genesee Area Library
- Oswayo Valley Memorial Library, Shinglehouse
- Ulysses Library Association
- Potter-Tioga County Library System, Coudersport
Pennsylvania EdNA – Educational Entities, 2013
Recreation
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Potter County is home to 8 state parks and many more acres of state forest and gamelands.
- Cherry Springs State Park
- Denton Hill State Park
- Lyman Run State Park
- Ole Bull State Park
- Patterson State Park
- Prouty Place State Park
- Sinnemahoning State Park parts in Cameron County
- Sizerville State Park parts in Cameron County
The county is also the location of the annual "God's Country Marathon" race between Galeton and Coudersport.
Communities
Under Pennsylvania law, the four types of incorporated municipalities are cities, boroughs, townships, and in at most two cases, towns. These boroughs and townships are located in Potter County:
Boroughs
- Austin
- Coudersport (county seat)
- Galeton
- Oswayo
- Shinglehouse
- Ulysses
Townships
- Abbott
- Allegany
- Bingham
- Clara
- Eulalia
- Genesee
- Harrison
- Hebron
- Hector
- Homer
- Keating
- Oswayo
- Pike
- Pleasant Valley
- Portage
- Roulette
- Sharon
- Stewardson
- Summit
- Sweden
- Sylvania
- Ulysses
- West Branch
- Wharton
Census-designated places
Unincorporated communities
- Cross Fork
- East Fork Road
- Elmer
- Mills
- Oleona
Road district (defunct)
- East Fork Road was a former district that dissolved on January 1, 2004. The district contained only one road and 14 residents, with almost all of the district's land claimed as part of the Susquehannock State Forest. The territory that constituted the East Fork Road District is now the eastern half of Wharton Township.
Population ranking
The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Potter County.
† county seat
| Rank | City/town/etc. | Municipal type | Population (2010 Census) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | † Coudersport | Borough | 2,546 |
| 2 | Galeton | Borough | 1,149 |
| 3 | Shinglehouse | Borough | 1,127 |
| 4 | Roulette | CDP | 779 |
| 5 | Ulysses | Borough | 621 |
| 6 | Austin | Borough | 562 |
| 7 | Sweden Valley | CDP | 223 |
| 8 | Oswayo | Borough | 139 |
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Potter (Pensilvania) para niños
