Young Womans Creek facts for kids

Young Womans Creek is a stream in Pennsylvania, United States. It flows for about 11.3 miles (18.2 kilometers) and eventually joins the West Branch Susquehanna River. A stream like Young Womans Creek that flows into a larger river is called a tributary.

Where Young Womans Creek Begins

Young Womans Creek is formed by two main parts: the Right Branch and the Left Branch. These branches start in different areas and then come together to create the main stream.

The Right Branch

The Right Branch of Young Womans Creek starts with several smaller streams joining together. The County Line Branch and the Dyer Branch meet first, deep inside the Susquehannock State Forest. A bit further south, the Wilcox Branch also flows into the County Line Branch. By this point, these streams are running through deep, wooded valleys.

More streams, like the Baldwin Branch and Benson Run, add their water to the Right Branch. As the valley gets a little wider, other streams such as Lebo Run, Laurel Fork, and Bull Run also join in. The Right Branch then flows into the Sproul State Forest, where it meets McUrquoy Run, Summerson Run, and Shaney Brook. Finally, the Right Branch meets the Left Branch to form the main Young Womans Creek.

The Left Branch

The Left Branch of Young Womans Creek starts in a natural gas area in Potter County. It flows south through the Susquehannock State Forest in a deep, narrow valley. Along its way, it is joined by streams like Spring Brook, Greenlick Run, and the Shingle Branch. Many smaller streams also flow into the Left Branch, creating little hollows along the sides of the valley.

The Shingle Branch itself is formed by the Osborne Branch, the Scout Branch, and the Porter Branch. After these streams combine, the Shingle Branch flows into the Sproul State Forest. It then meets the Left Branch. Before the Left Branch leaves the State Forest and joins the Right Branch, Mudlick Run is the last stream to add its water.

The Main Stream of Young Womans Creek

Once the Right Branch and Left Branch meet, they form the main stream of Young Womans Creek. This main stream flows along the west side of Summerson Mountain. It passes through small towns like Gleasonton and North Bend. Finally, Young Womans Creek flows into the West Branch Susquehanna River just a short distance downstream from Renovo.

History of the Area

The area around Young Womans Creek is mostly covered in thick forests of pine and hemlock trees. Not many people live here.

In the past, this area was important for logging. From 1872 to 1878, a company called Mensch & Lowenstein used a special narrow gauge railway (a train track that is narrower than usual) to carry logs from the Right Branch to their sawmill in Gleasonton.

Later, from 1893 to 1903, the North Bend and Kettle Creek Railroad had large logging operations on both branches of the creek. This railroad used standard gauge tracks, which are the normal width for trains. Another railroad, the Slate Run Railroad, also operated on the upper part of the County Line Branch for some time between 1886 and 1910.