Potter County, Pennsylvania

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Potter County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, its population was 16,396,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> making it the fifth-least populous county in Pennsylvania. Its county seat is Coudersport.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> The county was created in 1804 and later organized in 1836.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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”.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The county is part of the North Central Pennsylvania region of the state.Template:Efn

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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

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Welcome sign to Potter County

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert (0.02%) is covered by water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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

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Demographics

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As of the census<ref name="GR2">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2000, 18,080 people, 7,005 households, and 5,001 families resided in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. The 12,159 housing units had an average density of Template:Convert. 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

Potter County Racial Composition<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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%

Politics and government

Politics and elections

Potter County is one of the most Republican counties in Pennsylvania. In 2004, George W. Bush received 5,640 votes (71%) to 2,268 votes (29%) for John Kerry. The county has voted for the Republican in every presidential election since 1964. In 2006, Rick Santorum received 3,476 votes (63%) to 2,012 votes (37%) for Bob Casey, Jr., making it Santorum's strongest county in his defeat. Lynn Swann also received more than 60% of the Potter County vote in his defeat. In 2016, Donald Trump and Pat Toomey were overwhelmingly elected in Potter County for the U.S. presidential election and U.S. Senate election, respectively. Trump won 80.31% of the vote over Hillary Clinton, while Toomey won 77.79% of the vote over Katie McGinty. In the 2016 state attorney general race, John Rafferty won 79.15% of the vote.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Voter registration

As of February 21, 2022, there are 10,961 registered voters in Potter County.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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Democratic: 2,093 (19.09%)
Republican: 7,622 (69.54%)
Independent: 915 (8.35%)
Third Party: 331 (3.02%)

State Senate

Cris Dush, Republican, Pennsylvania's 25th Senatorial District<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref>

State House of Representatives

Source:<ref name=":0" />

Martin T. Causer, Republican, Pennsylvania's 67th Representative District
Clinton D. Owlett, Republican, Pennsylvania's 68th Representative District

United States House of Representatives

Glenn Thompson, Republican, Pennsylvania's 15th congressional district

United States Senate

Local government

Potter County constitutes Judicial District 55 in the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Court of Common Pleas for District 55 is located in Coudersport, and staffed by a single judge, President Judge Stephen P.B. Minor.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Since about 2001, Potter County's Court of Common Pleas has become a center for filing no-fault divorces in Pennsylvania, most of which do not involve any Potter County residents. Under Pennsylvania's unusual venue rules, divorce cases involving a Pennsylvania resident may be filed anywhere in the state so long as neither party objects. As of 2009, the over 6,000 divorces filed per year in Potter County raised several hundred thousand dollars in revenue for the county's general fund.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Template:Asof all areas in the county use the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) in a law enforcement capacity, either with part-time police departments or with no other police departments.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Education

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Map of Potter County public school districts

Public school districts

School districts include:<ref>Template:Cite web - Text list</ref>

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<ref>ies, National Center for Education Statistics, US Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, Private School Universe Survey 2008</ref>

Libraries

Coudersport Public Library <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Galeton Public Library <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Genesee Area Library <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Oswayo Valley Memorial Library, Shinglehouse <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Ulysses Library Association <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Potter-Tioga County Library System, Coudersport

Pennsylvania EdNA – Educational Entities, 2013

Recreation

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Lyman Lake at Lyman Run State Park

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

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Map of Potter County with municipal labels showing boroughs (red) and townships (white)

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

Townships