Williamsport
Published on Dec 04, 2015
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Williamsport
Timber boom and bust
White Pines
- Some of the most valuables trees in America
- Worth they weight in gold
- Used to make the clippers ships
The White Pines were extremely valuable at that time. They were used to make the war and clippers ships that were ensuring supremacy to the country. Their transportation was long and difficult through all the natural rivers.
All begun in 1838
- The West Branch Canal opened in 1834
- The first sawmill opened in Williamsport
- Timber boom truly begun in 1838
After the opening of the West Branch Canal, that was linked Williamsport to the rest of Pennsylvania, a group of businessman from Philadelphia opened the first sawmill in Williamsport, putting the town in the center of the white pines. The timber boom then begun.
Each problem found its solution
- Logs regularly broke
- tens of thousands log could by lose every spring
- A bend in the river drew the logs to the south
- Completed the Susquehanna Boom in 1851
- the Boom's 6 miles of walls hold close to a million logs
A solution was needed to reduce the lost of logs. They would often broke lose and as much as tens of thousands of logs would be lost each spring. Leighton and Perkins found the solution.
A bend in the river would would drive the logs to the south side of the river where they could be contained.
The Susquehanna hold close to a million of logs in a 450 acre enclosure.
A bend in the river would would drive the logs to the south side of the river where they could be contained.
The Susquehanna hold close to a million of logs in a 450 acre enclosure.
Lumber CApital of the World
- More lumber needed for Civil War
- Williamsport center of lumber business
- Late 1870, white pines largely gone
When the Civil War broke out, the need for lumber was greater than ever. The Susquehanna Boom made Williamsport the lumber's world capital. Between 1868 and 1908, not less than 8 billion feet of white pines had been sawed. But soon the pines were largely gone, and the loggers had to draw their interest toward the largest stand of hemlocks in North America
Wealth
- Williamsport was one of the richest town in the US
- More millionaires than anywhere else
The Timber Boom brought wealth to the entire town of Williamsport. They were more millionaires per capita than any other city in America. With the opening of factories to work on the lumber, Williamsport's manufactures were making furniture, toys and even whole houses, to be shipped by rail to be assembled.
The party is over
- Timber Bust
- Great flood of 1894
- 1908, Susquehanna Boom Company closed
- 1909, Boom dismantled
After close of 70 years of the Timber Boom, a Timber Bust followed.
By the late 1880's, it was cheaper to transport the logs by rail than by river and when the great flood of 1894 destroyed the Boom and washed 2 million board feet of lumber down the river, it was definitely over. In 1908, the Susquehanna Boom Company disbanded and the golden age of Williamsport was over.
By the late 1880's, it was cheaper to transport the logs by rail than by river and when the great flood of 1894 destroyed the Boom and washed 2 million board feet of lumber down the river, it was definitely over. In 1908, the Susquehanna Boom Company disbanded and the golden age of Williamsport was over.
The End...
- Few wood remained
- Business moved to the West
- Protection of forest became a concern in PA
By the time of the disbanding of the Susquehanna Boom Company, little wood available was left in PA. The business center of timber slowly made his way to the West, in States like Minnesota, Wisconsin or even further.
In PA, the problem was now to protect what was left of the forest and to make the forest grow and expend again.
In PA, the problem was now to protect what was left of the forest and to make the forest grow and expend again.
