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 firstsawmill andgristmill.[11]
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 fromBolton 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.
According to theU.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.[12]
Potter has a warm-summerhumid continental climate (Dfb) and average monthly temperatures in Coudersport range from 22.0 °F in January to 66.4 °F in July.[13]
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 16,396. The median age was 48.6 years. 19.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 25.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 101.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 99.1 males age 18 and over.[20][21]
Potter County, Pennsylvania – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
<0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[25]
There were 7,052 households in the county, of which 23.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 51.4% were married-couple households, 19.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 22.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[20]
There were 12,345 housing units, of which 42.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 75.5% were owner-occupied and 24.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 11.9%.[20]
As of the2000 census, 18,080 people, 7,005 households, and 5,001 families resided in the county. Thepopulation 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). Theracial 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 ofEnglish, 26.9% were ofGerman, 9.9%Irish and 5.8%Italian.[26]
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.
Potter County is one of the mostRepublican counties in Pennsylvania. In 2004,George W. Bush received 5,640 votes (71%) to 2,268 votes (29%) forJohn Kerry. The county has voted for the Republican in everypresidential election since 1964. In 2006,Rick Santorum received 3,476 votes (63%) to 2,012 votes (37%) forBob 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.[29]
Potter County constitutes Judicial District 55 in theUnified Judicial System of Pennsylvania.[32] TheCourt of Common Pleas for District 55 is located in Coudersport, and staffed by a single judge, President Judge Stephen P.B. Minor.[33] Since about 2001, Potter County's Court of Common Pleas has become a center for filingno-fault divorces in Pennsylvania, most of which do not involve any Potter County residents. Under Pennsylvania's unusualvenue 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.[34]
As of 2016[update] all areas in the county use thePennsylvania State Police (PSP) in a law enforcement capacity, either with part-time police departments or with no other police departments.[35]
Map of Potter County with municipal labels showing boroughs (red) and townships (white)
Under Pennsylvania law, the four types of incorporated municipalities arecities,boroughs,townships, and in at most two cases,towns. These boroughs and townships are located in Potter County:
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 theSusquehannock State Forest. The territory that constituted the East Fork Road District is now the eastern half of Wharton Township.
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