For a time Williamsport, Pa., had a starring role in the documentary that is American history. For a few brief decades, this city was It — lumber capital of the world, the epitome of New World ingenuity, a place where riches poured in and were decked out in record-breaking style.
Stardom, as everyone knows, is fleeting. Williamsport can no longer boast of being the wealthiest town in America. But it has gone on to play a number of cameo roles that still give it claim to fame. History, scenery, sports, adventure and more can be found in present-day Williamsport.
A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT
Situated in central Pennsylvania — about halfway, they like to say, between Niagara Falls and Washington D.C. — Williamsport is in the heart of the Susquehanna River Valley.
Locals can give you a handful of different Williams that it might have been named after, everyone from judge to boatman to surveyor; none of whom are much known beyond the borders.
The first settlers arrived about 1795; it was incorporated in 1806 and reached city status in 1866.
From the first, the rolling hills and sweeping river were an attraction. "And when I asked the name of the river and heard that it was called the Susquehanna," wrote Robert Louis Stevenson in 1879, "the beauty of the name seemed to be part and parcel of the beauty of the land. That was the name, as no other could be, for that shining river and desirable valley."
But the "port" was also an important part of Williamsport's development; the river was used for transportation and commerce. In fact, the "log boom" created on the river in the mid-1800s was a key to the area's prosperity, turning lumber into a major industry.
A good way to get acquainted with the Susquehanna is from the decks of the Hiawatha, a reconstructed paddlewheeler that provides daily cruises throughout the summer.
Built in 1982, the boat is a replica of the one that provided pleasure excursions on the river until it got caught in ice and broke up in the winter of 1914.
The Hiawatha sets sail from the Susquehanna State Park, which offers picnic facilities as well as scenery.
WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE?
By the 1860s, Williamsport had more millionaires per capita than any other city in the world. And they all owed their fortunes to lumber.
By quirk of fate and nature, the rolling hills near this section of the Susquehanna were covered by thick forests of white pine and hemlock. So thick and so high was the canopy that trees rose to 100 feet or so before sprouting branches.
Thus wood taken from those trees was not only straight, it was also free of knotholes — and much prized by shipbuilders and furniture-makers. In those pre-environmentally conscious days, such trees were fair game for any and all who could cut them. Markets for Williamsport's pine spread across the globe, from Europe to South America and Africa.
But the sawmills could saw faster than the choppers could chop. Some trees could only be cut in the summer, and ice floes often blocked the river in the winter. Enter the Williamsport Boom. This seven-mile series of stone cribs could hold lumber for use long after the timber season ended.
Sawmills sprang up along the river — at the height of the lumber boom, 35 mills were working night and day — and mill owners and lumber barons began to get rich.
Wealth didn't mean much in those days unless you showed it off. So lavish mansions began to appear along Williamsport's Fourth Street, now known as Millionaire's Row.
The richest of the rich was Peter Herdic, who built his Italian Villa-style mansion in 1854. The home was noted for its beautiful plaster ceiling moldings and also for being the first home in the area with gaslights. (This house is now a restaurant.)
Other homes arose in styles ranging from Queen Anne to Second Empire to Romanesque.
The lumber ran out, of course. And with it, Williamsport's euphoria. But more than a dozen of the millionaires' homes still stand along the street, making for a popular walking tour.
FIELD OF DREAMS
If part of Williamsport's past is tied to the millionaires of lumber fame, a big part of its present renown is tied to the would-be millionaires who wield a different kind of lumber. Williamsport is home to the Little League Hall Museum and the annual Little League World Series.
A lot of famous people played Little League. Some of them — like Dale Murphy, Cal Ripken Jr., Jim Palmer, Nolan Ryan, Mike Schmidt and Tom Seaver — went on to have stellar careers in the Major Leagues.
Others — humorist Dave Barry, rock singer Bruce Springsteen, astronaut Story Musgrave, golfer Hale Irwin, basketball great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, political analyst George Will among them — found careers in other fields.
But they are all enshrined in the Little League Hall of Excellence. You can also learn the history of the sport, which began in 1939 with three neighborhood teams in Williamsport and now has more than 3 million participants worldwide.
There are baseball movies and displays of memorabilia and equipment. And lots of hands-on exhibits, including the Play Ball Room, where you can bat and throw in safety cages — then watch a video replay of your performance. Or you can see how fast you are, running on the digitally timed track.
The Little League World Series is held at nearby Lamade Stadium each August. (P.S. There's no admission charge for any of the games, but the event usually draws about 200,000 participants and spectators.)
Williamsport is also home of the Crosscutters, a Class A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, who play in historic Bowman Field, the second-oldest minor league park in the country.
CAROUSEL
Folks young and old who enjoy action will also get a kick out of Knoebels, in nearby Elysburg. This old-fashioned amusement park is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year and still operates on a free-admission, pay-for-play basis. In other words, you buy tickets only for the rides you want, although you can get a ride-all-day option. You can enjoy picnic facilities and entertainment at no charge.
The park is famous for its two wooden roller coasters, the Phoenix (rated one of the country's top 10 by coaster aficionados) and the Twister. The Haunted Mansion is popular, as is the swimming pool. There are traditional favorites such as Tilt-A-Whirl and bumper cars and water flume — 47 different rides in all, as well as shops and restaurants.
Knoebels is also known for its Grand Carousel, built in 1913, with 63 hand-painted horses that circle to the accompaniment of a restored Wurlitzer organ. You can still catch the brass ring for a free ride. There's also a museum, featuring exquisite examples of carousel craftsmanship.
THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT
For a city its size (population of Williamsport is about 32,000; population of the county about 120,000), it packs in a lot of other pleasures.
A good way to see Williamsport is aboard one of the historic trolleys. The Trolley Tour, complete with taped narration, takes you through such areas as Millionaire's Row, downtown attractions and Susquehanna State Park. Passengers can get on and off at stops along the way.
The Lycoming County Historical Society Museum tells "the rest of the story" of the lumber boom. Here you can learn about the men and women who worked in the lumber camps, doing back-breaking work for $2.50 a day — actually good pay in those days.
You can learn the story of Cherry Tree McCreary, who once broke up a 7-mile log jam on the Susquehanna River. Some think he was the model for the legend of Paul Bunyan. And there's the story of the Sawdust War, caused by a strike for better pay and better working conditions.
The museum features period rooms, a huge display of model trains and Indian artifacts. Also of interest is the Underground Railroad; this area was active in bringing slaves north to freedom in pre-Civil War days.
The Community Arts Center is the result of an $11.2 million renovation of the old Capitol Theatre. Once the grandest movie palace and vaudeville center in town, the theater opened in 1928 with "The Singing Fool," starring Al Jolson — the first "talkie" in the area.
Refurbished in 1993, and with more than 2,100 seats making it one of the largest performing arts facilities in the state, the theater offers a full slate of top theater and musical performers each season, in addition to a lineup of foreign and domestic films.
Clyde Peeling's Reptiland, in nearby Allentown, provides an up-close and personal look at the slippery and slithery. Alligators, tortoises, lizards and snakes from around the world are shown off in exhibits and daily nature shows. The creatures routinely show up on TV with folks such as Jay Leno, Regis and Jon Stewart.
Children will also have fun at the Children's Discovery Workshop, a hands-on educational museum where youngsters can crawl through the FUNnel, climb the ant wall, freeze their shadows, look inside a real beehive and enjoy other activities.
And for those looking for nature, the area offers ample opportunities for hiking, camping, fishing, biking.
After the lumber barons stripped the hills of trees, the city fathers bought the land for $1 an acre and began replanting. A number of state parks, including Little Pine, Ravensburg and Upper Pine Bottom, surround the town.
Williamsport may not receive the star billing it once had. But the combination of history, activity and scenery, capped by a big dose of Little League baseball, make it "The Natural" for fun and adventure.
Carma Wadley visited Williamsport as a guest of the Valleys of the Susquehanna Convention and Visitors Bureaus Consortium and the Lycoming County Tourist Promotion Agency. For more information, call 1-800-358-9900 or visit the Web site at www.williamsport.org. Email: carma@desnews.com