Williamsport

History

The town lies on one of the early Native American trails between New York and the Carolinas. In the mid-18th century, tens of thousands of European settlers and pioneer families with their wagons followed the same route on the Great Wagon Road from Pennsylvania to Virginia and points south and west. In 1744, a ferry was established at the present site of Williamsport to carry the traffic across the Potomac River. Today’s travelers make the crossing on Interstate 81 a mile downriver from the town. In 1755 the land tract of Thomas Cresap (Jr.) named "Leeds" at the future site of Williamsport would become an important supply depot for the Braddock expedition to capture the French fort Duquesne (at present Pittsburgh). Supplies were transported to this place both west from Rock Creek (today's Georgetown) and south from Pennsylvania. Col. Thomas Dunbar's 48th regiment of the British Army encamped here on May 1, 1755, before ferrying across the Potomac River and marching two days south to rejoin Sir Thomas Halkett's 44th regiment north of Winchester, Virginia. Just over two months later Dunbar, the highest-ranking surviving, unwounded officer, would lead the remains of the tattered army through Williamsport to Frederick, Maryland on the retreat to Philadelphia. The land of present-day Williamsport was previously owned by Otho Holland Williams, a Continental Army officer in the American Revolutionary War, and for whom the town is named. Cedar Grove, Daniel Donnelly House, Elmwood, Rose Hill, Sprechers Mill House, Springfield Farm, Tammany, and the Williamsport Historic District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1834, boats using a portion of the newly built Chesapeake and Ohio Canal were able to reach Williamsport from Washington, D.C. The…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all land. Williamsport is located southwest of Hagerstown and north of Martinsburg, West Virginia. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Williamsport has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  11,867
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  9,725
• Carolina Chickadee

  Poecile carolinensis (Audubon, 1834) · Aves
  8,141
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  8,131
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  8,047
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  7,965
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  7,743
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  7,436

Largest nearby schools

• South Hagerstown High
  High · Hagerstown · 1,487 students · 17.1:1 ratio
• North Hagerstown High
  High · Hagerstown · 1,438 students · 19.4:1 ratio
• Williamsport High
  High · Williamsport · 959 students · 16.8:1 ratio
• Western Heights Middle
  Middle · Hagerstown · 903 students · 15.6:1 ratio
• Northern Middle
  Middle · Hagerstown · 848 students · 16.3:1 ratio
• E. Russell Hicks Middle
  Middle · Hagerstown · 824 students · 16.5:1 ratio
• Springfield Middle
  Middle · Williamsport · 748 students · 15.3:1 ratio
• Salem Avenue Elementary
  Elementary · Hagerstown · 687 students · 14.6:1 ratio