Goldsboro

History

In 1734, John Day and Nathan Hussey, Quakers from New Castle County, Delaware, obtained land grants (called Bluntson Licenses) for land on which Goldsboro now stands. They became official in 1736, when the Penn Family made a treaty with the Iroquois Confederacy and purchased land in what became northern York County. John Day's land included virtually all of present day Goldsboro, and he built a mill right next to Fishing Creek as early as 1740. Nathan Hussey's land included present day South Goldsboro and Cly, and he opened a ferry across the Susquehanna River, where the early settlers would have crossed to their newly purchased land. Along the turnpike, near the site of the Middletown Ferry, Henry Etter established Etter's Tavern, which included Etter's Post Office by 1838. Goldsboro was founded in 1850 upon completion of a railroad from York Haven to Harrisburg. Prior to completion of the railroad, the 20 or so houses that made up Goldsboro were affectionately referred to as Martinsville, for Martin P. Burger, who owned a store near the village. When the railway was completed in 1850, the village was named Goldsborough in honor of J.M. Goldsborough, the civil engineer of the railway. In 1849, Dr. Alexander Small surveyed Goldsborough, and he officially advertised lots for sale in the village of Goldsborough as early as November 19, 1850. The Borough of Goldsborough was incorporated in 1864. On January 15, 1867, a prize fight took place in a field just north of Goldsboro between Sam Collyer and Johnny McGlade for the American Lightweight championship of boxing, and a purse of $2000. It was a bare-knuckle fight, which was illegal at the time, so they planned the match for the same day as the inauguration of the Governor of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg, the Civil…

Geography

Goldsboro is located along the Susquehanna River and has a view of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station, the site of the largest nuclear accident in the United States.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  19,858
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  16,377
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  15,251
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  14,068
• House Finch

  Haemorhous mexicanus (P.L.Statius Müller, 1776) · Aves
  13,596
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  13,240
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  13,063
• Carolina Chickadee

  Poecile carolinensis (Audubon, 1834) · Aves
  12,899

Largest nearby schools

• Northeastern SHS
  High · Manchester · 1,175 students · 16.1:1 ratio
• Red Land SHS
  High · Lewisberry · 1,101 students · 15.1:1 ratio
• Northeastern MS
  Middle · Mount Wolf · 653 students · 16.3:1 ratio
• Crossroads MS
  Middle · Lewisberry · 651 students · 14.2:1 ratio
• Sinking Springs El Sch
  Middle · York · 640 students · 14.9:1 ratio
• Roundtown El Sch
  Elementary · York · 572 students · 16.3:1 ratio
• Red Mill El Sch
  Elementary · Etters · 557 students · 15.9:1 ratio
• Shallow Brook Inter Sch
  Middle · Manchester · 450 students · 15.5:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.6 — 2021-06-25
  2 km SE of Woodlawn, Maryland
• M 2.81 — 2019-09-15
  5 km ESE of East Berlin, Pennsylvania
• M 3.44 — 2019-06-13
  9 km N of Blain, Pennsylvania
• M 2.64 — 2015-01-25
  4 km ESE of Downingtown, Pennsylvania
• M 3.05 — 2010-06-03
  4 km ENE of Franklintown, Pennsylvania
• M 2.76 — 2009-10-25
  4 km ENE of Franklintown, Pennsylvania