Wyalusing Borough

Bradford County, Pennsylvania

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Wyalusing Borough Hall, P.O. Box 131 Wyalusing PA 18853.
Phone: 570‑746‑1707.

Beginnings [1, 2]

Incorporated in 1887 from Wyalusing Township; settled around 1772. Located approximately 5 miles west of Towanda along Route 6. Main throughfares: State Street (Route 6); Church Street (Route 706).

The Borough's name comes from a Native American village, M'chwihilusing (Heverly, p. 188) established in 1752, 1 1/2 miles south of the mouth of Wyalusing Creek by a band of Delawares. In 1774, settlers from Connecticut occupied land in the area under the auspices of the Susquehanna Company. During the Revolutionary War, the Tories among the settlers moved north behind British lines, while raiding Indians and British drove the Patriots back downstream to Wilkes-Barre and beyond. In 1779, General Sullivan's Continental troops, moving north to attack the heartland of the Six Nations, widened the river road to a width suitable for wagons. Settlers filtered back into the area after the hostilities ended. In 1792, Justus Gaylord Jr., who had passed through the area as one of Sullivan's soldiers, purchased 900 acres, including the site on which Wyalusing stands today, and opened a store, along with a distillery and a tavern. (Heverly, p. 205) By 1795, there were at least 45 families in Wyalusing Township (Everts, p. 441-453). In 1801 John Hollenback arrived in the area with a cargo of goods and set up a general store (Heverly 1926, p. 202).

The pleasant village of Wyalusing occupies the site of the old Andastes town of Go-hon-to-to. Justus Gaylord, Jr., located here in 1792 and soon after opened the first store in Wyalusing, had a distillery and kept a tavern. The place gradually developed into a thriving village, which in 1887 was incorporated as Wyalusing borough. It had a population of 438 in 1890 and 628 in 1920.

  1. Neverly, Clement F., History and Geography of Bradford County Pennsylvania 1615-1924, 1926, Bradford County Historical Society, Towanda PA
  2. McMinn, Doug, Thomas R. Deans Assoc., Wyalusing Borough Historic District, National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places, Washington, D.C.

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