page_title: Williamsport, Pennsylvania
section_title: Modern history (1900–present)
hierarchical_section_title: Williamsport, Pennsylvania / History / Modern history (1900–present)
caption_attribution_description: English: Williamsport Cropped
context_page_description: Williamsport is a city in, and the county seat of, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. In 2019, the population was estimated at 28,186. It is the principal city of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of about 114,000.
  The city is the cultural, financial, and commercial center of Central Pennsylvania. It is 131 miles from Philadelphia, 166 miles from Pittsburgh and 85 miles from state capital Harrisburg. The city is renowned for its sports, arts scene and food. Williamsport was settled by Americans late in the 18th century, and the town began to prosper due to its lumber industry. By the early 20th century, the town reached the height of its prosperity and the population has since declined by about a third from its peak of around 45,000 in 1950.
  As county seat, Williamsport has the county court house, county prison, sheriff's office headquarters and federal courthouse all located in the downtown neighborhood. The city is also home to two institutions of higher learning: the Pennsylvania College of Technology and Lycoming College.
  Williamsport is the birthplace of Little League Baseball.
context_section_description: The Flood of March 17–18, 1936 caused the river to crest at 33.9'. Flood waters reached High Street. It was known locally as the Hello, Al flood because Al Glaes, operating a short-wave radio station from his home on High Street, kept the city in touch with the rest of the world after the flood disrupted electricity and telephone service.
  On June 6, 1939 the first Little League Baseball game was played on a sandlot outside Bowman Field in Williamsport. Carl Stotz conceived the idea of a Little League, and he and Bert and George Bebble managed the first three teams. In 1941 the U.S. entered World War II after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Williamsport native Joe Lockard, stationed on Oahu, gave warning of the impending attack based on radar readings. His readings were dismissed as American B17 bombers coming in from the mainland. Also in 1941 the Williamsport School Board created the Williamsport Technical Institute for high school and post-high school students. It grew into the Williamsport Area Community College, and later became Pennsylvania College of Technology.
caption: Downtown Williamsport
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