History of Clymer Township

The township of Clymer, 5 1/3 x 7 miles in size, bounded on the north by Westfield Township; east by Chatham and Shippen Townships; south by Shippen and Gaines Townships and west by Potter County, has an average elevation of 1600 feet above sea level, although Gurnee, in the south east, and Mixtown, in the north west, rise in places to slightly over the 2000 feet mark, and so are real mountains.

 

The streams in the northern part flow into the Cowanesque River and so find their way to North Branch of Susquehanna at Athens, while those on the southern edge flow south to Pine Creek and into the West Branch of the Susquehanna at Jersey Shore.

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The township, originally named Middletown, was formed from portions of Gaines and Westfield Townships in 1850. At that time, the name was changed to Clymer, honoring William Bingham Clymer, agent for the Bingham estate, from whom most of the farms in the township were purchased for $1.25 per acre.

 

Mr. Clymer, a grandson of George Clymer, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and his wife, did much to encourage settlers to locate in Clymer Township and many stories are told of their kindness and generosity toward any worthy settlers who, through crop failure, sickness or any other unavoidable cause, were unable to meet their obligations. He extended them time, even loaned them his private funds, free of interest, and did everything he could to hearten and encourage them to remain on their clearings and make permanent homes in the township.

 

Many of the old settlers admitted freely that had it not been for his generous aid they would have been obliged to abandon their holdings and begin anew elsewhere. We should be proud that our ancestors chose to honor their benefactor, by naming their home township for him, rather than from any location or physical aspect of the region, as so many townships seem to have done.