Potter County Today

Members of the public are welcome to attend a major America250 observance to be held at 1 pm Saturday, Sept. 6, at Denton Hill State Park. Potter County’s “Liberty Tree” will be dedicated with a formal ceremony. Local musicians will perform and there were be a reception at the lodge. During the Revolutionary War, the Sons of Liberty often convened under the nation’s original Liberty Tree in Boston to discuss their opposition to British rule in the colonies. This historic tree became a beacon of hope to colonists and a symbol of American freedom. Seedlings from an original Liberty Tree are being planted across the commonwealth. Goal is to have a certified Liberty Tree planted in each of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties. The Sept. 6 ceremony is a joint project of the Potter County Historical Society (PCHS), local Freemasons, Pa. Bureau of Forestry and the Potter County Conservation District.

Other activities have fallen into place as Potter County celebrates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Spearheading the observance are PCHS, represented by David Castano; and Allegewi Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, represented by Ilene Altenhein. Commissioner Paul Heimel is county liaison with the America250PA organization. Those interested in becoming involved should contact PCHS (814-274-4410) or DAR/Allegewi Chapter (814-274-9798).

The Potter County Commissioners have approved a $10,000 grant to Crary Hose Company of Westfield to support a regional live-burn training center for volunteer firefighters. The money will come from the county’s Pa. Act 13 repository. Those funds are generated from a state “impact fee” on shale gas production. Portions of the revenue are allotted to counties, townships and boroughs. Local fire departments had encouraged the commissioners to support the center, which is being created on an eight-acre parcel which was previously used for a leather tannery. Shown during the check presentation ceremony, from left, are Mike Raber from Tri-Town Volunteer Fire Company of Ulysses, Commissioner Nancy Grupp, Crary Hose Fire Chief William Goltz, Commissioner Robert Rossman, Crary Hose Vice President Todd Streeter and Commissioner Paul Heimel.

More activities have fallen into place as Potter County continues an extended “America250” celebration, marking the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Spearheading activities are Potter County Historical Society (PCHS), represented by David Castano; and Allegewi Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, represented by Ilene Altenhein. Commissioner Paul Heimel is county liaison with the America250PA organization. Those interested in becoming involved should contact PCHS (814-274-4410) or DAR/Allegewi Chapter (814-274-9798). Colin Sheffer, projects and programming coordinator for America250PA, will be in Potter County on Tuesday, July 29, to discuss the many local activities that have been developed as part of this historic occasion, as detailed below:

• DAR/Allegewi Chapter members began the observance by placing displays in the PCHS Museum and the Eliot Ness Museum and placing wreaths at the sites of the 11 Revolutionary War soldiers buried in Potter County, and at the foot of the David Zeisberger monument at the courthouse square. Wreaths will remain in place through July 2026. DAR also hosted a memorial service at American Legion Post 192 pavilion and the Lymansville Cemetery in honor of the Revolutionary War soldiers.  A wreath was laid at the grave of soldier Roger Edgecomb. DAR activities will culminate with a rededication of the David Zeisberger monument and other activities at the courthouse square at 11 am on July 3, 2026.
• Bells Across Pennsylvania: To commemorate the Liberty Bell and spotlight its significance, PCHS will provide funding and materials for students at each of the six public school districts in Potter County to fashion bells with localized history themes. Art teachers at each school are being asked to coordinate the projects. The six bills are currently being crafted at The Carpenter’s Shop in Ulysses by Calvin Horning. They are 3’ by 3’ manufactured from native hardwoods. Each bell, as flat silhouettes, will be distributed by September 2025 to each school district along with a $200 stipend for each district for supplies. Bells will initially be displayed for public viewing at the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum prior to being placed at each school.
• Liberty Tree Dedication: During the Revolutionary War, the Sons of Liberty often convened under the nation’s original Liberty Tree in Boston, to discuss their opposition to British rule in the colonies. This historic tree became a beacon of hope to colonists and a symbol of American freedom. Seedlings from an original Liberty Tree are being planted across the commonwealth. Goal is to have a certified Liberty Tree planted in each of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties. PCHS, local Freemasons, Pa. Bureau of Forestry and the Potter County Conservation District will dedicate Potter County’s Liberty Tree at Denton Hill State Park at 1 pm on Saturday, Sept. 6. Local musicians will perform. PCHS will sponsor a reception at the lodge following the ceremony.
• Nurturing Our Next Generation: Goal is to help students in grades 4-8 to learn and practice the civic leadership and skills that will help them develop into responsible, ethical citizens. PCHS will provide guides with localized content for each school district to use during the 2025-26 school year. Pennsylvania Lumber Museum staffers Jennifer Haines and Josh Fox will host field trips customized to include content relevant to the boroughs and townships in each school district. Thirty guides featuring Potter County history will be distributed to each school district for classroom use.
• ‘Pa. Proud’ Service Member Spotlight: DAR, PCHS and local veterans service organizations are working on localized “spotlights” to memorialize selected Revolutionary War and Civil War veterans. A series of articles will be provided to the local media. Focus will be on the Revolutionary War soldiers connected to Potter County, prepared by DAR; and Civil War soldiers, provided by Ed Worman, Civil War historian for PCHS. The latter will focus particularly on those who were held as prisoners at Andersonville, Ga., Richmond, Va., and Salisbury, N.C. Spotlights will culminate with Memorial Day observances in 2026.
• Road to Pennsylvania: America250PA is promoting walking, running, biking or wheeling through races, organized walks/hikes or other events. In partnership with the DCNR and county partners, America250PA will also highlight and encourage visitation to state parks, county parks and local historic points of interests. Locally, PCHS is identifying trails with historical connections to railroading within Lyman Run, Denton Hill, Ole Bull and Sinnemahoning state parks. A hiking guide/brochure will be produced with local railroad photographs. Plans could expand to include scholastic cross-country teams, hiking clubs, running clubs and other potential partners.
• Americana Quilt Classes/American Legion Benefit: Oswayo Valley Senior Center is supporting America250 with quilting classes. Attendees can learn to design an Americana quilt and donate it to local American Legion posts. Classes, open to all ages, will be held from 2-4 pm on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month starting in September. All materials will be provided.
• Dedication of new Asylum Peters marker at Ayers Hill Cemetery, properly identifying him as an early pioneer settler in Potter County (1808). Still in its formative stages, this ambitious project by PCHS represents the spirit of the founding of America, the inherent contradiction of white supremacy and slavery in a nation dedicated to freedom and liberty, and related themes embodied by the life history of a Potter County pioneer. PCHS is purchasing a new marker and reaching out to partners to ensure a fitting memorial to Asylum Peters. Dedication ceremony is at 1 pm Saturday, Oct. 11, at Ayers Hill Cemetery. Music will be provided by vocalists rendering Antebellum period spiritual selections.
• America250 Apron Contest: Potter County Fair Board is holding a patriotic apron contest in conjunction with the 2025 fair, in conjunction with the Pa. State Assn. of County Fairs. Cash prizes will be awarded to the winners.
• American250 Parade: Organizers are planning a Potter County America250 Parade on July 3, 2026. Details will be announced. DAR/Allegewi Chapter and the Coudersport Rotary Club are working on the arrangements.
• Township/Borough Engagement: Summit, Harrison and Stewardship townships are the first Potter County municipalities to sign up through America250PA. For more information on how to sign up, township and boroughs can visit the website, america250pa.org or send email to info@america250pa.org.

Joe Kurtz (right) and his assistants Kevin Coates (left) and Dan Foster are known informally in county circles as the “A-Team.” Evolution of the Maintenance Department to a skilled labor team has saved Potter County hundreds of thousands of dollars while improving working conditions and preserving historic buildings.

A trio of Potter County employees have earned national recognition with a 2025 Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties. Maintenance Supervisor Joe Kurtz and assistants Kevin Coates and Dan Foster qualified for the award based on innovation and excellence that have saved the county hundreds of thousands of dollars while improving working conditions. “The awards program shines a spotlight on the hard work and innovation happening in county governments,” said NACo President James Gore. “Potter County’s example of excellence will be held up as a model for other rural counties across the nation to follow.”

Seeds for the success were planted in 2021 when the commissioners authorized Kurtz to expand the department. His employees have since evolved from general workers to skilled laborers. Expenses of outside contractors have been reduced by an estimated 80 percent. At the F.W. Gunzburger County Office Building, the team recently renovated two outdated bathrooms in a hallway, saving the county an estimated $75,000; created a conference room/technology center for county and public use; renovated a section of the basement to accommodate relocation of the Domestic Relations Department, eliminating an expensive rental contract; and expanded the offices of the Planning, Community Development and GIS Department, among other improvements.

Also, Kurtz, Coates and Foster rehabilitated a vacant county building at Mapleview for use as a combination District Court and Veterans Services headquarters; obtained and installed a modern clockwork with grant funding to replace the failing courthouse tower clock; performed repairs and upgrades at 911 emergency communications tower sites; and converted a vacant lot to a community garden with 32 raised beds. Earlier, under Kurtz’s leadership, several major projects at the historic Potter County Courthouse were completed at significant cost savings. These included painting of the exterior, windows replacement, renovation of the courtroom, and replacement of the front staircase, among others.

“Potter County’s approach to these critical functions is a rarity among rural counties,” said NACo’s Gore. “Professionalism of the department came during a time when the county’s tax base was declining and its financial reserves descending. Costs for labor and materials were rising. The timing of developing these critical in-house skills and services could not have been better.”

Lower payments from the Pa. Act 13 shale gas-drilling “impact fee” have many county and local governments facing financial crunches as they enter the second half of the budget/calendar year. Payments from the tax are based on 2024 gas drilling and production reports. Potter County’s allotment is $189,107, down from $210,000 last year, and $364,000 in 2023.

Township/borough payments are also lower. With 2024 figures in paratheses, the leading recipients will be: Sweden $45,886 ($52,300); Ulysses Twp. $43,188 ($49,200); West Branch $34,525 ($36,500); Summit $24,451 ($27,900); Eulalia $21,327 ($24,300); Hector $12,502 ($8,478); Coudersport $12,111 ($13,650); Clara $12,089 ($13,800);  Wharton $11,758 ($13,400); Pleasant Valley $11,696 ($13,308); Keating $11,666 ($13,250); Harrison $11,118 ($12,505); Allegany $8,031 ($9,096); Sharon $7,726 ($8,705); Hebron $7,151 ($8,054); and Roulette $6,869 ($7,743).

While all counties receive a percentage of the annual impact fee revenues, distribution is weighted toward the counties and local governments that host development. Totals fluctuate annually, as the amount is based on factors including number of wells drilled, age of each well and prices.

County and local governments can use the money for preservation and reclamation of water supplies; improvements to roads and bridges; construction and repair of water and sewer systems; delivery of social services; local tax reduction; housing; conservation districts; emergency preparedness and flood plain management.