Williamsport’s Brandon Park is greater than an attractive respite from town. It’s a veritable outside museum with a historical past of tragedy and sweetness. Mark Avery not too long ago introduced a wealthy data of Brandon Park’s early historical past to his presentation on the Thomas T. Taber Museum. Hosted by the Lycoming County Genealogical Society, Avery dove deep into the park’s genesis and the way it nearly by no means turned a park in any respect.
Avery’s connection to Brandon Park goes again to his childhood. His grandfather, Lone Hock, was the park superintendent for a few years and lived a block away from the 43-acre expanse. Avery was at all times eager to go exploring there. Now years later, Avery is a historian who has researched the park’s historical past extensively and is joyful to share it.
Michael Ross, Williamsport’s founder, was the unique proprietor of the land that’s now Brandon Park. It was merely a hay discipline at the moment.
“For a few years, the grass that was grown there was used for the horses of town’s police and hearth departments,” famous Avery, to a packed room.
When Ross died in 1819, the land was handed all the way down to his daughter, Margaret Huling, and her husband, James Huling.
“4 years later, Margaret and James bought the land to Espy Van Horne.Then in 1825, Van Horne was elected to the U.S. Home of Representatives and bought it to James Cummings Jr.,” stated Avery.
After James died, he left the land to his sister, Jane Cummings Brandon. Brandon Park would at some point be named after her — however that was nonetheless a long time sooner or later.
Jane herself was a tragic character within the park’s historical past. She endured 8 years of fixed loss. Her husband John Brandon, who was a writer with the Lycoming Gazette, died in 1829. Then later that 12 months, her toddler little one additionally died. Loss didn’t cease there, In 1832, her mom handed away, after which her aforementioned brother James died in 1835. Life acquired solely tougher for Jane, when her two remaining youngsters died in 1837. Maybe, shedding a lot household led to her personal dying at 35 years previous in 1840.
“She died instantly and considerably unexpectedly. I don’t know if she died from heartbreak or suicide,” Avery stated, noting that the phrase “considerably” was included in quotes in her obituary, which can have been code for her taking her personal life.
Jane’s hay discipline was then handed on to her three remaining brothers, Andrew Boyd Cummings, Thomas Cummings and Alexander Cummings. Andrew finally took possession of the land.
In 1889, 81-year-old Andrew was a really rich man dwelling in Philadelphia. In February of that 12 months, his long-time good friend and lawyer, Robert P. Allen, travelled to Philadelphia to debate plans to promote the land to the Packer Land and Enchancment Firm for $40,000 — which might be $1.5 million immediately. An enormous a part of that plan was for the land to develop into the positioning of the brand new Williamsport Hospital. However Andrew had different plans. When Allen arrived, Andrew defined that he had determined to not promote the land in any case and would donate it to the residents of Williamsport..
“It was with the stipulation that it might be referred to as Brandon Park, in honor of his beloved sister, Jane Cummings Brandon,” stated Avery.
Earlier than the park would take form, Williamsport needed to first get well from the good flood of 1889. Destroyed houses pressured space residents to retreat to the park for shelter.
“There have been greater than 40 military tents for roughly 250 folks from June to August. They’d nowhere else to go however the park,” stated the historian.
In 1890, Robert H. Fairies, metropolis and park engineer, designed the structure of the park. Building began with sidewalks and roadways being staked out. Then, 600 bushes have been planted.
With the park’s improvement transferring alongside, it was mandatory to put out some guidelines for its use. A kind of guidelines mandated that lifeless animals couldn’t be disposed of there.
“I assume that was an issue again then, ” Avery flatly said.
Different guidelines included no strolling on the grass, no curse phrases and no baseball. Nevertheless, the latter was quickly rescinded and now strolling on grass is definitely permitted.
March 26, 2026 will mark the 137th anniversary of when Williamsport Metropolis Council formally authorized Andrew’s present of Brandon Park. And true to Andrew’s intent properly over a century in the past, it nonetheless serves as a present to Williamsport’s residents and a reminder of a brother’s love for his sister.
