Northumberland County Cooperative Extension -

Northumberland County Information

Northumberland County once extended from the Lehigh River to the Allegheny with the New York line as its northern border and accounted for more than one third the area of the state. The county is called the "Mother of Counties" because twenty-eight counties have been formed from its once vast territory.

Sunbury, the county seat, was the largest and most strategic Indian community in the East in its early years with the great chief Shikellimy residing there. Shamokin was one of the most important Indian towns in the state. Fort Augusta was erected at the confluence of the North and West Branches of the Susquehanna and played an important role in the defense of the area during the French and Indian War.

Thomas Edison chose Sunbury to be the base of operations for his electrical experiments. Joseph Priestly, the founder of modern chemistry and the discoverer of oxygen, settled in the borough of Northumberland in the late 1700’s and lived there until his death in 1804. He was one of the founders of Northumberland Academy, the first school for advanced grades in this part of the state.

The county is traversed by the north branch of the Susquehanna River and by many creeks which create valuable farmland. More than a third of the area is crop and pasture land, and its agricultural industry includes dairy and poultry, oats and potatoes. The county ranks number one in the state in the production of soybeans. The southern portion of the county is known for its production of anthracite coal.

Penn State Cooperative Extension in Northumberland County is part of the Central Susquehanna Unit comprised of Columbia, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder and Union Counties. The extension staff in this office provides leadership and programming to the residents of the multi-county area in livestock as well as financial and consumer issues. The county’s 4-H program includes traditional community and project 4-H clubs in addition to school enrichment programs and summer day camp programs.

The extension office is located outside of Sunbury at the Northumberland County Ag Center site on Plum Creek Road off Route 890. In addition to the extension office, the complex includes the Farm Service Agency, Northumberland County Conservation District, and Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Need some stats for your county? Check out these resources.

Government information site on demographics, economics, and educational information:
http://govinfo.library.orst.edu/

US Census Bureau
United States Department of Commerce

To find timely, relevant, and quality data about the people and economy of the United States, click here:
http://www.census.gov/

USDA Home Page:
http://www.usda.gov/




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Northumberland County Information Northumberland County once extended from the Lehigh River to the Allegheny with the New York line as its northern border and accounted for more than one third the area of the state. The county is called the "Mother of Counties" because twenty-eight counties have been formed from its once vast territory. Sunbury, the county seat, was the largest and most strategic Indian community in the East in its early years with the great chief Shikellimy residing there. Shamokin was one of the most important Indian towns in the state. Fort Augusta was erected at the confluence of the North and West Branches of the Susquehanna and played an important role in the defense of the area during the French and Indian War. Thomas Edison chose Sunbury to be the base of operations for his electrical experiments. Joseph Priestly, the founder of modern chemistry and the discoverer of oxygen, settled in the borough of Northumberland in the late 1700’s and lived there until his death in 1804. He was one of the founders of Northumberland Academy, the first school for advanced grades in this part of the state. The county is traversed by the north branch of the Susquehanna River and by many creeks which create valuable farmland. More than a third of the area is crop and pasture land, and its agricultural industry includes dairy and poultry, oats and potatoes. The county ranks number one in the state in the production of soybeans. The southern portion of the county is known for its production of anthracite coal. Penn State Cooperative Extension in Northumberland County is part of the Central Susquehanna Unit comprised of Columbia, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder and Union Counties. The extension staff in this office provides leadership and programming to the residents of the multi-county area in livestock as well as financial and consumer issues. The county’s 4-H program includes traditional community and project 4-H clubs in addition to school enrichment programs and summer day camp programs. The extension office is located outside of Sunbury at the Northumberland County Ag Center site on Plum Creek Road off Route 890. In addition to the extension office, the complex includes the Farm Service Agency, Northumberland County Conservation District, and Natural Resources Conservation Service. Need some stats for your county? Check out these resources. Government information site on demographics, economics, and educational information: http://govinfo.library.orst.edu/ US Census Bureau United States Department of Commerce To find timely, relevant, and quality data about the people and economy of the United States, click here: http://www.census.gov/ USDA Home Page: http://www.usda.gov/
Penn State \| College of Agricultural Sciences \| Cooperative Extension & Outreach This page last updated Monday, March 25, 2002 Copyright Information This publication is available in alternative media on request. Penn State is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity University. This site is a product of Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences. Please e-mail us with your questions, comments or suggestions at NorthumberlandExt@psu.edu.