Facts about Snyder County

History

When Europeans first began settling here in the early 1700's, several major Indian trails traversed the county. These paths were important during the settlement of western Pennsylvania and the Ohio country and strategic during both the French and Indian War and the American Revolution. Portions of present-day highways still follow parts of the old trails. At first, Penn's Woods was divided into just a few counties. In 1768, the territory presently Snyder County was known as Penn Township, Cumberland County. In 1772 it was Northumberland County and in 1813, Union County was created. Finally in 1855, it was divided off from Union County and the county seat was established in Middleburg. The county was named after Pennsylvania's third governor, Simon Snyder, who is buried here. The 1800's brought rapid development. The farmers, mostly of German ancestry, were industrious. In addition to agricultural commodities, lumber and iron ore were also transported from Snyder County by way of the Pennsylvania Canal, on the west shore of the Susquehanna River. Later, railroads moved the freight.

Geography and Agriculture:

Snyder County is in the Appalachian Mountain Section of the Ridge and Valley Province. Two parallel mountain ridges run southwest to northeast and end at the county's eastern boundary, the Susquehanna River. Between the ridges are steep hills, gently rolling hills, and flat creek valleys. The agriculture is diverse and wisely matched to the topography and soil type. In terms of land area, Snyder County ranks 63rd of Pennsylvania's 67 counties. Yet, in terms of agricultural production, Snyder County ranks second in cantaloupes, fifth in broilers, fifth in swine, eighth in apples, ninth in peaches, and tenth in eggs. Dairy farming, however, is the leading agricultural enterprise with production valued at more than $20 million. Other important crops include Christmas trees, vegetables, hay, and corn. All of this is produced on 92,751 acres-roughly 44% of the total land area. Of the approximately 600 farms in the county, 416 are full time. Almost half of the county is forested; oak, hickory, white pine, and hemlock are the important species. The lumber and wood products industry, consisting of sawmills, pallet factories, millworks, and cabinet factories, provides half of the county's manufacturing jobs.

History of Cooperative Extension in Snyder County:

The Smith-Lever Act of 1914 was, and still is, the basis for agricultural extension work. With the promise of federal and state matching funds, the first public meetings were held in 1917 to discuss the formation of an organization to promote the "improvement of farming methods." Two years later, the Snyder County Farm Bureau was organized. Finally, with a pledge of $1,500 by the Snyder County Commissioners, the first county agent was called in 1920. Extension work in the 20's consisted of demonstrations, variety trials, formation of livestock breed organizations, lime and fertility testing, and publication of crop spray schedules. The information was especially valuable since it was based on research done at the Pennsylvania State College. Even in those days, however, the county agent networked with other members of the community to get the job done. The first 4-H club in the county was a potato club, sponsored by the Selinsgrove Chamber of Commerce in 1923. The first home economics agent was called in 1926. Her first charge was to start food, clothing, and sewing clubs. The rationale-to improve the standard of living of the family by teaching the young people. During the Great Depression, the emphasis of extension work was targeted at topics like meal planning, clothing renovation, marketing of farm products, farm records and cost accounting, and rural electrification. When our nation was immersed in World War II, extension programs focused on Victory (vegetable) gardens, home canning, remodeling wardrobes, machinery repair, 4-H honey production, producing cannery tomatoes, and an emergency farm labor program. Today, some of the extension educational programs are surprisingly similar to those at the beginning. Delivery methods have changed greatly - especially with the adoption of computer and satellite technology. Yet, a careful look at Cooperative Extension's history over the past 80 years would reveal this recurring theme- extension programs must be responsive to the educational needs of the community and the society.

written by Jeff Mizer (2000)