Genealogy has become a hobby for me over the last 10 years. For me, it's like a puzzle, I love fitting the pieces together. But over the years, I've researched a lot that does not pertain to our family lines. Some for extended family, some for close friends, and some because I was trying to rule out lines to figure out where our line went exactly. I do not want these notes on my Heather's Genealogy Notes blog - because they are not our lines. But I do like to share all of my research, in case it benefits others. That is what this blog is for - research I have done that does not apply to our own family lines, but may be helpful for someone else.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Michael Ross 1759-1819 Founder of Williamsport


Painting, and description below, on display at the Taber Museum in Williamsport PA

"The portrait depicts one of Williamsport's founders, Michael Ross.  Ross's life reads like a typical rags-to-riches story.  Born in 1759, Ross came to America around 1772 and was indentured to a Muncy land speculator, Samuel Wallis.  At the end of Ross' servitude in 1779, Wallis awarded him 100 acres.  Ross bought more land in what was to become downtown Williamsport in 1793.  He set some aside for public buildings and began selling off plots in 1796 after Gov. Thomas Mifflin signed a bill making the new town the seat of Lycoming County."


Michael Ross
Birth 11 JUL 1759
Death 20 JUN 1819
Married
Antje (Ann) Corsen
Born 1763
Died 1818




From Wikipedia:

Founding fathers

The founding fathers of Williamsport were Michael Ross and William Hepburn. Both men played a great role in the formation of Lycoming County and the establishment of Williamsport as the county seat.
Michael Ross was born in Scotland on July 12, 1759. He and his mother migrated across the Atlantic Ocean in 1772 and landed inPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania. They became indentured servants to Samuel Wallis, known as the "Land King" of the West Branch Susquehanna River Valley. Wallis had extensive holdings in Muncy Township. Wallis brought Michael Ross and his mother to Muncy Township where Ross was trained as a surveyor's assistant. Michael Ross must have made a good impression upon Wallis, since Wallis gave Ross 109 acres (0.4 km2) of land and a favorable letter of recommendation.[1] Ross quickly became a successful surveyor and farmer. He was able to use his profits to purchase 285 acres (1.2 km2) of land along the West Branch Susquehanna River, betweenLoyalsock and Lycoming Creeks. This land originally called "Virginia"[1] was to in time become Williamsport, the county seat of Lycoming County.

See More on WIlliam Hepburn, here:


Buried in Williamsport Cemetery:







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