McKean County
Smethport, McKean County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Formed March 26, 1804 out of Lycoming County. Named for Gov. Thomas McKean. Smethport, the county seat, was incorporated 1853; here the "Bucktails," famed Civil War regiment, assembled in 1861. Oil, gas, and lumber spurred the county's early economic growth.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
Formed in 1804 from Lycoming County and named for Pennsylvania governor Thomas McKean, this northern county long drew its living from oil, gas, and timber. In 1861 the county seat of Smethport became a mustering ground when the celebrated "Bucktails" gathered here, a hard-fighting Civil War regiment known for the deer tails pinned to their caps. The name marked a rugged frontier people answering the Union's call.
Why it matters
McKean County joins the story of Pennsylvania's resource frontier to the wartime sacrifice of one of the Union's most storied volunteer regiments.
Own a business near here? Add it to the map.
Related people
- · Thomas McKean
Related events
- · Formation of the Bucktails regiment
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
The Bucktails
Smethport, PA · est. 1949
When the Civil War broke out in April 1861, Col. Thomas L. Kane rallied about 100 volunteers who gathered at Smethport on the 24th before marching off to Harrisburg. These backwoods marksmen pinned tails of buck deer to their caps as a badge of identity, giving rise to the celebrated nickname "the Bucktails." They formed the core of the famed 42nd Pennsylvania Regiment, which earned a reputation as some of the Union's finest sharpshooters.
Tidewater Pipe Co.
Keating Township, PA · est. 1949
In 1879, at the height of the northwestern Pennsylvania oil boom, the Tidewater Pipe Company achieved something engineers had doubted was possible: pumping crude oil over the Allegheny Mountains through a long-distance pipeline. Beginning May 28 of that year, its line pushed oil 109 miles east to Williamsport, deliberately breaking the transport stranglehold that John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil held through the railroads. Station No. 1 stood opposite this spot, the first pumping point in a bold experiment that proved oil could flow uphill and across a continent.
Kinzua Viaduct
Hamlin Township, PA · est. 2011
Begun in 1881 to carry coal, lumber, and oil across a deep Pennsylvania valley, the Kinzua Viaduct rose as the highest and longest railroad bridge in the world. Rebuilt in 1900 to bear ever-heavier loads, it served until 1959 and became the centerpiece of a state park. In 2003 a tornado tore through and toppled much of the span; the surviving towers were stabilized and topped with a dramatic skywalk in 2011.
Port Allegany
Port Allegany, PA · est. 1948
Where the overland route from the Susquehanna met navigable water, early travelers reached the spot they called "Canoe Place" and continued their journey by boat. The community that took root here grew on lumbering and tanning, industries fed by the surrounding forests, and became a busy transfer point for people and goods. Around 1840 it adopted the fitting name Port Allegany.