Northumberland County, founded in 1772, at one time spanned
most of the northern part of Pennsylvania, stretching west from the
Lehigh River to the Allegheny River. In the 200+ years since its founding, it has been divided and subdivided, resulting in the birth of 28 new counties, and lending Northumberland the nickname ‘Mother of Counties.’ Traversed by the northern branch of the Susquehanna River, the county has long been a provider of oats, potatoes, dairy and poultry products, as well as anthracite coal. It is home to the nation’s oldest covered bridge–the Rishel Covered Bridge near Montandon–and it is the birthplace of architect William Howard Lee, famous for his beaux arts era theater designs. Sunbury, the county seat, was laid out in 1756 on the site of Ft Augusta, a strategic juncture of native American and new American communities. In 1810, the city of Northumberland missed being the state capital by one vote. Ironically, the deciding vote–for Harrisburg– was cast by the representative from Sunbury.