Lewisburg has always been a center of trade and culture as a river and canal town on the banks of the Susquehanna River. Once served by two railroads and a tiny airport, Lewisburg's bridges and roads connected it to distant cities and rich hinterlands. Lewisburg grew from its layout in 1785 by Ludwig Derr to become the home of thriving businesses, elegant 18th- and 19th-century homes, and churches clustered on many of its corners. Along with adjacent Kelly and East Buffalo Townships, Lewisburg prospered on the backs of hardworking people with ideas, vision, and a willingness to take risks. Named as the Union County seat in 1855, Lewisburg today has the resources of a city but the charm of a small town surrounded by farms and fields.

Includes catalogs of accessions and special bibliographical supplements.

This updated and revised book covers the gamut of Union County's history. It begins with the region's earliest days when the Delaware Indians were in residence and how the arrival of settlers, who ventured into this frontier area from Berks and Lancaster counties, marked the beginning of major changes. Synder's text, first published in 1976, has been expanded and updated to reflect newly discovered material on such groups as the Amish and the developments in Union County up to 2000. Distributed by Penn State University Press by arrangement with the Union County Historical Society.