History of The Townships of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania - Cogan House Township

Cogan House Township

Cogan House Township was formed from parts of Jackson and Mifflin Townships on December 6, 1843. The source of Larrys Creek is in Cogan House Township, just south of the hamlet of Steam Valley. It flows west-southwest through the village of Cogan House, and then under the Larrys Creek Covered Bridge. The bridge is also known as the "Buckhorn Covered Bridge" (for a nearby mountain) or the "Cogan House Covered Bridge" (for the village and township). A petition from the citizens of Cogan House Township for a bridge to be built was filed on September 4, 1876. The 90-foot-long (27 m) Burr arch truss bridge was built in 1877 and rehabilitated in 1998, and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Larrys Creek was vitally important to the economic development of Cogan House Township. During the height of the lumber era that swept through Pennsylvania in the mid-to-late 19th century, Larrys Creek was used to float logs from the hills of the township to the lumber industry in nearby Williamsport on the West Branch Susquehanna River.

The township is named for David Cogan, a pioneer who settled on Larrys Creek in 1825. Cogan was one of the few settlers in the area for many years. He grew tired of living alone in the wilderness and abandoned his homestead in 1842 as did a neighbor named Carter. Cogan and Carter's houses were used by hunters and travelers. The name Cogan's House was given to the area, hence the name Cogan House.