Watson Township is a township in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. The population was 550 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Watson Township is bordered by Clinton County to the west, Cummings Township to the north, Mifflin Township to the east, and Porter Township to the south.
Watson Township was formed in January 1848 from parts of Porter and Cummings Townships. It is named for Oliver Watson who was the president of a bank in nearby Williamsport at the time.
Watson Township is and always has been a largely unpopulated area. It is mountainous and covered with a thriving second growth forest. During the late 1800s much of the land was stripped of its virgin forests. At the time central Pennsylvania, and the city of Williamsport was the center of the lumber industry in the United States. Trees were cut down and floated down Pine Creek, which flows through Watson Township. There were several sawmills along Pine Creek in the township. Other early attempts at industry included an iron forge. There were several deposits of iron ore in Watson Township. The ore proved to be of low quality and the investors in the iron furnaces struggled to turn a profit. The furnaces were abandoned and little evidence of their existence remains.
