Lewis Township is a township in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 987 at the 2010 census,
Lycoming Creek, which begins to the north of Lewis Township in McNett Township, also served as a highway of sorts during the colonial era of Pennsylvania's history. The stream was used by early explorers and the Native Americans in the area as a means of travel. They were able to float their canoes down the creek and into the West Branch Susquehanna River. This mode of transportation was considerably faster than walking the path. Conrad Weiser guided Moravian missionaries along the creek and path to reach Onondaga, the capital of the Iroquois Confederacy in 1737. Raiding parties of Indian warriors used the creek and path in 1770 when conducting attacks on the West Branch Susquehanna Valley strongholds of Fort Muncy and Fort Freeland. Colonel Thomas Hartley led the 6th Pennsylvania Regiment up the Sheshequin Path during the American Revolution. Hartley's expedition in 1778 preceded the Sullivan Expedition of 1779. Both Hartley and Sullivan were instrumental in claiming the frontier of Pennsylvania and New York for the forces of the Continental Army. As Hartley and his men passed through Lewis Township, the Sheshequin path was widened. The widening of the path helped to open this area to settlement in the years following the Revolution.
thumb|Sheshequin Path Pennsylvania Historical Marker on [[U.S. Route 15 near Trout Run]]
Lewis Township was largely uninhabited until after the Revolutionary War. A squatter named A.M. Slack is believed to have been the first permanent settler. He built a cabin and cleared some land in the area that is now the village of Bodines. The village of Trout Run has its beginnings during the construction of the Williamson Road. This road, which stretched from Williamsport to Painted Post, New York, helped open north-central Pennsylvania to settlement. Charles Williamson, the builder of the road, established a supply depot at Trout Run.
Geography
Lewis Township is in north-central Lycoming County and is bordered by Cogan House Township to the west, McIntyre Township to the north, Cascade Township to the northeast, Gamble Township to the southeast, Hepburn Township at the extreme south corner, and Lycoming Township to the southwest. U.S. Route 15, the Appalachian Thruway, passes through the township, following the valley of Lycoming Creek in the south and turning up the side valley of Trout Run to the northwest. US-15 leads south to Williamsport, the Lycoming county seat, and north to Mansfield. Pennsylvania Route 14 leads northeast from Trout Run, continuing up the Lycoming Creek valley to Canton.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which are land and , or 1.68%, are water.
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,139 people, 451 households, and 304 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 572 housing units at an average density of 15.1/sq mi (5.8/km<sup>2</sup>). The racial makeup of the township was 98.68% White, 0.35% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.09% Asian, and 0.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.79% of the population.
There were 451 households, out of which 29.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.0% were married couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.4% were non-families. 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the township the population was spread out, with 24.7% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 104.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $34,074, and the median income for a family was $38,661. Males had a median income of $27,989 versus $20,300 for females. The per capita income for the township was $14,780. About 7.8% of families and 10.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.2% of those under age 18 and 10.6% of those age 65 or over.