BoomTown

Randy Epler became the police chief of Towanda after the former chief retired and went to work for a drilling company.

More gas wells have been drilled in Bradford County than in any other Pennsylvania county. Towanda is the seat of Bradford County.

Drilling initially boosted Towanda’s economy. But lately, low natural gas prices mean less drilling, and less money for local businesses.

Some residents say the sleepy small-town feel of Towanda, home to roughly 3,000 people, has disappeared since drilling began.

Rents have more than tripled over the past five years, pricing many working class Towandans out of town.

Barbara Keeney (left) and Karen Parkhurst run The Weigh Station restaurant. Their customers include locals, gas-industry workers and tourists headed to Niagara Falls.

"More people tend to lock their vehicles," says Mike Miller (far right) speaking of changes in Towanda since drilling arrived. "There just seems to be the feeling that you need a little more security."

Most mornings, a group of men gathers for coffee at the Weigh Station. Many of the men are lifelong Towandans, and conversation often turns to changes in their town.

Don Brenner performs during open mic night at the Weigh Station.

The walls of the Weigh Station are covered with signatures of patrons from all over the world.

"Landmen" flocked to the county courthouse in 2007 and 2008 to dig up ownership records for Bradford County property.

Trucks carry equipment across the SusquehannaRiver into Towanda. During the height of drilling activity, traffic would back up at the bridge for three miles.

The Weigh Station chefs took a Mexican cooking class and changed their menu to offer a taste of home to gas-industry workers from the Southwest.

C&G Wilcox Engraving and Images is a 101-year-old family run business.

Key chains of rigs, drill bits, and other drilling-related items are on sell for $20-$125.

The New Shoe Store Plus on Main Street changed the types of boots and clothing it carries to reflect the taste of workers from Texas and Oklahoma.

According to shoe store employee, Jan Millard, they never used to sell "pull on boots" until workers from the Southwest started requesting them.

Garcia's, Towanda's only Mexican restaurant, opened after the gas boom began. The lunch crowd is mostly energy workers but the evening crowd is a broader mix of workers from other Towanda plants.

Oklahoma City-based Chesapeake Energy Corp. is one of the main drilling companies working in Bradford County.

Global Tungsten & Powders produces materials for lighting, electronics and other industries, and is one of the major employers in Towanda.

The DuPont manufacturing plant is another main employer in Towanda.

The number of commitments to the Bradford County Correctional Facility jumped from 895 in 2008 to 1,065 in 2011. It is projected that there will be 1,319 commitments in 2012.

Towanda has experienced booms before, first with coal mining, then logging. However, each boom has come with a bust.

A mounted buck named Oscar hangs on the wall at the Bradford County Museum.

Rent for a one bedroom apartment in 2008 was around $300. By 2011, rent for a similar apartment increased to $1,000.

Joe Benjamin grew up in Towanda. He makes upwards of $20 an hour but can't afford rent in town so he lives with his girlfriend in her mother's basement.

Judy Smith has been the volunteer program director of Grace Connections for the last 7 years. Grace Connections helps needy Towandans by putting them up in motels and providing food vouchers.

Volunteers pack bags of food at the Towanda Area Christian Outreach (TACO) office.

TACO provides food relief for needy Towandans and helps them sign up for food stamps.

Ask any Towandan what is the biggest change since drilling arrived and the answer is likely to be the increase in traffic.

Heavy-duty truck traffic clogs Towanda's Main Street. Drilling companies have made major improvements to area roads by widening and re-paving previously worn routes.

A man sits outside of Fairchild’s Hardware store, one of the oldest family owned businesses in Towanda.

Business has slowed recently at the Weigh Station but the owners are thankful for healthy profits during the gas boom.

Towanda High School saw an enrollment surge of about 30 new students after the drilling boom began. A third of them have already moved elsewhere.

Fog rolls off the Susquehanna River early in the morning as traffic crosses the bridge entering Towanda.

The Weigh Station restaurant is located in an old train depot.

An antique car parked on Main Street in Towanda. The car belongs to a local florist.

The Towanda police station also doubles as the mayor's office.

The area near Towanda has seen its share of drilling problems: Shell had to burn off gas at this pad for several months, after methane began leaking to the surface nearby."

The jewelry store has seen an increase in orders for custom pieces like this drill bit replica.

Landowners receive bonus and royalty payments from natural gas drillers, but offers have declined as the price of natural gas has fallen.

Volunteers pack boxes of food for needy Towandans at TACO.

Several manufacturing plants in Towanda offer steady non-drilling related employment.

Drilling companies have invested millions of dollars in improving area roads.

Jan Millard befriended many of the drillers that started hanging around her store but says they tend to leave suddenly without saying goodbye.

Heavy duty truck traffic has dwindled as gas production drops in Bradford County.

Most natural gas drilling takes place on rolling farmland that surrounds Towanda.

Some Towandans have found jobs with trucking companies and equipment suppliers but most of the actual drilling is done by outsiders.

A new cafe is under construction on Main Street.

A water truck drives over the bridge entering Towanda, Pa. Traffic in town increased dramatically with the boom in natural gas drilling.