Forget fiction. Perhaps we need only look to old time Williamsport for stories about how the other half lived. On the city's famous millionaires row lived someone who was said to be the wealthiest woman in the world in her day.
According to the Lycoming County Chamber of Commerce, Anne Weightman Walker Penfield, or woman Midas as she was eventually called, loved to entertain at her home on West Fourth Street.
Her guests reportedly arrived at her lavish parties in the finest fashions. Some say it wasn't uncommon for her to rent railroad cars, take guests to Niagara Falls for a weekend of celebration.
But Mrs. Penfield was also a noted philanthropist. Her obituary in The New York Times notes she was honored by the Vatican and foreign governments for, quote, charity and war relief work.
Woman Midas' Home still stands today on Millionaire's Row. You can see it for yourself, along with other impressive homes, on a millionaire's row Architectural Walking Tour.
