Crawford County Messenger and CCHS News

Ray Harroun 1879-1968 The winner of the first Indianapolis 500, Ray Harroun was born on January 12, 1879 in Spartansburg, Pennsylvania in northern Crawford County. Harroun was the youngest of Russell and Lucy Harroun’s four...

James Densmore As you string out words into strings of sentences across the screen of your computer, tablet, or mobile phone, know that the keyboard layout we have all become so familiar was conceived in...

1865 map showing the site off Miller’s home Of the names associated with the history of Conneaut Lake, none carries the intrigue of Phil Miller. Philip W. Miller was a boat builder and expert outdoorsman...

Meadville Mutuals Team Photo Opening day of the 2016 Baseball season is upon us yet again which among other things, presents the opportunity to highlight the area’s curious place as part of America’s pastime.  Like...

Proposed boundaries of Marion County and Titusville as the seat Everybody knows that the northwest corner of Pennsylvania is made up of Crawford, Erie, Warren and Marion counties: The last named after the Revolutionary War...

Allegheny students wait at the Exposition Park trolley station – 1913 On May 30, 1906, the Meadville and Conneaut Lake Traction (M&CLT) Company formed with a goal of bringing trolley service to Exposition Park (Conneaut...

As we reflect on this country’s African American heritage, it’s worth noting Crawford County’s role as a branch of the Underground Railroad. In the years leading up to the Civil War, area residents, like much...

The Tarr Mansion with its balconies intact We are excited to announce the Crawford County Historical Society is now the proud owner of the James and Elizabeth Tarr Mansion on Meadville’s Diamond Park! Even though...

Lady Mary Crawley’s corset in an early episode Change stands prominent as the obvious theme depicted in TV’s historical drama, Downton Abbey. The show begins famously with news of the Titanic’s sinking in 1912 and...

On January 27, 1888, the National Geographic Society was founded in Washington, D.C., for “the increase and diffusion of geographical knowledge.” What many may not realize is that the publication of the society’s famous periodical,...

A.C. early ranching days Friction between ranchers and the federal government over the use of public lands recently witnessed in the news is nothing new in our history. Prominent Meadville businessman and Civil War veteran,...

Among the many themes centered around the changing times in the popular PBS television series, Downton Abbey, women’s growing independence has remained a constant, if not a central focus. Such independence was not a circumstance experienced...