Crawford County Messenger and CCHS News

The following was submitted to the Meadville Republican by John Reynolds Sr. On the 30th of June, 1869, the mail by the Mercer turnpike was carried for the last time. Our venerable friend, John Reynolds,...

Yolanda Barco was a massive figure in 20th century legal, business, and women’s history pioneer in Crawford County. From being a cable television pioneer to an impressive legal career, and so much more – our...

Leonard Graves was an expert blacksmith who learned the carpentry trade by building carriages as a hobby for family and friends. During the post-war period following the Civil War, business was booming, and demand for...

Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton Duel Crawford County does not have much of a history of domestic strife. The county was largely unsettled during the time of the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 never...

A Passion for a New Art Much of the world’s first oil boom was captured in the photography of one John A. Mather, an English immigrant whose love for his art allowed such a vivid...

Gate House at the Pymatuning Reservior – 1930’s While in recent times the imposition of man’s power over nature has come under much needed scrutiny, there are situations where the total destruction of one area...

A turnpike being raised Today, a trip from Meadville to Pittsburgh takes about an hour and half. The worst travelers have to deal with today are the occasional storm, constant road repairs, and the terror...

GW Depot with McHenry House to the left in 1869 As with most establishments in the hospitality industry, success could not have been attained without competent management. The same holds true for the McHenry House,...

A crowd gathered to greet one of the inaugural A & GW trains. Note the Depot in the background. As time progresses forward it becomes increasingly difficult to imagine the grand structures that once dominated...

Front view of the Saegertown Inn with French Creek along left side. With the overwhelming interest in photographs of the Saegertown Inn recently posted on the Crawford County Historical Society’s social media pages, what better...

“Hold up there, Santa. How should we greet you?” Not so long ago I was admonished for wishing somebody a “Happy Holiday” instead of a “Happy Thanksgiving.” “I don’t celebrate ‘holidays,’” the person told me....

Ohio race horses helped bring about the county fair With the excitement of the Crawford County Fair upon us, it’s worth taking a belated look at the origins of the what arguably is the county’s largest...