Crawford County Messenger and CCHS News

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...

On December 7, 2015, the Crawford County Historical Society took ownership of the James and Elizabeth Tarr Mansion, thus saving it from planned demolition. In that moment, thanks largely to the support of the community,...

A boy sits among the debris in Titusville For most of May and the early part of June in 1892, Northwestern Pennsylvania was soaked in a seemingly endless period of rain which culminated in four...

Oakwood Park, Meadville PA In the late 1890’s, after acquiring a parcel of approximately 35 acres, the Meadville Traction Company established Oakwood Park as a destination resort. Located in what is now West Mead Township,...