Crawford County Messenger and CCHS News

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John Mathers: Photographer of the Early Oil Region

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...
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John Heisman – Football Legend from Titusville

Coach John Heisman (center) with his 1909 Georgia Tech team. The name Heisman has become synonymous with the best in college football, however it is often forgotten that the man behind the trophy found his...
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Famous Allegheny – Big Names from a Small School

Bentley Hall, Allegheny College Nestled away at the top of the hill overlooking Meadville, Pennsylvania is Allegheny College which holds the title of 32nd oldest in the United States, having just celebrated it’s 200th birthday in...
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The History of "Merry Christmas" vs. "Happy Holidays" in Crawford County

“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....
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Origins of the Crawford County Fair

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...
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Fire Rode the Flood: Disaster in the Oil Region

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...
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We’ll Leave the Lights On: Hotels of Crawford County

Hotel Conneaut with new south and north wings added – 1920’s What do the coming of the railroad, the discovery of oil, a major lakeside resort, the healthful promise of mineral springs and travel have...
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Marion County was the Home of the World’s First Oil Boom

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...
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Oakwood Farm: Home to Oil Tycoons, Millionaires, and Hula Hoop Makers

The Carter Mansion was built at Oakwood Farm in 1930 Crawford County has lost a landmark with the recent fire of the 1930 Luke B. Carter mansion, known as Oakwood Farm, on the Hydetown Road...
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Ida Tarbell’s Influence on National Geographic Magazine

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,...
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Crawford County Estates in the Downton Abbey Era

Baldwin Reynolds Home & Estate The “Downton” Era (1910s and 1920s) was a time or expansion of ideas, but for a tightening of funds in large manors, or, in the case in America, smaller landed...
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