Oil, Straw Paper and Zippers !
CRAWFORD COUNTY,
Pennsylvania
ILLUSTRATED BOOKLET
The history of Crawford County in Pennsylvania, is
recalled through a mixture of colorful tales and factual data in this NEW 37 Page Booklet,
reprinted primarily from three hard-to-find books: the 1843 edition of Historical
Collections of the State of Pennsylvania by Sherman Day, An Illustrated
History of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania by William Egle, M.D., and
Pennsylvania, a Guide to the Keystone State, a WPA project
published in 1940. The spiral-bound booklet is printed one-sided on 60#
paper, with the print enlarged for easier reading. A clear vinyl sheet has
been added to protect the front cover.
The communities mentioned include: Meadville, Titusville,
Cambridge Springs, Centreville, Vernon, Conneatville, Rockville, Sagerstown,
Evansburg, Hartztown, Adamsville, Espyville, Harmonsburg, Rockdale, Bloomfield,
Oil Creek, Jamestown, Cochranton, Conneaut Lake, Springboro, and others.
The Day and Egle histories cover the
early development of this area, while excerpts from the WPA book, give a
nostalgic glimpse from a 1940 vantage point, including interesting historical
notes, especially as they relate to sightseeing possibilities. There is occasionally
some duplication of material, but often with a different slant or with additional
details.
Among the many
and diverse subjects in the booklet are: Early Settlers, including bios of
David Mead and Robert Randolf; Adventures of Cornelius Van Horn who escaped
his Indian captors; A Remarkable early case of dual-personality; H. J. Huidekoper
and the Holland Land Company; Col. Magaw, inventor of straw paper; Allegheney
College and the Rev. Timothy Alden; When Allegheny College "beat" Harvard;
Unusual stories in the Crawford Messenger, first area paper; Depreciation
Lands and Donation Lands, rules and controversies; Meadville Theological
School; Beaver and Erie Canals shoved aside by railroads; Civil War
Soldiers including "Bucktales" Lincoln's Bodyguard; Carnation Milk Company; "Drakes
Follie" first well in America drilled exclusively for oil; interesting
history of the slide fastener (erroneously called the zipper); and other
interesting bits of history and trivia.
ILLUSTRATIONS include Public Square
in Meadville, Allegheny College, Crawford County Courthouse, and Meadville
looking Northwest.
|
