The Last Frontier: Venango County Indians, Oil, Ghost Towns

Posted by on Nov 30, 2013 in | Comments Off on The Last Frontier: Venango County Indians, Oil, Ghost Towns Venango County. Its name is derivation of a the Seneca Indian word earliest for explorers “French and Creek.” Its earliest explorers and settlers were the French, shortly followed by the English. At one time, the territory was claimed simultaneously by France, and the colonies of Virginia and Pennsyl­vania. But Venango County’s rich history bespeaks vigorous pioneering a spirit...
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Transportation in Pennsylvania in 1776

Posted by on Nov 29, 2013 in | Comments Off on Transportation in Pennsylvania in 1776 During the Revolution, Pennsylvania was a central stage from the standpoint of geography, leadership, manpower, and supplies. Therefore, its transportation facilities were of special significance. The southeastern part of the State produced large quantities of the very materials needed by the Continental Army. A modest network of roads made possible the transporting of those materials to Valley...
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The French in Northwest Pennsylvania, 1753-1759

Posted by on Nov 28, 2013 in | Comments Off on The French in Northwest Pennsylvania, 1753-1759 Every summer numerous va­cationers from both within and beyond Pennsylvania’s borders come to the northwest comer of the state to use the recreational facilities of Presque Isle State Park. Probably few of the summer visitors sunning themselves along the state park’s beaches, or swimming in Lake Erie, pause to ask themselves how the park and peninsula came to bear a French name. It...
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To Forge History for the Future

Posted by on Nov 25, 2013 in | Comments Off on To Forge History for the Future Not infrequently, the history of how an object, artifact, or even building or structure has been preserved for the future is every bit at least as interesting as the reasons for which it was saved. Historical organizations and cultural institutions – from large city museums to county historical societies – brim with compelling “behind-the-scenes” stories that provide...
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Strolling Through History at Hopewell Village

Posted by on Nov 25, 2013 in | Comments Off on Strolling Through History at Hopewell Village For more than a century, Hopewell Furnace in southeastern Pennsylvania had exemplified the technological growing pains of a nation initially built on agriculture but destined to become the industrial titan of the western hemisphere. Between 1771, when Mark Bird (1739-1816) established his furnace at the headwaters of French Creek in Berks County, and 1883, when the­ fires finally cooled,...
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Foot of Main Street, Phoenixville, Pa.

Posted by on Nov 20, 2013 in | Comments Off on Foot of Main Street, Phoenixville, Pa. “Am spending a few days in this beautiful little city,” wrote Harry to a Miss Clara Waterman of Angola, New York, on April 5, 1909. He penned his message on the reverse of a penny postcard bearing an image entitled “View from the foot of Main Street, Showing Dam, Phoenixville, Pa.” A century ago, at the time of Harry’s visit, the Chester County community was...
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