XXIX
CRAWFORD COUNTY
FORMED March 20, 1800; named for Colonel William Crawford. First well in the world drilled for petroleum, was completed here in 1859; valley of Oil Creek, south of Titusville, once most productive of oil in United States. Land peculiarly suited to grazing, stock raising, and general farming. French Creek was followed by Washington, 1753, from Franklin, Venango County, to Fort Le Breuf, Erie County. He returned, descending it in canoe; on French Creek, north of Meadville, are Saegerstown and Cambridge Springs, with famous health-giving waters. Conneaut Lake, three and one-half miles by one mile, is largest lake in Pennsylvania, covering about 1200 acres.
Meadville, county seat, population 14,568, settled in 1788 by David Mead; his house still stands on Randolph Street, with modern outer walls; at roots of a maple tree, planted by him, is granite marker, inscription, “This house, erected May, 1797, by General David Mead, founder of Meadville; Ensign in the War of American Revolution; Major-General, 14th and 15th Division, Pennsylvania Militia; rendered signal service in the war of 1812, and an associate Judge at the time of his death. Placed by the Colonel Crawford Chapter, D. A. R., 1902.” In Diamond Park, center of city, five acres, set in huge granite boulder found there, is bronze tablet, inscription, “In commemoration of Colonel William Crawford, born in Virginia 1732, burned at the stake by Delaware Indians near Sandusky, Ohio, June 11, 1782. Revolutionary soldier, friend and companion of Washington, brave and distinguished frontiersman of Western Pennsylvania; this county is named in his honor. Erected by Colonel Crawford Chapter, D. A. R., 1912”; also Pioneer’s Monument, erected May 12, 1888, to mark one hundredth anniversary of Meadville; and the Soldiers’ Monument, erected, 1890. Parrott guns, relics of the Civil War, are at the base; inscription, “Crawford County’s tribute to her loyal sons, 1861-1865.”
Courthouse faces the park, Renaissance, architect, E. T. Roberts, built in 1870. On a house west of the park is a tablet, inscription, “Site of first Court House and Gaol, north of Pittsburgh, 1804-25; placed by Colonel Crawford Chapter, D. A. R., 1909”; also facing the park are the post office, built by the government, 1910, Georgian architecture, red brick and white marble; and the Unitarian Church, built in 1835, red brick, classic, Doric architecture. On the terrace, at Locust Street, is a small stone tablet, marking an old Indian trail, along which Washington passed to Fort Le Boeuf; The “Terrace,” an attractive residence street, is the sloping ground following the old canal.
Meadville Free Library contains a complete file of the “Crawford Weekly Messenger,” published by Thomas Atkinson at Meadville, first newspaper northwest of the Allegheny Mountains; annual exhibitions of paintings by American artists are held here; an excellent permanent collection is being accumulated by the art association, among the artists represented are Charles C. Curran, Charles Bittinger, and Charlotte B. Coman.
Allegheny College founded in 1815, co-ed, is well equipped as to instructors, apparatus, and buildings, campus twenty acres, nearly one million dollars endowment; Bentley Hall, the oldest building, erected in 1820, is of fine colonial architecture; Library, classic architecture, contains autograph letters from Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, John Wesley, Commissions to Timothy Alden, first President, descended from Longfellow’s John Alden; portraits of all the Presidents of the college, President Clark by Inman, also Hon. James Winthrop, and of Rev. William Bentley of Salem, Massachusetts, who bequeathed here his library, one of the rarest in the country.
The Pennsylvania College of Music, chartered, 1887, is complete in its faculty and curriculum, for study in every department of music and allied arts. Meadville Theological School, chartered 1846, contains a fine library; in the chapel is a portrait, by John Neagle, Philadelphia, painted in 1848, of Harm Jan Huidekoper, founder of the school; he was the first representative of the Holland Land Company in Meadville in 1802. Lafayette Hotel is on site of “The Gibson Tavern,” where Lafayette dined in 1825. A house on Water Street, corner of Steers Alley, is site of blockhouse built, 1794; and North Ward School is on site of the State Arsenal, 1816-58; all three marked with tablets by Colonel Crawford Chapter, Daughters American Revolution.
Titusville, chartered as a city in 1866; population 8432; named for Jonathan Titus, first settler in 1796. Here in 1859, Colonel Edwin L. Drake, by drilling, gave to the world rock oil; first oil well half mile southeast of center of town, is marked by a boulder monument, with large tablet, showing replica of photograph of oil derrick and surrounding trees, taken when oil was discovered; inscription, “This native boulder marks the spot where, through the foresight, energy and perseverance of Edwin L. Drake, the first well was drilled for oil, August 27, 1859; oil was found at a depth of sixty-nine feet; this great discovery inaugurated the Petroleum Industry. Erected by the Canadohta Chapter, D. A. R., Aug. 27, 1914”; Drake Monument, entrance to Woodlawn Cemetery, emblematic figure of a driller, bronze, heroic size, curving architectural background, granite; sculptor, Charles Niehaus; tomb of Drake faces the monument; Drake Museum, west of Titusville, brick, architect, Edwin Bell, contains collections of interest relating to early history of the oil industry.
Benson Memorial Library, Franklin Street, near Main Street, colonial, brick and Indiana sandstone, built, 1902, architects, Jackson & Rosencrans, New York. St. James Protestant Episcopal Church, built, 1863, Gothic, native stone, has fine Tiffany window. Presbyterian Church, built, 1887, Romanesque, Medina sandstone, is on site of log church built in 1815; stained glass window by the Montague Pastle-London Co. of New York. Presbyterian Chapel, 1907, Romanesque, stained glass window by Lamb, New York. The Commercial Bank has a portrait of John L. McKinney, former president, by John C. Johanson.
