The Crawford Messenger
- Life and Customs in Meadville, 1842 October 19, 2019Meadville's Diamond Park as it may have looked in the early 1800sIn the central part of a letter headed Meadville, Dec 18th, 1842, my great, great grandmother Agnes Kennedy (née Craig), described her life in Meadville for her sister Elizabeth, back in their birthplace of New Cumnock in Ayrshire, Scotland.[1] In May 1842, aged 17, […]Ron Mattocks
- Timothy Alden and the Founding of Allegheny College February 13, 2018Timothy Alden Jr., the founder of Allegheny College, was by all accounts a charismatic and motivated man who pursued opportunities to expand education throughout his life. He was descended from John Alden, who landed on Plymouth Rock on November 15, 1620. Like his father, Timothy Alden, he was a Harvard educated pastor and was ordained […]Erin Hartwiger
- The Amazing Story of the Exposition Park Fire of 1908 December 9, 2017The morning after - charred remains of the fire's path. The Hotel Conneaut stands untouched in the background.As the morning darkness of December 2, 1908, dissolved into daylight, a scene of utter destruction revealed itself along the shores of Conneaut Lake. Wisps of smoke twisted feebly from the charred debris of Exposition Park. The sight […]Archive
- Baldwin-Reynolds Reflects Shared Dickens Era Past December 7, 2017One of John Leech's Original Illustrations for A Christmas Carol With the Baldwin-Reynolds House Museum hosting their annual "Fezziwig’s Christmas Dinner" in just a few short days, some readers might be curious “what’s in a name” for this nearly sold out event. Charles Dickens’ famous novella, A Christmas Carol holds special meaning to all of us […]Archive
- Settler Disputes with Land Companies and the Burr Conspiracy November 3, 2017A map showing ownership of parcels by various companies and individuals 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 touched the county, and political conflict never erupted into violence as Bleeding Kansas did. There […]Anonymous
- John Mathers -Photographer of the Early Oil Region September 17, 2017Cherry Run, Taken in 1864A Passion for a New ArtMuch 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 picture of Crawford County’s history to be preserved. Though Mather did not travel to the US to […]Anonymous