CLINTONVILLE

From "The Historical Album and Daily Program, Venango County Sesquicentennial, 1805 - 1955"

Clintonville as an actual settlement dates back to 1833. It was named for an early pioneer by the name of Clinton McKee and was incorporated as a borough in 1878. The initial movement to form a village was made when William Cross and James Perry opened a store on the high and picturesque plateau in the midst of the surrounding farms. When the two men opened the store only two houses were in the area now covered by the borough.

The earliest school was built of logs. It had greased paper for windows and seats of split logs. In 1885 the settlement had grown so rapidly that William Cross built and presented to the people a school named Jane's Academy, in honor of his wife. Later a frame school building was erected and this served the community until the 1954-1955 school term when the students entered the new consolidated school just out of the borough.

The first church, the Old School Presbyterian, was organized in 1841. The first Methodist Church, erected at the edge of the town at a later date, was burned by a roving Indian. This was rebuilt in the center of the community located on Franklin Street and the Presbyterian Church, now called the Union Presbyterian, is located on Emlenton Street.

This section was opened for settlement after General Anthony Wayne had subdued the Indians in 1795.

Within twenty years Clintonville boasted a flour mill, blast furnace, foundry, woolen mill, saw mill, tannery and furniture shop. The little community was fast becoming a self-sufficient town. Beginning with the first oil well drilled in Clinton Township in 1876, the production of oil has been the principal industry of Clintonville for seventy-nine years. The first hotel has perhaps the most interesting history of all. It was called the Lumberman's Eddy for it was the resting place of lumbermen who, having floated their logs to Pittsburgh on the Allegheny River, had to walk the long journey back. Many were the tales told in that old log building.

The people of the Clintonville community are proud of their homes, churches and places of business and are just as proud of Venango County.

Transcribed by Penny Haylett Minnick
minnick862@verizon.net

Disclaimer:there may be errors due to transcription of information from both early and late (current contributors) work.