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Venango County Map 1903
PRESIDENT TOWNSHIP
The Western NY & Penna Railroad runs parallel to the Allegheny River as it winds its way through the center of President Twp.
There were four stations - Baum, President, Eagle Rock and Henry's Bend.
Abt. 1855, Ralph CLAPP built a blast furnace in the township.
In 1864, three oil refineries were built in this township. John WARREN built the first, B.C. ADAMS & Co. the second, and the third was built by LYNCH & PURDY.
Howard SMITHMAN, heir to the Oil City Streetcar Co. built the first cottage near the Big Rock on the East side of the river at Eagle Rock.
Holland Land Company was the first owner of all land on the east side of the river, purchasing it from the state 3 April 1792.
Samuel SPEECHLEY of Coal Hill drilled the first deep gas well in 1885. The volume of gas produced furnished all the gas consumed in Oil City at that time.
Alex McCALMONT, a resident of Franklin, had vast land holdings in the early nineteenth century in Northern President Township, away from the river. His brothers, Tom and Henry, located on the river in the township.
Among early settlers were
*John HENRY
*Robert and David ELLIOTT
*Thomas McCALMONT
*Alex HOLMAN
with the first settler being *Patrick McCREA

The town of Venus was once known as Linesville.
Folks
Robert ADAMS - farmer, lumber and oil business; b. 18 Oct 1820 in Armstrong, now Clarion Co., PA; s/o John & Jannet YOUNG Adams; m. Jan 1845 to Annie DAY, d/o John Day of Clarion Co.; eleven children were born to them of which 4 sons removed to the Dakotas and Iowa.
Isaac BAKER - farmer; b. 9 Jan 1811 in MA, s/o Artemus & Sarah NICHOLS Baker; m. in 1850 to Martha HINSDALE. When in Venango Co., Isaac kept a boarding house, worked at various branches of the oil trade and was a superintendent of the Walnut Bend Shoe-Leather Petroleum Co.
John BOOHER - farmer, b. 27 Aug 1832 in Lawrence Co., PA, s/o Daniel & Susan Booher; m. Hester Ann MARTIN, d/o Thomas Martin; children: Alena, m. Peter B. ADAMS of Mill Creek Twp., Mercer Co., PA; Thomas; Charles; Thaddeus; Leonora
Rev. Ralph CLAPP - b. in 1801 in Middlefield, MA & d. 1865 in President Twp.; Methodist minister; elected to PA legislature in 1854; m. Sally HUBBARD, b. in Steuben, NY, d. in Asbury Park, NJ in 1886; children: Edwin Emmett, b. in Watertown, NY, large producer of petroleum; Charles Carroll, d. 1843 at age 16; Emeline Frances, m. E.R. SHANKLAND and died in Dubuque, Iowa in 1865; Caroline, m. James Loring Perham MCALLASTER and lived in Ann Arbor, MI; John Martin, m. in 1865 to Anna M. PEARSON of New Castle, PA; Ellen Gennett, m. James McLAIN and lived in NY.
Robert ELLIOTT -farmer; native of Ireland; removed to Venango Co., it is thought, from Carlisle, Cumberland Co., PA and settled at the mouth of Hemlock Creek in President Twp.; built the first mill in this part of the county; m. Rebecca FLEMING; children: David; Sanderson; William, m. Mary KINNEAR; Robert; Mary, m. Robert HARPER; Martha, m. John LAMB; George. Robert & Rebecca are buried in the village of President.
William ELLIOTT - merchant in Franklin; b. 25 Jan 1803, in President Twp., d. 20 Jul 1857 in Franklin; s/o Robert & Rebecca FLEMING Elliott; m. Mary KINNEAR, d/o Col. James Kinnear, owner of the "Kinnear House" in Franklin; children: one died young; Jane Hale, m. Col. John H. CRAIN; James K., m. (1) Maria Louise DeLESCHANDA & (2) Anna D. GATES from Cooperstown; Robert Fleming; William D.; Thomas H.; Edward C.
J.A. FORD - farmer, b. 4 Sep 1832 in Grafton Co., NH, s/o Cyrus & Jerusha BULLOCK Ford; m. Fatilda MIMM; known child: Roy E., b. 3 Nov 1885.
George FOX - farmer; b. 19 Dec 1822, s/o Michael & Elizabeth HARPST Fox; m. Rachel HECKATHORN, d/o George Heckathorn; known children: Ann; Amos; Charles; George; William; Melissa; Rachel.
C.C. JOY - oil operator; b. 16 May 1857 at Gratton, Tompkins Co., NY, s/o Thaddeus & Emmeline CLARK Joy; m. in 1878 to Ella J. SENOUR, d/o Rev. F.L. Senour of Pgh.
Patrick McCREA - arrived in this area in 1797 and settled at a beautiful spot called Eagle Rock where he was a friend of the Indians of the area and often served as an ambassador between the Indians and the white settlers. In 1802, Patrick married Flora McGIRREL, d/o Hugh McGerald/McGarrel/McGirrel. Elizabeth, a sister to Flora, married John Henry who had settled on the banks of the Allegheny at a point called Henry's Bend. Patrick and Flora were the parents of nine children: Edward, b. July 1805; Nancy, b. Aug. 1807, m. Patrick GRIFFIN; Charles, b. 10 Mar 1809; Michael, b. 10 Mar 1811, m. Elizabeth LOLLY & Mary WEISE; Hugh, b. 24 Nov 1813, m. Patience McGUIRE; Mary Quinn, b. 5 May 1815, m. Andrew NELLIS; James, b. 25 Oct 1817; Matthew, b. 2 May 1820; John, b. 8 Nov 1822, m. Lucy WALDO.
Hugh McCREA - farmer and rafting; b. 24 Jun 1813, s/o Patrick & Flora McGIRREL McCrea, natives of Ire.; m. in 1844 to Patience McGUIRE, d/o Samuel McGirrel/McGuire of Warren Co., PA; children: John W., m. Effie ADAMS; Samuel P., m. Mary FLETCHER; Charity, m. Patrick MASTERSON; Clara, m. Bartholomew O'BRIEN; Margaret, m. Hector DYKINS; Matilda, m. Peter McGIRREL.
John W. McCREA - merchant, postmaster, station agent; b. 15 Sep 1853, s/o Hugh & Patience McGIRREL McCrea; md. Effie ADAMS; children: Lilian; Alice; Lawrence; Patience, and Grace.
Michael McCREA - farmer; b. 10 March 1811, s/o Patrick and Patience McCrea; m. first to Elizabeth LOLLY and had children: James; Charles, m. Nettie LEE; Matthew; Flora, m. __HAMILTON; Nancy Jane, m. __TRASK; Lillian; Elizabeth; Hugh, m. Susanna REDDICK; Michael, m. Josephine DYKENS; Helen, m. George STOVER; Eliza and Edward. Michael married, second to Mary WEISE and had children: Hulda; John N., m. Alice HECKATHORNE; Peter, m. Margaret McKINNEY; DeWitt, m. Elizabeth McCALMONT, and Frank.
Henry McNANY - b. 27 Oct 1837 in Clarion Co., PA; s/o John McNany; m. in 1862 to Rebecca PATTON and in 1867 to Rebecca LINCE. Henry drilled a few oil wells and later engaged in farming.
Bartholomew O'BRIEN - construction foreman; b. 7 Jan 1850 in VT, s/o John & Joahanna HARRINGTON O'Brien; m. in 1889 to C. Clara McCREA, d/o Hugh McCrea.
P.W. O'DONOVAN - farmer; b. in County Cork, Ire., s/o William & Hester TOBIN O'Donovan; m. in 1867 to Elizabeth O'HARA, d/o John O'Hara; eight children, five of whom were: William; Patrick; Daniel; James; Timothy. The family lived at the mouth of Stewart run.
T. J. RICHARDS - gauger; b. 8 Aug 1864 at Jersey Shore, PA, s/o James & Mary LOFTUS Richards; m. in 1882 to Hettie TILDEN, d/o Enos Tilden.
Thomas SNODGRASS - b. 18 Sept. 1844 in Cornplanter Twp., s/o Benjamin Snodgrass; m. Mary E. NEIL of Erie Co.,PA. Thomas was engaged in selling dry goods and groceries in the little village of President.
Schools
The earliest schools established were the home school, church school and the public subscription schools. The Pioneer early school houses were either constructed out of logs or clap boards with homemade bricks constructed into a fire place for winter heat. Patrick McCrea, in his own home, taught his children and neighbor children. He was an educated man, so undoubtedly, his efforts were the first.
At later dates there were several one-room schools, some are as follows with location:
*Stuck School - on Walnut Bend at Panther Run
*Big Rock School - above the river bank above Stewart Run.
*President School - near the President Cemetery. It was also used as a church and township house.
*Culbertson School - up the river from Eagle Rock
*McCalmont School - sometimes known as Boor, located on the dirt Coal Hill Road leading toward President, 300 yards from the Oil Well Pump Station.
* Eagle Rock School - located on Eagle Rock and Plumer roads along the river.
Both President and McCalmont schools, which were brick originally, burnt down and were rebuilt. Their brick out-houses remained standing near the original schools.
At the turn of the century, most of the older students on the eastern side of the river had to row their boats across the river to catch the first train in the morning to Tionesta for classes and returned home by train in the late afternoon.
The President School House was closed in 1905 and the students were transferred to the McCalmont School. This latter school house was rebuilt in 1914 after their fire.
Cemeteries
The numbers on this list correspond with the map in the Heritage Room of the Oil City Library which is staffed by the Venango County Genealogy Club.
Y22 Delo (no trespassing)
Y24 McCrea / Eagle Rock

*Maxamillan Fletcher, 5 May 1832 - 25 Jan 1901
*Samuel P. McCrea, 1853 - 1912
*Mary A. McCrea, 1857 - 1944, w/o S.P.
*Mary G. McCrea, 1826 - 1912, w/o Michael
*Michael McCrea, illegible
*Hulda McCrea, 1864 - 1939
*Warren D. McCrea - illegible
*Michael H. McCrea, 26 Aug1850 - 11 June 1906
*Hugh McCrea, d. 2 Feb 1901
*Patience McCrea, d. 5 Dec 1900, 81y 4m 15da, w/o Hugh
*Hector J. Dykins, 1869 - 1931
*Margaret M. Dykins, 1856 - nd
*Edward E. McCrea, 1855 - 1935
*Eliza McCrea, 1858 - 1935, w/o E.E.
*Patrick McCrea - date not given
*Flora McCrea, consort of Patrick McCrea, who departed this life - no dates
*Lucinda Rourke, 20 Apr 1845 - 23 July 1872, w/o John J.
*Albert Quinn Rourke, 20 Feb 1871 - 16 Oct 1872, s/o John & Lucinda
Note: According to the caretaker of this little cemetery, the Rourke family was traveling on the Allegheny River when the wife became ill and died and the baby died a few months later.
Y25 President
Y26 Van Giesen - located off Route 62 south, right handside on Van Giesen Run, near President.

*Thomas Van Giesen d. 29 Nov 1849
*Rhoda Van Giesen, w/o Thomas d. 10 Mar 1852
*John Van Giesen d. 21 Oct 1843
*George W. McCalmont 1838 - 1910
R25 Sparks
Sources:
History of Venango County Pennsylvania, Its Past and Present , Chicago, IL; Brown, Runk & Co., Publishers; 1890; pp. 702 - 706; 1099 - 1103.
Venango County Pennsylvania, Her Pioneers and People, Vol II, Chicago, J.H. Beers & Co.,1919

Contibutors
Judy Smith - Van Giesen Family
Andy Bullions - McCrea Family
Sue Varnum - Clapp Family
Joyce Grill(i) Neidich - Ancestral & Historical Research Venango County
Karen S. Golden Rodgers - FAMILY TREE RESEARCHER
Penny Haylett Minnick
Disclaimer:there may be errors due to transcription ofinformation from both early and late (current contributors) work.