Finally…Arrived in Pennsylvania

After Shipshewana, we pretty much deadheaded to Pennsylvania.  Stopped for one night in Ohio at a KOA campground just off the interstate. Arrived in Venango County for our first Pennsylvania stop. This is in the Northwestern part of the state. I have two family branches on my mom’s side that settled in the area in the late 1700s. We found a fair amount of history and I was able to bring the family tree back a couple more generations on those branches. 

The historical society was housed in a very old Victorian brick home, in a small room off the kitchen. The researcher was fantastic and found several folders and books that had information on my ancestors. We would not have fared so well in our research without her. The two branches that started out in this county ultimately moved to Wisconsin and homesteaded there.

The county seat is Franklin. This town was quite wealthy in the early to middle 1800 time period when oil was discovered. But the oil boom went bust and all the gorgeous homes and neighborhoods were left behind. Many of the Victorians are in disrepair or abandoned.

We spent some time touring the area.  There are lots of gorges and hollows and the hardwood trees are incredibly dense.  I imagine fall is beautiful here. 

Lots of oil history here too.  I knew Pennsylvania was involved in oil at some time…. Pennzoil, Quaker State….but I had no idea that the state was where the whole oil drilling process started. The drilling oil rig was actually invented in Venango County and the first oil derrick was operational in the early 1800s in a town not far from where we were camping. Because a refining process had been created that created kerosene from oil, the resulting large demand for the product allowed for the explosion of the industry. Then when oil was discovered in other states, including Texas, the bottom fell out in Pennsylvania and the area never really recovered.

As soon as we entered Pennsylvania, the weather changed from hot and humid to hot and stormy.  Lots of cloudy days and nights with thunderstorms and lightening.  I always enjoy being in the trailer when it is raining; listening to the rain hitting the roof is very relaxing and cozy for me. But hopefully the rain tapers off soon, the campsite is getting muddy.

This is the building where the genealogical society is housed.  It was the home of a prominent businessman and there were family members occupying the home until 2015!  The place could use some freshening up but I could see myself living there.  Love the detailed moldings and wood floors.

We parked next to this huge racing boat when we stopped for a break at a Travel Center.  It was longer than our entire rig.  It certainly attracted a lot of truckers.

The northern part of Ohio and Pennsylvania is full of rolling mountain ridges with deep gorges.  Lots and lots of trees. The countryside is beautiful with the occasional farm and cleared areas full of corn plants.

Finally we are in Pennsylvania.  We will be touring clockwise, starting in the upper left part of the state.  Most of our family research will take place in the south central and south east part of the state.

Franklin is the county seat for Venango County. This courthouse dates from 1865. The uneven spires are unusual.  All we could figure out is that when having clock towers became popular in the 1880 to 1890 time period, the city wanted one, but they didn't have the money to modify both spires to be equal height, so they just cut one horizontally, added the center section clocktower and had done with it.  The gardens were full of military statues.  A very nicely built courthouse.

Many of the once magnificent Victorian homes are in bad repair.  Some occupied houses had roofs that were badly sagging and I can't even imagine how terrible it must be to live in one of these during the winters.