America250PA-Crawford County

06/06/2026

This week in 1738, King George III was born. He would rule Great Britain and Ireland from 1760 to his death in 1820. 👑

George III believed that he was the protector of his subjects’ liberty. Without a king, there would be no order or peace. Most British Americans in the 1760s agreed. Order and peace were basic to what British Americans in the 1760s called “liberty.” This was the right to enjoy your life and property in peace. British Liberty also meant the people had some ability, through elected representatives, to consent to laws that affected them. British Americans saw the King as a protector of this tradition. When George III ascended the throne in 1761, Americans celebrated their new King and their British Liberty with fireworks and parties, and many toasts of rum punch.

The Revolution would challenge assumptions about the King, hierarchy, and equality.

As we prepare to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, learn more about King George III and the nation’s beginnings on your next visit: https://bit.ly/34CiSxy

06/06/2026

The first primary election in American history? That started here.

The second city in the world to light its streets with electricity—right after New York City? Also here.

The largest producer of 3D visual media before film or television even existed? Yep. Here too.

Crawford County, PA has been quietly shaping the American story for over 250 years—from democratic reform and frontier journalism to immersive technology most people have never heard of.

Our latest blog covers 12 innovations that prove this region was a testing ground for ideas long before anyone coined the term "Silicon Valley."
Read the full story: visitcrawford.org/before-silicon-valley-the-crawford-county-innovations-that-influenced-america/

06/02/2026

Downtown businesses — don’t forget to sign up for the Business Window Decorating Contest! 🇺🇸✨

Help us bring some red, white, and blue spirit to downtown Titusville as we celebrate America 250 and this year’s Oil Festival theme!

Businesses should be decorated by July 4th, with winners announced during Oil Fest. First place and runner-up prizes will be awarded!

To enter, contact the Chamber office at [email protected] or call 814-827-2941.

06/01/2026

06/01/2026

On May 10, 1876, more than 100,000 people gathered in Philadelphia for the Centennial Exhibition, or the Centennial Exposition. Over the next six months, the exhibition attracted nearly 10 million visitors - one out of every five Americans.

Fairgoers to the Centennial picked up souvenirs to memorialize the experience. American flags were especially popular souvenirs, both the historic 13-star banner and the newer 38-star flag.

Colorado had not yet been admitted to the Union as the 38th state by May 1876, but the flag anticipated the nation's continued expansion. This flag was patented in 1870, even though the 38-star flag was not formally adopted until July 4, 1877. The inscription at the top of this flag, preserved by Drake Well Museum and Park , indicates that it was presented to R.G. Fletcher, a Titusville businessman, at the time of the Centennial. , ,

06/01/2026

Before Harper's Ferry. Before Bleeding Kansas. John Brown was a Crawford County tradesman.

Most folks remember him as the radical abolitionist whose 1859 raid helped ignite the Civil War. Far fewer know that nearly a decade of his early adult life was spent right here in northwestern Pennsylvania. In 1826, Brown arrived in Crawford County, bought land, built a house, served as postmaster, cleared a farm, and opened a business with his own two hands.

Here's a question for you. Which trade did he run on his Crawford County property?

🔨 A blacksmith shop
📜 A printing press
🐂 A tannery
🪵 A sawmill

The answer surprises almost everyone, and it changes how you read the rest of his story. The pioneer years right here shaped the man who would later stand at Harper's Ferry.

Drop your guess in the comments, then read the full account in our archives at crawfordhistorical.org.

06/01/2026

Today we remember. Crawford County is home to nearly 10,000 veterans laid to rest across 297 cemeteries—service dating back to the Revolutionary War.

To those who gave everything, from right here in our small towns to battlefields a world away: thank you. Because of your sacrifice, our story continues. As the nation marks 250 years this July, Crawford County is proud to still be part of that story—just as we have been since the very beginning. 🇺🇸

🔗 visitcrawford.org/america-250-and-crawford-county-pa
Pictured: Greendale Cemetery

05/25/2026

Thank you for your service!

05/25/2026

This monument erected in Evansburg (Conneaut Lake) in 1866 to commemorate those who had died in the Civil War was among the first of such tributes of its kind across the country. Today it's still standing along the north side of Water Street. Have a safe Memorial Day and thank you to the many from our county who have sacrificed on behalf of our freedom.

— in Conneaut Lake.

05/24/2026