The Corry Building That Wouldn’t Stay Put. By Beverley Bittner. It was built by William Brightman in Wayne Township before the Civil War. Brightman’s father was a Methodist preacher and the 32 by 45 foot building was to be a Methodist church. It was located about one mile northwest of Corry beyond Macadam Hill atContinue reading Area History, Chapter 10, by Beverley Bittner
Vene Potter’s Trip to Dixie. By Beverley Bttner. Vene Potter left Bloomfield Township with two horses, a dog, and a loaded wagon weighing 2,735 pounds. He was bound for a farm in Virginia and a new start in life. His letters home indicate the hardships of the journey and the indomitable pioneer spirit that makesContinue reading Area History, Chapter 9, by Beverley Bittner
Spartansburg: An Historic Village. By Beverley Bittner, From Steppin’ Out, August 1971. About thirty miles west of Warren and ten miles south of Corry, in Crawford County, lies the historic village of Spartansburg. About 1837 Andrew Aiken and his brother Aron built a dam across the creek for power, then built a grist mill onContinue reading Area History, Chapter 8, by Beverley Bittner
Corry’s First Mayor. By Beverley Bittner, From the autumn, 1979 issue of Reminiscence. Many men and women walked across the pages of our history in the early days, leaving footprints for historians to ponder over for all time. Familiar names include: Michael Hare, Call and Rihue. Nothing is known of Call and Rihue, while HareContinue reading Area History, Chapter 7, by Beverley Bittner
Union and the War of 1812. By Beverley Bittner, From Brown-Thompson Newspapers, January 1974. It was a time of western expansion. Many who settled in our area soon pushed further westward. By 1811, more than half of the original settlers had left the county, believing that all who did not leave must starve. While theirContinue reading Area History, Chapter 6, by Beverley Bittner
Union Township: How the Pioneers Lived. By Beverley Bittner, From the spring, 1978 issue of Reminisence. By the 1790s the great western migration that followed the Revolutionary War had begun in earnest. The Indians had been pacified. The deep forests, game, clear rushing streams and rivers and the opportunity to live free, away from theContinue reading Area History, Chapter 5, by Beverley Bittner
Lowville. By Beverley Bittner, From the Erie Times-News, August 28, 1988. Lowville is a small settlement just north of Wattsburg at the intersection of Routes 8 and 89. “It used to be quite an active stagecoach stop,” a former resident said. ‘‘My mother told how they used to drive cattle up Route 8 – itContinue reading Area History, Chapter 4, by Beverley Bittner
William Crawford. By Beverley Bittner. Michael Hare claimed to have witnessed the horrible death of famed frontier soldier Col. William Crawford. The colonel was a personal friend of George Washington. From Fort Pitt, he led many raids against hostile Indians. In 1782, the fifty-year-old colonel led a major expedition into Ohio to put down anContinue reading Area History, Chapter 3, by Beverley Bittner
