Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-09-27
MrApyrLIE. sept. q, So.

dUOuN tDC ploSoi saAhou oDOus ~ NAASSS~~
letters to il, and, beyond what can be learn
ed from Gazetteer or Railway Guide, know
nothing at all about It. Until within a
tweIye-month, it has been sort of terra
inecgzitd to the people of Northern Ohio,
Until then, the great arteries of our nation
al life, along which the pulsating tides OF
our mighty commerce rush with ceaseless
flow, had formed an interlacing network all
around Meadville, but had left it undisturb-
ed; and, thus magically encircled by rail
road iron, the quiet burgh bad maintained
amid her green hills, for couple of gener-
ations, the monotony of an old-fashioncd,
thriving, sleepy, country town, But when
the whistle of the locomotive woke the
echoes among the valleys of Crawford
county, and the, trains of the Atlantic and
Great Western Railway came laundering
into Meadyille, the old quiet vanished. On
the same principle, perhaps, which makes
the most recent proselyte the most Jealous
Christian, Mesdville has suddenly become
the most active, enterprising town in West
ern Pennsylvania. b-s =n tl
IT'S LOCATION AND SETTLEMENT.
This new city has thus passed through
two stages Of existence-as different from
each other as those of the grub and the
butterfly. The first period of its history
began over q half q century ago. The beau
tif1l rolling country of Crawford county,
Izf sF u 1As fa,-4f1ikrr nd
productiveness, attracted the attention of
early settlers, and Meadville is one of the
oldest as well as the wealthiest towns, Pitts
burgh of course excepted, west of the Al
leghenies. 1t lies in a level plain, seeming
IL opened amid the hills on purpose for a
town, around which on every side rises an
amphitheatre Of hills, pleasantly diversified
with alternate forest and meadow. eIf you
would view fair Meadyille aright," do not
fail to climb one of these encircling hills
and look down upon the green valley, the
winding stream, and the bustling little city.
Not an extended or magnificent view, it is,
at least TO eyes weary with the eternal Eat
ness Of Northern Ohio landscapes, a
most attractive one. Across yon-
der, on the opposite hill, are the
grounds and buildings of Allegheny
College, one of the permanent and long es-
| tablished institutions of the West On
another hill, to the southwark, is the Uni
| tartan Theological Seminary. On the
north, and down by the river, arc the
handsome railroad buildings of the Allan
tic and Great Western Rsilway-the Nc
/ Henry House, the depot, the machine
shops, and the long lines of tenement
houses, all of wood, painted the uniform
brown. The town itself has an old-fash-
ioned, sturdy, solid air about it, quite re-
| freshing in contrast with most of our
Western villages, which, in the bare ugli-
ness of their slight wooden tenements, look
| more like Arab encampments than perma-
nent places of habitation. It is not hand
some, but homely andhomelike. You can
count among the trees which somewhat
scantily shade it the spires of eight or ten
churches, and can see by the size and ex-
tent of its business blocks, that it does a
large business.
A HISTORICAL REAIINIsCENCE.
But we must not forget historical rem
iniscenee, which lends considerable in
tersst to the valley and stream before us
It was IN this valley that Washington
made one of his stations in that famous
youthful surveying expedition of which all
have read, and it was in this very stream
now called French Creek, though form
erly it bere the more approp rate name of
| Venango river-that the future hero came
so near losing his mortal life, snd an i'm
mortality of fame, in a watery grave.
How is the story told Its details are not
fresh in my memory, but the reader will
find it set down i'm Vines Veracious biog-
raphy. -5zr as
THE GROWTH AND POSITION OF BfEADVILLE.
AT the last census the population of
Meadville numbered about four thousand
and has now reached seven thousand, and
is still in the ascending scale. The coun-
ty seat of Crawford county, one
Of the largest and most populous in
the State, and also the central mart for
the trade of Venango and Mercer Counties
il has always been place Of Importance
as the centre of large and fertile grain
and grazing district, and, with eight or ten
churches, two banks, three weekly papers,
half dozen hotels and large and flour
ishing country trade has been in the front
rank of prosperous and thrifty country
towns Of late however, its Importance
has been greatly augmented, not only by
its central railway position, which gives it
communication byrsil with every town Of
any importance IN Crawford county as
well as with towns and cities further
distant but by its proximity TO
the oil regions. These lie IN
the eastern part of Crawford county
and in the adjoining county of Vensneo
and are tapped by the Franklin branch of
the A. s. G.. w. Railway, which Joins the
main road at Meadville. Railroads have
thus conspired with petre cum to promote
the welfare of Crawford county and of
MeadVille. Real estate, board, rent, every
thing, has, with balioOn-like rapidity, risen,
and old inhabitants and new eofners are
alike making fortunes. Meantime the
population of the town is increasing in
manner almost unparalleled even in west
ern annals. Itis estimated that the num-
Der of employees of the Atlantic and
Great Western Railway resident here, to-
gether with their families, will number
fully four thousand. Add to these the
numbers which this vast increase of busi-
ness will draw to the new city, and Won
can gain some idea Of its futnre propor-
tions. Among the new evidences of the
growth Of the town may be mentioned the
fact that q large and handsome brick hotel
is being erected near its business centre.
and that q now Methodist Church, in the
most elegant style Of architecture, and
costing $50, 1000, will SOON be built
ALCHEMY COLLEGE.
Meadvil!e also enjoys rare literary pri-
vileges. Allegheny College one Of the
most thriving institutions of the West is
located here. It was chartered in 1917. |
and fairly commenced operations in 1928
and 1924 Under the excellent executive |
management of the Rev. DR.. Lormis its |
President it has weathered the adversities
which all young colleges have to contend
with, and, with an excellent library,
an unexcelled Genealogical and mineral |
ogical department, to which, as We learn,