Meadville is a city in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

. The population was 13,050 at the 2020 census. The first permanent settlement in Northwestern Pennsylvania, Meadville is within of Erie and within of

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

. It is the principal city of the Meadville micropolitan area, as well as part of the larger Erie–Meadville combined statistical area.

History

Settlement and establishment

The Meadville area was the ancestral land of the Eriechronon people until the

Iroquois Confederacy The Iroquois ( ), also known as the Five Nations, and later as the Six Nations from 1722 onwards; alternatively referred to by the Endonym and exonym, endonym Haudenosaunee ( ; ) are an Iroquoian languages, Iroquoian-speaking Confederation#Ind ...

forced them out. Having been displaced from their ancestral lands in what is now Eastern Pennsylvania, the

Lenape The Lenape (, , ; ), also called the Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. The Lenape's historica ...

moved into the now unoccupied region. They formed an alliance with the neighboring Seneca, one of the five tribes that made up the

Iroquois The Iroquois ( ), also known as the Five Nations, and later as the Six Nations from 1722 onwards; alternatively referred to by the Endonym and exonym, endonym Haudenosaunee ( ; ) are an Iroquoian languages, Iroquoian-speaking Confederation#Ind ...

Confederacy, and other displaced Lenape. Under the leadership of Chief Custaloga, they founded the settlement of Cussewago. Custaloga's name first appeared in western Pennsylvania's history in George Washington's journal of 1754. When Washington arrived in the village of Venango (Fort Machault), Custaloga was in charge of the wampum of his nation. This wampum was a message that was sent to the Six Nations if the French refused to leave the land. Custaloga was the chief of the Munsee or Wolf Clan of Delawares and he also ruled over the Delawares at the town of Cussewago, at the present site of Meadville. After Cussewago was abandoned, Meadville was laid out by William McArthur Sr. and settled on May 12, 1788, by a party of settlers led by David Mead. Its location at the confluence of Cussewago Creek and French Creek was only a day's travel by boat to the safety of Fort Franklin. The neighboring

and

befriended the isolated settlement, but their enemies, including the Wyandots, were not so amiable. The threat of their attacks caused the settlement to be evacuated for a time in 1791. Around 1800, many of the settlers to the Meadville area came after receiving land bounties for service in the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

. Allegheny College was founded in April 1815 by Timothy Alden. Meadville became an important transportation center after the construction of the French Creek Feeder Canal in 1837 and of the Beaver and Erie Canal it connected to at Conneaut Lake and subsequent railroad development. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Meadville played a small part in the Underground Railroad helping escaping slaves to freedom. An event in September 1880 led to the end of segregation by race in the state's public schools. At the South Ward schools, Elias Allen tried unsuccessfully to enroll his two children. He appealed to the Crawford County Court of Common Pleas, and Judge Pearson Church declared unconstitutional the 1854 state law mandating separate schools for Negro children. This law was amended, effective July 4, 1881, to prohibit such segregation.

Industrial growth

The League of Friendship, Mechanical Order of the Sun, a fraternal beneficiary labor organization was formed at Meadville in April 1868, and dissolved in October, with the establishment of the Ancient Order of United Workmen as the succeeding organization. By the late 19th century, Meadville's economy was also driven by logging, agriculture, and iron production. The Talon Corporation, headquartered in Meadville, played a major role in the development of the

zipper A zipper (N. America), zip, zip fastener (UK), formerly known as a clasp locker, is a commonly used device for binding together two edges of textile, fabric or other flexible material. Used in clothing (e.g. jackets and jeans), luggage and oth ...

. Since the clothing industry was largely unaffected by the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

, the community saw a population boom at that time. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the nearby Keystone Ordnance plant brought additional jobs to the area. The high demand for zippers created favorable conditions for the Talon Company, and so became Meadville's most crucial industry. The company encountered significant difficulties after it was absorbed by

Textron Textron Inc. is an American industrial Conglomerate (company), conglomerate based in Providence, Rhode Island. Textron's subsidiaries include Arctic Cat, Bell Textron, Kautex, Textron Aviation (which itself includes the Beechcraft and Cessna b ...

industries in 1968, eventually ending up bankrupt. However, as a result of the need for close tolerances and

tool and die maker Tool and die makers are highly skilled crafters working in the manufacturing, manufacturing industries. Tool and die makers work primarily in toolroom environments—sometimes literally in one room but more often in an environment with flexible, ...

s, a

cottage industry The putting-out system is a means of subcontracting work, like a tailor. Historically, it was also known as the workshop system and the domestic system. In putting-out, work is contracted by a central agent to subcontractors who complete the p ...

of tool and die shops was established which resulted in Meadville, earning the city the nickname Tool City with more tool shops per capita than any place else in the United States. In 1886, a

blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...

from Evansburg, Pennsylvania, George B. DeArment, began hand-forging

farrier A farrier is a specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of horses' hooves and the placing of shoes on their hooves, if necessary. A farrier combines some blacksmith's skills (fabricating, adapting, and adju ...

's tools and selling them from town to town out of the back of a wagon. The business eventually became known as the Champion Bolt and Clipper Company. In 1904, now named Channellock, the company moved to a facility in Meadville and added nippers, pinchers, and open-end wrenches to its product line. George B. DeArment's two sons, Almon W. and J. Howard DeArment became partners in the company in 1911 and expanded the product line again to include hammers. In 1923, the company moved again to a facility at its current location. Four years later, the name of the company was changed to the Champion–DeArment Tool Company. Talon remained a major employer, along with the

Erie Railroad The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Northeastern United States, originally connecting Pavonia Terminal in Jersey City, New Jersey, with Lake Erie at Dunkirk, New York. The railroad expanded west to Chicago following its 1865 ...

, American Viscose Corporation (later known as Avtex Fibers), Channellock tools, and Dad's Pet Food. The area actually saw an increase in population during the Great Depression and the economy continued to grow past World War II. By the early 1990s, Channellock and Dad's were the only large companies operating in Meadville. This blow to the local economy was softened by a subsequent surge in light industry, mainly tool and die machine shops. The song "Bittersweet Motel" by Vermont jam band,

Phish Phish is an American rock band formed in Burlington, Vermont, in 1983. The band consists of guitarist Trey Anastasio, bassist Mike Gordon, drummer Jon Fishman, and keyboardist Page McConnell, all of whom perform vocals, with Anastasio being the ...

, was inspired when keyboardist Page McConnell left a wedding in Meadville and drove to the Pittsburgh Airport. In addition to the Meadville Downtown Historic District, several buildings are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

: Baldwin-Reynolds House, Bentley Hall (Allegheny College), Independent Congregational Church, Dr. J. R. Mosier Office, Roueche House, Ruter Hall (Allegheny College), and Judge Henry Shippen House.

Geography

Meadville is located at (41.642, −80.147). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , all land.

Climate

According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Meadville has a

warm-summer humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Meadville was on July 9, 1936, while the coldest temperature recorded was on January 31, 1948.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the census of 2020, there were 13,050 people living in the city, for a population density of 2,991.75 people per square mile (1,155.16/km²). There were 6,009 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 93.3% White, 6.3% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.2% from some other race, and 6.7% from two or more races. 3.1% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 5,058 households, out of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.6% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 21.7% had a male householder with no spouse present, and 36.0% had a female householder with no spouse present. 36.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.5% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25, and the average family size was 2.90. 19.9% of the city's population were under the age of 18, 64.2% were 18 to 64, and 15.9% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.3. For every 100 females, there were 90.8 males. According to the U.S. Census

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

, for the period 2016-2020 the estimated median annual income for a household in the city was $40,694, and the median income for a family was $52,255. About 19.6% of the population were living below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 24.2% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those 65 or over. About 49.2% of the population were employed, and 24.5% had a bachelor's degree or higher.

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 13,338 people, 5,376 households, and 2,891 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 5,985 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 87.5% (11,487)

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 5.28%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.18% Native American, 2.4% (320) Asian, 0.04%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.34% from other races, and 3.2% (420) from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 2.4% (5) of the population. There were 5,376 households, out of which 17.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.5% were

living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.8% were non-families. 38.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.86. In the city the population was spread out, with 19.4% under the age of 18, 20.0% from 18 to 24, 22.0% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 18.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. There are currently 6,171 males (46.6%) while there are currently 7,067 females (53.4%). The median income for a household in the city was $33,848, and the median income for a family was $54,069. Males had a median income of $32,813 versus $22,579 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $17,290. About 13.7% of families and 22.7% of the population were below the

, including 25.3% of those under age 18 and 13.3% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

A replica of founder David Mead's log cabin, the first permanent settlement in northwestern Pennsylvania, is located at Bicentennial Park along the banks of French Creek. The replica was built as a part of Meadville's Bicentennial celebration in 1988. The cabin is used as an educational resource for school tours and the general public. The Market House is a prominent historical building located in downtown Meadville. It is the oldest continuously run market structure in the state of Pennsylvania, and still serves as a hub for local farmers. Farmers markets are still held on Saturdays. The Baldwin-Reynolds House, managed by the Crawford County Historical Society, is a house museum in town. The building was constructed in 1843 by Heney Baldwin, an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, a few months before his death in 1844.

Parks and recreation

Diamond Park is Meadville's central park and has been used for a variety of different purposes for over two centuries. In the 19th century, the park was used as militia drill grounds leading up to and during the Civil War. After the Civil War was over, Diamond Park became more open to the public with grass, statues, monuments and a gazebo. It is now used as a recreational park for the community.

Education

Colleges

Meadville is the home of Allegheny College, a

liberal arts college A liberal arts college or liberal arts institution of higher education is a college with an emphasis on Undergraduate education, undergraduate study in the Liberal arts education, liberal arts of humanities and science. Such colleges aim to impart ...

with approximately 1,700 students. Allegheny was founded in April 1815 by the Reverend Timothy Alden, a graduate of Harvard's School of Divinity. The college was historically affiliated with the

United Methodist Church The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant Christian denomination, denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was ...

after 1833, although it is currently non-sectarian. The first class, consisting of four male students, began their studies on July 4, 1816, without any formal academic buildings. Within six years, Alden accumulated sufficient funds to begin building a campus. The first building erected, the library, was designed by Alden himself, and is a notable example of early American architecture. Bentley Hall is named in honor of Dr. William Bentley, who donated his private library to the college, a collection of considerable value and significance. In 1824,

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (, 1743July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the United States Declaration of Indepe ...

wrote to Alden, expressing the hope that his

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and contains his The Lawn, Academical Village, a World H ...

could someday possess the richness of Allegheny's library. Alden served as president of the college until 1831, when financial and enrollment difficulties forced his resignation. Ruter Hall was built in 1853. ''Note:'' This includes Meadville Theological School was established in 1844 by a wealthy businessman and Unitarian named Harm Jan Huidekoper. It moved to

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

in 1926.

Primary and secondary

Public schools, all part of the Crawford Central School District, which covers the city: * Meadville Area Senior High School (grades 9–12) * Meadville Middle School (grades 7–8) * First District Elementary School (grades K-6) * Neason Hill Elementary School (grades K-6) * Second District Elementary School (grades K-6) * West End Elementary School (grades K-6) Private/charter schools: * Crawford Christian Academy (grades K-12) * Seton Catholic School (grades K-8) * The Learning Center K-8 Independent School (grades K-8)

Notable people

* Roger Alden, early settler, Holland Land Company resident agent 1795-1804 * Meghan Allen, ''Playboy'' model * Henry Baldwin, Supreme Court justice, lone dissenter in the ''Amistad'' case * John Joseph Bittner,

geneticist A geneticist is a biologist or physician who studies genetics, the science of genes, heredity, and variation of organisms. A geneticist can be employed as a scientist or a lecturer. Geneticists may perform general research on genetic process ...

and

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

biologist, who studied the genetics of

breast cancer Breast cancer is a cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a Breast lump, lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, Milk-rejection sign, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipp ...

* Journey Brown,

Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with ca ...

running back and Cotton Bowl Classic MVP *

Mary Ann Day Brown Mary Ann Day Brown (April 15, 1816 – February 29, 1884) was the second wife of abolitionism in the United States, abolitionist John Brown (abolitionist), John Brown, John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry, leader of a raid on Harpers Ferry, Virgini ...

(1816-1884), wife of abolitionist John Brown * Sal Campfield, Major League baseball player * Cameron Carpenter, Grammy-nominated organistabe * Annie W. Clark (1843-1907), temperance leader * James Clark, Jesuit and president of the College of the Holy Cross * Ernestine Cobern Beyer, poet and children's author * George Washington Cullum U.S. Army general from the Civil War * John Dick, U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania * Samuel Bernard Dick, U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania * Lavantia Densmore Douglass (1827–1899), social reformer * Jack Dunn, Major League pitcher and Minor League Baseball team owner * R. Budd Dwyer, former PA State Treasurer * Todd Erdos, Major League Baseball player * John Wilson Farrelly, U.S. Representative for Pennsylvania's 22nd congressional district from 1847 to 1849 * Patrick Farrelly, U.S. Representative for Pennsylvania's 18th congressional district from 1823 to 1826 * Randy Fichtner, former Offensive Coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers, graduate of Meadville Area Senior High * Charles Homer Haskins, historian, advisor to President Woodrow Wilson * Todd Holland, television and film director and producer * Carl Hovde (1926–2009), professor and dean during the

Columbia University protests of 1968 In 1968, a series of protests at Columbia University in New York City were one among the various student demonstrations that Protests of 1968, occurred around the globe in that year. The Columbia protests erupted over the spring of that year aft ...

Hevesi, Dennis
"Carl F. Hovde, Former Columbia Dean, Dies at 82"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', September 10, 2009, Accessed September 11, 2009. * Harm Jan Huidekoper, Holland Land Company resident agent, 1804-1836, land developer, Unitarian leader * Henry Shippen Huidekoper, Lieutenant Colonel of the 150th PA Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Awarded the Medal of Honor for meritorious service on July 1, 1863, at the Battle of Gettysburg * Emma Hunter, 19th-century telegraph operator * Lynn Jones, former Major League Baseball player * Robert F. Kent, former state representative and state treasurer *

Virginia Kirkus Virginia Kirkus (December 7, 1893 – September 10, 1980) was the founder and president of what would become ''Kirkus Reviews'' from 1933 to 1962. Before creating her service in 1933, Kirkus was a teacher in Delaware during the late 1910s. In th ...

, creator of ''

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus. The magazine's publisher, Kirkus Media, is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fiction, no ...

'' * Wade Manning, former National Football League player * Alexander S. McDill, congressman from Wisconsin * Ross A. McGinnis, US Army soldier who was killed in the Iraq War December 4, 2006, and was posthumously awarded the United States' highest decoration for bravery, the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

. * Jack Michaels, National Hockey League radio and television announcer with the

Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. Th ...

. * Tammy Pescatelli, comedian * Branch Rickey, Baseball executive * Raymond P. Shafer, former governor of Pennsylvania * Michael S. Smith, jazz drummer and percussionist * Gladys Marie Stein, author and composer *

Sharon Stone Sharon Vonne Stone (born March 10, 1958) is an American actress and film producer. Known for primarily playing femmes fatales and women of mystery on film and television, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1990s. She is the ...

(1958-), actress * Gideon Sundback, member of the National Inventors Hall of Fame for his work on the development of the zipper * Jay Tessmer, former Major League Baseball player * Brenna Thummler, graphic novelist * Vicki Van Meter, record-setting child pilot * John K. Williams, Wisconsin state legislator * Andrew J. Yorty, Wisconsin state legislator

References

External links

City website

* {{authority control County seats in Pennsylvania Populated places established in 1788 Cities in Crawford County, Pennsylvania Cities in Pennsylvania 1788 establishments in Pennsylvania