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307 South Park St. PO Box 101 Franklin, PA 16323 814-432-8260 vchistory2019@gmail.com
Venango County Historical Society
Book Store
River Ridge Tours:
On Thursday, September 26, 2024, we will once again be offering tours of the River Ridge Mansion. There will be (2) tours, one at 3:00 p.m. and one at 6:00 p.m.
Cost is $25 per person, and reservations and payment must be made in advance. You can contact the office m-f from 10:00 - 2:00 at (814) 432-8260 and pay here through PayPal. These tours are limited for size, so don't hesitate.
You Must Contact the Office to make sure we have the correct number of people, and also what time of tour.
1890 History of Venango County
2 Vol. Set
The aboriginal history of the county, its occupation by the French and British, early settlement and subsequent growth.
Price: $25.00
Tax: $1.50
S&P: $12.00
Total: $38.50
Allegheny River Guide
By David Swatzler
The story of Chief Cornplanter's agreement with the Quakers for help with Seneca tribes and the arrival of Missionary Henry Simmons to Cornplanter's village.
Price: $5.00
Tax: $.30
S&P: $4.00
Total: $9.30
Along the Allegheny
By Dr. George P. Donehoo
This is a dictionary of Indian place names, their meanings and their importance in history.
Price: $5.00
Tax: $.30
S&P: $4.00
Total: $9.30
Around Ford City By William L. Oleksak
A photographic history of the early 1900's of Ford City Industry, Church's and Parks, 127 pgs. Price: $5.00
Tax: $0.30
S&P: $4.00
Total: $9.30
Birds of Venango County
By Gary Edwards with Jeffrey Hall.
The Status, distribution, and history of the birds of Pennsylvania's OIl Region. A lot of technical information, not a lot of pictures, 263 pgs.
Price: $20.00 Tax: $1.20 S&P: $6.00 Total: $27.20
Birthdays, Anniversaries, and Reunions of Venango County
By Joan and Kenneth Hanson
A listing of these events from Venango County, PA, 1868 - 1946, 162 pgs.
Price: $10.00 Tax: $0.60 S&P: $7.00 Total: $17.60
Black Gold, Oil in Oil Creek
By Barbara Paull
A history of oil in the Oil Creek as seen through the eyes of the Stebbins Family, 1857 - 1880, 26 pgs.
Price: $5.00 Tax: $0.30 S&P: $7.00 Total: $12.30
Bloody Circles of War
By Jason Cherry
A novel of the Dennis family's migration into western Pennsylvania during the time of the French and Indian Wars, 153 pgs.
Price: $1.00
Tax: $0.06
S&P: $4.00
Total: $5.06
Cemetary Booklets
Vol 1: Irwin, Mineral and Victory Township
Vol 2: Clinton Township
Vol 3: Scrubgrass Township
Vol 4: Richland Township and part of Rockland
Vol 5: Rockland
Vol 6: Frenchcreek Township
Vol 7: Sandycreek
Vol 8: Plum Township Price: $10.00 per Vol.
Tax: $0.60
S&H: $7.00
Total: $17.60
Cemetary Booklets
Vol 9: Cranberry & Pinegrove Township
Vol 10: Oakland Township Price: $20.00 per Vol.
Tax: $1.20
S&H: $12.00
Total: $33.20
The Civil War Diary of Ithiel B. Snyder
This transcription offers a detailed look at the life of a typical Union soldier and Venango County native.
Price: $5.00
Tax: $0.30
S&P: $5.00
Total: $10.30
Dear Daughter
By Cora Jewell Hastings
A compilation of letters dated 1942 - 1970 from Merrill Bankson Hastings to Cora Jewell Hastings of the North Sandy - Polk are of Pennsylvania, 314 pgs.
Price: $5.00 Tax: $0.30 S&P: $10.00 Total: $15.30
Dear Mom and Dad, Letters from Boot Camp
By Sergeant Major Terrence Harper
The Military Life of a soldier covering 20 years, 4 months, and 29 days. Autobiographical war stories by Mr. Harper during the Korean and Vietnam wars, 154 pgs.
Price: $10.00 Tax: $0.60 S&P: $7.00 Total: $17.60
Diary of Sunville​
By Howard Strawbridge
This reprint offers an extraordinary look into life in the community of Sunville, as well as stories of local residents, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Price: $5.00
Tax: $.30
S&P: $4.00
Total: $9.30
Early Western Journal
By Wennawoods Publishing. This is a Hardback 2006 reprint of the original 1904 book, which has Journals by Conrad Weiser, 1748, George Croghan, 1750 - 1765, Fredrick Post, 1758, and Thomas Morris, 1764.
Price: $15.00 Tax: $.90 S&P: $7.00 Total: $22.90
Fifty Years of the Baseball Wars Between Franklin and Oil City
By James B. Borland and William R. Smith
This 2004 reprint of the 1919 book describes the sports rivalry between Franklin and Oil City.
Price: $5.00
Tax: $0.30
S&P: $5.00
Total: $10.30
Frontier Forts
This booklet describes the three Colonial-era forts that were built in Franklin, as well as the Federal Garrison located along French Creek.
Price: $Free
Tax: $0.00
S&P: $4.00
Total: $4.00
History of Saint Patrick's Church
By St. Patrick Church and Carolee Michner
This is Hardback book on the history of St. Patrick Church in Franklin, PA, 181 pgs.
Price: $20.00 Tax: $1.20 S&P: $8.00 Total: $28.20
History of the Indian Villages & Place Names of Pennsylvania
By Dr. George P. Donehoo
This is a hardback 1999 reprint of the original 1928 printing of this book, 290 pgs.
Price: $15.00 Tax: $.90 S&P: $7.00 Total: $22.90
History of Venango County 1879
The first published history of Venango County, reprinted in 1976 by the Venango County Historical Society
Available by contacting VCHS
History of Vital Records of Scrubgrass Presbyterian Church
By Marilyn Quigley Gerhold
A compilation of Members, Marriages, Baptisms, Birth and Death Records, and Burial records, 167 pgs.
Price: $5.00 Tax: $.30 S&P: $8.00 Total: $13.30
Indian Chiefs of Pennsylvania
By C. Hale Sipe, 1927
This 1998 reprint details Pennsylvania's Indian tribes and the chiefs who took part in the Indian Councils. Paperback 569 pgs.
Price: $5.00
Tax: $.30
S&P: $7.00
Total: $12.30
Indian Wars along the Upper Ohio
By William M. Garbarino, Jr.
A History of the Indian Wars and related events along the Upper Ohio and its tributaries. Softback 127 pgs. Price: $5.00
Tax: $.30
S&P: $4.00
Total: $9.30
Indians in Pennsylvania
By Paul A. W. Wallace
Anthropolpgical Series Number 5, a 2005 reprint of the very popular 1961 edition. Softcover 200 pgs. Price: $5.00 Tax: $.30 S&P: $4.00 Total: $9.30
Iron Furnaces of Venango County
2 Vol. DVD
Local Historian Robert Billingsley, has spent many years, locating and videoing the may Iron Furnaces that exist in the Venango County, PA, area.
Price: $30.00
Tax: $1.80
S&P: $7.00
Total: $37.80
Laudons Indian Narratives
By: Archibald Loudon
This is a reprint of the 1888 volumes I & II, compiled into one book. A selection of some interesting Narratives, of Outrages, commited by the Indians in their Wars, with the white people. Hardback 357 pgs.
Price: $10.00 Tax: $.60 S&P: $8.00 Total: $18.60
Meet Sam Hays
A 2006 compilation of letters written to and from Mr. Hays, a Franklin resident and politician. Softcover 92 pgs. Price: $5.00 Tax: $0.30 S&P: $7.00 Total: $12.30
Memoir of Samuel Dodd
A compilation of the life and times of Samuel Dodd, an oil pioneer who left Pennsylvania to become general counsel for the Standard Oil Company. Softcover 26 pgs.
Price: $5.00 Tax: $0.30 S&P: $4.00 Total: $9.30
Monarch Park
This book of photographs describes the amusement park that was the social center for all of Venango County from the late 1890s to the early 1920s. Softcover 26 pgs. Price: $5.00 Tax: $0.30 S&P: $4.00 Total: $9.30
Oil Fields, Oil People
By Paul Adomites
New techniques are used to update articles and tales that tell the stories of early Pennsylvania in ways that provide new insights that are always historical and always dramatic. Softcover 163 pgs. Price: $10.00 Tax: $0.60 S&P: $5.00 Total: $15.60
Oil, Oil, Oil
An in-depth history of the Oil Region, with many photographs. Softcover 128 pgs. Price: $10.00 Tax: $0.60 S&P: $7.00 Total: $17.60
On the Way
By Gerald F. Fisher
A collection of various poems.
Price: $2.00 Tax: $0.12 S&P: $4.00 Total: $6.12
Petroleum
By Rev. S.J.M. Eaton
A description of early oil operations in Venango County. Originally published in 1866; 1984 reprint. Hardcover 300 pgs. Price: $10.00 Tax: $0.60 S&P: $6.00 Total: $16.60
Petrolia
By Andrew Cone and Walter R. Johns
'A history of petroleum development in Pennsylvania. Originally published in 1870; 1984 reprint. Hardback 652 pgs. Price: $15.00 Tax: $0.90 S&P: $7.00 Total: $22.90
Pioneer Business Leader, Samuel F. Dale
From Iron Furnaces to Oil, Stagecoaches to Railroads, Grist Mills to Banking, and a whole lot more. Arriving in Venango County at 18 years of age. A historical following compiled from letters sent between Mr. Dale and his family. Softcover 62 pgs.
Price: $5.00 Tax: $0.30 S&P: $6.00 Total: $11.30
River Boots
By Robert Lynn Steiner
A compilation of Tales of Pennsylvania Fish and Game Law Enforcement by the author, who spent a lifetime as a Fish Warden on the local waterways. Published 2022, softcover 252 pgs.
Price: $15.00 Tax: $0.90 S&P: $6.00 Total: $21.90
The Seneca Kicker
A compilation of articles from the first five years of the popular local newspaper, ca. 1900, that was written, published and distributed entirely by women. Price: $10.00 Tax: $0.60 S&P: $5.00 Total: $15.60
The Year the Freshet Didn't Come
The diary of Charles H. Raymond 1854 - 1855, of Utica, Pennsylvania. Price: $5.00 Tax: $0.30 S&P: $5.00 Total: $10.30
Venango Countians at World Fairs
A look at the 1876, 1893, and 1904 Worlds Fairs, through the eyes of some locals that had attended the events. Softcover 20 pgs.
Price: $1.00 Tax: $0.06 S&P: $3.00 Total: $4.06
Venango County Death Book, 1893 - 1905
Abstracts and index taken from records of the Orphan''s Court, Venango County Courthouse. Softcover 102 pgs.
Price: $5.00 Tax: $0.30 S&P: $7.00 Total: $12.30
Venango County Panorama
A pictorial history of Venango County. Hardcover 275 pgs.
Price: $15.00 Tax: $0.90 S&P: $12.00 Total: $27.90
Venango County Petitions Naturalizations, 1806 - 1868
Abstracts from Docket 1, Venango County Courthouse. Original documents in VCHS Archival Resource Center.
Price: $10.00 Tax: $0.60 S&P: $7.00 Total: $17.60
Venango County Will Index Through 1946
A compilation of Will Index's from the "General Index Registers Office & Orphans Court" from the 1800's through 1946. Softcover, 365 pgs.
Price: $10.00 Tax: $0.60 S&P: $7.00 Total: $17.60
Venango County PA, Alphabetic Will Index 1947 - 1999
A compilation of Will Index's from the "General Index Registers Office & Orphans Court". Softcover, 448 pgs. Price: $10.00 Tax: $0.60 S&P: $7.00 Total: $17.60
Venango County, 2000: The Changing Scene
3 Volumes
This history of Venango County covers events since 1890, with particular emphasis on the "changing scene" of the twentieth century. Volume 1 covers the development of organizations, transportation, disasters, military service and the Depression Era. Volume 2 covers the histories and development of Frankln and Oil City; the townships of Allegheny, Canal, Cherrytree, Clinton, Cornplanter, Cranberry and Frenchcreek and the boroughs of Barkeyville, Clintonville, Cooperstown and Emlenton. Volume 3 covers the histories and development of the townships of Irwin, Jackson, Mineral, Oakland, Pinegrove, Plum, President, Richland, Rockland, Sandycreek, Scrubgrass, Sugarcreek and Victory and the boroughs of Pleasantville, Polk, Rouseville and Utica.
Vol I Price: $25.00
Tax: $1.50
S&P: $14.00
Total: $40.50
Vol II Price: $25.00
Tax: $1.50
S&P: $14.00
Total: $40.50
Vol III Price: $30.00
Tax: $1.80
S&P: $14.00
Total: $45.80
All (3) Volumes can be purchased together as a set
Vol. I, Vol. II, Vol. III Price: $75.00
Tax: $4.50
S&P: $30.00
Total: $109.50
Wilderness Chronicles of NW PA
By Sylvester K. Stevens and Donald H. Kent
A compilation of correspondents from the early 1700's pertaining to the early establishment of NW Pennsylvania. Hardback issue number 116 of 1000 copies made, 342 pgs.
Price: $25.00 Tax: $1.50 S&P: $14.00 Total: $40.50
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