Venango County, PA History
Venango County was at the heart of the oil boom in the United States during the eighteen fifties. Following the boom, Venango had earned the nickname the valley that changed the world.
Today, the Pennsylvania oil rush is remembered at the Drake Well Museum, located in Titusville, Pennsylvania, at the exact same location that Drake and Bissell drilled for their oil.
The Pennsylvania oil rush created a number of boom towns including Oil City and Franklin, which still exist today.
Venango County is also home to the Venango Museum of Art, Science and Industry in Oil City. The featured exhibit is Black Gold or Black Magic. Dense with artifacts the exhibit consists of ten areas that explore the influences of oil on every day life, from the eighteen hundreds to today.
Be make sure to stop at DeBence Antique Music World museum in Franklin, Pennsylvania.
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Venango Museum of Art, Science & Industry - Oil City, Pennsylvania
This is the Venango Museum of Art, Science and History in Oil City, Pennsylvania. A nice little museum that operates on what used be the Post Office. The employees were very helpful and I saw lots of old artifacts that show the history of oil city.
Address: 270 Seneca Street, Oil City, PA 16301
Phone: 814-676-2007
E-mail: venangomuseum@verizon.net
Open Hours: Tuesday - Friday: 10 AM to 4 P.M; Saturday: Noon to 4 P.M; Sunday & Monday: Closed
Admission fee: Adults - $4 ; Seniors and Children - $2
Camera Fee: Free, all cameras allowed
Car Parking: On street, meter parking
Restrooms: Available
Average Visitor Time: 1 hour
0:01 Front view - still bears the name United States Post Office on the top.
0:11 An automated welcome message from Rattlesnake Pete
0:22 A working model of old oil drill.
1:09 A glass bottle that used to contain Pennzoil Motor Oil
1:21 A woman types away on an old typewriter.
1:48 Old American Currency
2:01 1937 Cord Phaeton - An amazing luxury car that could run more than 100 mph
3:07 Native Americans scraped oil from the river banks and used it.
3:50 Charlie Chaplin is very popular in Oil city. Apparently he spent many years in Venango county and helped people.
4:07 Rotary dial telephones
4:26 A wonderful Wurlitzer organ
6:51 A model of the old gas pump
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Destination Franklin!
Franklin, Pennsylvania, is the ultimate destination for small-town Victorian charm! For complete information about events, lodging, and other activities in Franklin, go to
Historic Homes of Oil City, PA
Oil City, PA is a former oil boom town where many Victorian homes were built. These date back to a more prosperous time.
Inaugural Tour De Clarion January23 2016 Hike from Parker to Emlenton, PA on the North Country Trail
This is the first hike of 12 monthly hikes organized by the Clarion Chapter of the North Country Trail Association in 2016 to cover the entire 93 miles of the North Country Trail in Venango and Clarion Counties in Pennsylvania, USA. The first hike was attended by a record number of participants (nearly 200 ? or more). Hikers arrived between 9:30AM and 10:30AM and hiked along the Allegheny River Trail (Rail Trail/ Bicycle Trail) from Parker, PA (Trail Town) to Emlenton, PA (6 miles to the North). Hikers passed through the town of Foxburg, PA mid-way, and later under Interstate 80 (big bridge several hundered feet in the air). There were some refreshments in Emlenton provided by volunteers, and then it was just a short way to go where North Country Trail Vehicles shuttled hikers back to Parker. This event was incredible, and no one could have expected this amazing turn out. I have been hiking with the Clarion Group of the North Country Trail Association since 2010, and most hikes have had 15-30 participants (sometimes fewer). The end point of this hike will be the start of the February hike as we continue East on our journey across the Clarion and Venango County Sections of the North Country Trail.
USA, Pennsylvania, Amish
Passing through Amish settlements in Pennsylvania (March 2012).
Attraverso alcuni insediamenti degli Amish in Pennsylvania (marzo 2012).
Tour de Clarion Section 10 Part 1 Gravel Lick Road to Highland Drive with Picnic at Shelter
This is the October 2016 Clarion Chapter of the North Country Trail Association's Monthly Hike. In 2016 the Clarion Chapter embarked on a series of 12 hikes to be completed throughout the year (beginning in Parker, PA) West, and progressing east with each hike until Route 66 was reached. This covered the 93 miles of the North Country National Scenic Trail contained in Venango and Clarion Counties in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, USA. This program was a shorter version of the 2010-2012 Tour de North Country Trail (organized by John Steele) which covered the entire state. Ed Scurry (President of the chapter) and Dave Galbreth. This is the last one to be created to finish the series of videos. Videos from January to May are generally very short 12 minutes or less. I got a GoPro in May and went crazy with it, making many videos between 1 and 2 hours. Sometime in early December You Tube decided to not allow movies longer than 1 hour thus the 2 parts to this movie.
This section of trail like nearly all of the sections in Clarion and Venango Counties in Northwest, PA is extraordinarily beautiful. However the North Country Trail starts out as well developed rails to trails in the West, then progresses to rough rail road grades, then to very wild forest trails. This hike was in the middle of the fall foliage, which normally occurs a week or two earlier. At the end there was a group picnic at the Highland Shelter. There seems to have been an annual highland shelter picnic every year since the shelter was built. I enjoy driving up to 105 miles one way for these monthly hikes when I can (often times I will bring my bike or hiker longer) . It is always invigorating and refreshing to the soul to hike in wild places with other people who cherish them.
Additionally the Clarion Chapter has a ceremony in January 2017 for all of the hikers who completed the 93 miles of the North Country Trail in the Chapter Area. Hikers were able to make up hikes, which is what I did on one of the Hikes (I think it was August). The National Park Service started a campaign to encourage participation in hiking and use of the trails in the National Trail System by encouraging people to hike 100 miles a year. I reached my 100 miles on the North Country Trail in March or April and kept going. In 2016 I hiked all sections of the North Country Trail from approximately 6 miles West of Pennsylvania (near Beaver Creek in Ohio) to Allegheny National Forest (including the 3 miles in between Clarion and the national forest which I call Tour de Forest 1 (or similar name)/ Tour de Clarion Part 13.
Oil City, PA - Artist Relocation Program - part 1 of 2
NOTE: Switch the quality to 480 - the highest.
My sister, Patti, and I went to Oil City, PA to see for ourselves what was really happening in this little town that boasts an artist's relocation program. Watch the video and you'll see what the fuss is all about. What a beautiful and charming area of the country. Small town, yes, but full of vitality and all sorts of interesting and friendly folks. I'm seriously considering relocating come Springtime....the homes are very affordable, they've got a nice 4 seasons of weather, and it's just that slower pace that many of us boomers are looking for.
Joann Wheeler (lovely gal!) is in charge of the Artist's Relocation Program and her office is right in the National Transit Building, where else? Check out their website at So far I think the number was around 28 folks have moved into Oil City since the program was launched in 2007/8.
Kudos to Mary Morgan of the Mosaic Cafe, the Yellow Dog Lantern Inn, Bill Moon of Gates and Burns Realty, and the friendly efficient management at the Arlington Hotel. If you visit, you really must stay there...great rooms, service, food...and all with smiles. My theory is that folks are so friendly there because you don't have traffic and all the stresses as in larger more densely populated areas. Heck, maybe it's all that pure water that flows out of the tap, the swooshing River? All I know is that this is one sweet place to live.
More about me, Joanie Springer, and my art at Subscribe to my daily painting posts -
Thanks for watching, and be sure to watch parts 1 and 2.
Part two video here -
****MUSIC CREDITS*****
Big Thanks!
Oil City, PA - Artist Relocation Program - part 2 of 2
NOTE: Switch the quality to 480 - the highest.
My sister, Patti, and I went to Oil City, PA to see for ourselves what was really happening in this little town that boasts an artist's relocation program. Watch the video and you'll see what the fuss is all about. What a beautiful and charming area of the country. Small town, yes, but full of vitality and all sorts of interesting and friendly folks. I'm seriously considering relocating come Springtime....the homes are very affordable, they've got a nice 4 seasons of weather, and it's just that slower pace that many of us boomers are looking for.
Joann Wheeler (lovely gal!) is in charge of the Artist's Relocation Program and her office is right in the National Transit Building, where else? Check out their website at So far I think the number was around 28 folks have moved into Oil City since the program was launched in 2007/8.
Kudos to Mary Morgan of the Mosaic Cafe, the Yellow Dog Lantern Inn, Bill Moon of Gates and Burns Realty, and the friendly efficient management at the Arlington Hotel. If you visit, you really must stay there...great rooms, service, food...and all with smiles. Must check out firsthand the Oil City Public Library.
My theory is that folks are so friendly there because you don't have traffic and all the stresses as in larger more densely populated areas. Heck, maybe it's all that pure water that flows out of the tap, the swooshing River? All I know is that this is one sweet place to live.
More about me, Joanie Springer, and my art at Subscribe to my daily painting posts -
Thanks for watching, and be sure to watch parts 1 and 2.
Part 1 here -
****MUSIC CREDITS*****
Big Thanks!
Venango County, PA Trains
All aboard the Oil Creek and Titusville Railroad, where you can enjoy this historic route, train cars that feature old style seating and closed cars with all the amenities. On the train, you can purchase lunch and postcards that are mailed at the only working railway post office in the United States.
The ride starts at the Perry Street Station in Titusville and travels a scenic path along Oil Creek. Tour guides will explain the rich history of the region, starting with the Pennsylvania oil boom.
The Oil Creek and Titusville Railroad makes three stops along its trail at the Drake Well, Petroleum Centre, and Rynd Farm Stations before connecting to the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad.
The railroad experience continues at the Caboose Motel in downtown Titusville, the Caboose Motel, features twenty one converted cabooses that have been beautifully remodeled.
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