Closson Press

Compilers: Retrospect Publishing
This collection of Venango County, Pennsylvania books will assist you in learning more about the life and times of those people who settled Venango County from the late 1700s to the late 1800s.

The History of Venango County, Pennsylvania - Its Past and Present published in 1890 by Brown, Runk and Company chronicles the events and people of the county. Chapters include information on French claims, rosters and regimental histories of soldiers that served from Venango County in the various wars, township and borough histories, churches, and the businesses and professionals of Venango County, along with biographies of over a thousand families.

Venango County was the birthplace of the oil industry. The publication by J.P. Skelley and Company, Petroleum: A History of the Oil Region of Venango County, Pennsylvania published in 1866 provides a history of the early day of the oil industry in Venango County. Any genealogy researcher or historian with interest in the oil industry will find this rare publication a real find. Two other publications, The President Petroleum Company and The Fuller Farm Oil Company of Boston, included on this CD provide examples of the promotional material distributed to solicit investors.

The 1898 Derrick’s Venango County Directory lists county businesses and residents by city, borough or township. For each resident their occupation and street address for Oil City and Franklin residents are listed. This 1898 directory can be a valuable tool for researcher having trouble locating Venango County ancestors in the 1900s census.

The Early Churches of Venango County by Nancy Morrow is an excellent resource for any genealogist doing research in Venango County, Pennsylvania. The author provides a brief history of the origins of the major denomination in the county and then lists a short history for every church located in the Venango County including some of the more obscure denominations. This CD contains images of the original pages along with a full text search capability for the following books:

• History of Venango Co., PA, 1890 (Eaton Johns Bell Konkle; Brown, Runk & Co., Chicago; 1890)-Its Past and Present (Brown, Runk & Co.; 1890)
• Early Churches of Venango County (Nancy C. Morrow; Putnam King Chapter, DAR, Oil City, PA; 1938)
• Derrick’s Venango Co. Directory, 1898 (Derrick Publishing Company; Oil City, PA; 1898)
• Petroleum: A History of the Oil Region of Venango Co., PA (Rev. S.J.M. Easton; J.P. Skelly & Co.; Philadelphia; 1866)
• The President Petroleum Co., Venango County, PA (C.S. Westcott & Co.; New York; 1864)
• Prospectus of the Fuller Farm Oil Company of Boston (G.C. Rand & Avery; Boston; 1864)

System Requirements: CD-ROM drive; Windows Operating System. Not compatible with network software.

Search for well over 30,000 residents from the late 1700’s to the late 1800’s. Whether you are searching for the list of county tax payers in 1805 or searching for the church your ancestors may have attended; you are bound to learn more about the people, businesses and places that comprised Venango County, Pennsylvania. County map included.

2002, 2,050 pages, CD
ISBN#1929356137