Col Crawford Statue at The Carnagie Free Library in Connellsville.
the Plaque States: IN MEMORY OF COLONEL WILLIAM CRAWFORD BORN IN BERKELEY COUNTY, VIRGINIA, IN 1732
FRIEND OF WASHINGTON-PIONEER-PATRIOT. THIS MONUMENT IS SITUATED 1260 YARDS S. 69° E. 16' OF THE SPOT WHERE HE BUILT HIS LOG CABIN IN 1765 ON THE WEST BANK OF THE YOUGHIOGHENY RIVER, AT THE HISTORIC STEWART'S CROSSINGS.
HE FIRST VISITED THE REGION WEST OF THE MOUNTAINS IN 1758, AS AN OFFICER IN THE EXPEDITION OF GENERAL FORBES AGAINST FORT DUQUESNE. AS COLONEL OF THE SEVENTH VIRGINIA REGIMENT, HE CROSSED THE DELAWARE WITH WASHINGTON IN 1777, AND SHARED IN THE VICTORY AT TRENTON. FIGHTING IN DEFENSE OF THE FRONTIER, AS COMMANDER OF THE SANDUSKY EXPEDITION, HE WAS CAPTURED BY THE INDIANS AND BURNED AT THE STAKE NEAR CRAWFORDSVILLE, OHIO, JUNE, 11,1782,
ERECTED BY THE PENNSYLVANIA HISTORICAL COMMISSION THE CITY OF CONNELLSVILLE, AND GRATEFUL CITIZENS 1917.
SOCIETY OFFICERS
The Current Officers and Board of Directors are as follows:
OFFICERS
President Karen Hechler
1st Vice-President Debbie Mullaney
2nd Vice President OPEN
Recording Secretary Cloey Anderson
Corresponding Secretary Karen Hechler
Treasurer Ralph Prinkey
Membership Darcy Gates
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
William "Bill" Sechler
Benjamin Hoffman
Glenna Hughes
Harry Porter (Emeritus)
Other positions that were not elected in April, 2024 but are functioning now.
●Professional Archivist - Sarah Reedy
●Media Committee – Ben Hoffman
●Correspondence Committee – Karen Hechler
●Newletter – Pastor Ralph Prinkey, Karen Hechler
●Living Historians – Ben Hoffman
●Genealogy – Susan Lewis
●Maintenance - Bill Sechler, Debby Mullaney, Ben Hoffman
MEMBERSHIP
Society membership is open to all who have an interest in Connellsville and local area history.
Yearly dues are payable in April at the annual meeting.
Dues are payable in person at a member meeting or by mail via check or money order made payable to:
CONNELLSVILLE AREA HISTORICAL SOCIETY
217 WEST PATTERSON AVENUE
CONNELLSVILLE, PA 15425
Dues are as follows:
$15.00 - Individual per year
$25.00 - Family dues including children under 18 yrs. of age.
$50.00 - Business per year
$150.00 - Lifetime membership for anyone over 55 yrs. old
Click on the above "MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION" link to open a new PDF window and print the application.
MAINTAIN THE CONNELLSVILLE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Any successful organization needs the efforts and talents of its membership to maintain a high
excellence in the community that it serves. Most of the work cannot fall on the shoulders of just a few members, or they soon get weary of the many jobs. There is much talent in the membership of the Connellsville Area Historical Society. Perhaps no one has ever asked you to participate, and you feel that your skills are not appreciated. Perhaps, you are engaged fully into an organization that you value very much, and your time is limited. We all set our priorities, But, if you see anything in the following list that appeals to you, please contact me at 724-628-5344 or khistory@zoominternet.net. Here goes, if I have missed your interest also let me know.
1. Cleaning is always a need. The Gibson House gets dusty and dirty just like your own home. Dusting, sweeping, mopping, bathroom, counter tops, windows (inside), etc.
2. Writing articles for the newsletter. It comes out 2 times a year, spring and fall. The articles should have something to do with the Society or the history of Connellsville. You may have pictures of an insight into some special aspect of Connellsville history that should be shared with our readers.
3. Helping find informative history related programs for July, September, and October. June is our Covered Dish Picnic, August is our Corn Roast, November is the Pride in Connellsville Area reception.
4. Selling items that we have to the public on Saturday which is the day that we are open to the public. We have no place to set up a display of our items in town. We need the revenue that they will provide.
5. Cleaning the inside of our display cases and changing displays for the public to see our collections.
6. Providing refreshments for our meetings. We also need cookies for our Christmas Open House during It's a Connellsville Christmas.
7. There is lawn work to do. Planting in the spring, pulling weeds, maintaining plants, Taking care of removing leaves, keeping the back area free of snow so that people can enter.
8. Or if you are unable to do any of the above, perhaps you will help with the expense of
keeping our treasures, the Gibson House and the Col. Crawford Site, available to the public
and maintaining these structures. It is very costly to pay all the expenses of maintaining and
insuring what the Connellsville Historical Society owns.
We don't want people to say like they have in the past. "Why did you allow the B&O Station to be torn down?" Like we could have stopped that! But we do own the Gibson House and the Crawford site, and we are responsible to maintain this prime Connellsville history. This option is open to all.
Content, including images, displayed on this website is protected by copyright laws. Downloading, republication, retransmission or reproduction of content on this website is strictly prohibited.
At the Gibson House 217 West Patterson Avenue Connellsville
The Gibson House Christmas Gift Shop Will Be Open Saturday December 7th at 11am For Connellsville Christmas
The Gibson House will be decorated for Christmas
Light Refreshments will be available
Name: lmcswain@btes.tv
Date: 10/17/2008 Message: I am a descendant of swain family. old cyrus swain farm, etc. will share info with anyone searching that name there or Mt. Pleasant
Name: Nancy Soisson-Glista
Date: 10/07/2008 Message: Looking for any history of the Wm. R. Soisson family line. I'd love to hear from lost cousins that knew my grandfather. He died in 1974 and I only remember meeting him one time.
Name: Janet L. Mancini
Date: 10/01/2008 Message: I am doing research on The Children's Home my twin brother John and I were placed in 1957. My birth mother placed us there and died within a few days. We were 4 years old. 11 months later we were adopted into a good home. I have many photos and archives from the home on 141 Oakland Avenue, Uniontown, PA. The first home opened on Highland Ave in 1916. The second in 1917.
The 141 Oakland Ave Home closed in July 1958. Anyone interested please contact the Connellsville Historical society.
Name: jean custer
Date: 09/16/2008 Message: looking for cross's who lived in your town
Name: Brian L. Cypher
Date: 06/21/2008 Message: A first class endeavor, keep up the good work.
Name: JERRY ASSAD
Date: 06/19/2008 Message: I SENT A MESSAGE ON THE SITE. SORRY
Name: Jim Robbins
Date: 06/05/2008 Message: I am researching the Robbins family that lived in Fayette county in the 19th/20th centuries. Visited Uniontown last year and plan to visit Connellsville in 2008
Name: joel abramson
Date: 05/06/2008 Message: Thank you for sharing Connelsville history. My Grandmother lived at 604- 8th Street. Many of the postcards she was sent were simply mailed to Sara Rubin, Connelsville with no address and naturally no zip card. I even did an oil painting of a scene that looked like Pittsburgh Street, that was given to the Cadison's of Punxatawny. 55joelsart@comcast.net
Name: Donna (McClain) Colucci
Date: 03/26/2008 Message: Hi, I was born in Connellsville in 1946. My grandmother owned and operated a general store on So. Pittsburgh St. in So. Connellsville for many years. Her name was Olive Lee, she was known to all the children in the neighborhood as Mrs. Lee. They came daily with their 5 or 10 cents to pick out penny candy from her window display case.
