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History
of the
Forest
County Historical Society
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.
Historical
Society
.
In
1977 a group of Forest Countians gathered to organize a Forest County Historical
Society "to collect and preserve all materials pertaining to the history
of Forest County and to preserve historical buildings and structures within
the County".
In
the early 1980's, the group published the "Forest County Pennsylvania Pictorial
History" under the auspices of then President, Donald Taft. Included
in its pages were Place Names and Post Office listings compiled by Alex
Badenoch.
The
problem of storing the collected artifacts and
written records eventually led to the purchase in 1997 of the George W.
and Martha Bonner Robinson home built on Elm Street in Tionesta in 1872.
This house (architecture Pre-Victorian East Lake Stick Style) is now the
home of the Forest County Historical Society and is known as the Forest
County History Center. Housed in its several levels are displays
of printing press, cobbler, blacksmith, butcher and general farming and
domestic tools. The lumbering endeavors of the past are well represented.
War relics and Indian arrowheads, historical paintings and quilts from
the County are also on display. A library of historical books, photographs,
pamphlets and documents are growning. We
continue to modify the house with the addition of a storage room and a
Genealogy Room in which to peruse archival material. On the grounds
have been added the replica of a 19th Century lumberman's dwelling, Camp
7, and the actual West Hickory Bridge tollbooth.
The
Historical Society has been instrumental in registering the Tionesta Creek
Timber Crib Dam in the State and Federal Historical Registries. It
is possibly the only dam of its kind left in the United States and was
built by the US Army in 1872 as part of a National effort to improve river
navigation.
Headquarters
and Museum
(originally the
George W. Robinson Home)
.
George
W. Robinson moved from Armstrong County to Tionesta in 1872 and purchased
a 1/2 acre lot and buildings, believed to be the existing house on April
22, 1873, from Joseph and Nancy Dale for $2,000. We assume that the
Dales, as was the practice at the time, had built the house on speculation.
The architecture is pre-Victorian, described as Eastlake, Stick Style.
The
Following three property purchases were made to increase the size of the
lot currently known on County records as Lot #114.
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1/2 acre to the south was purchased from John and Elizabeth Dale on May
14, 1873, for $350.
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a 16 ft. by 125ft. (2,000 sq. ft.) piece between the Church and the House
was purchased from the Methodist Episcopal Church on October 27, 1914,
for $50.
The
above purchases totaled $2,750. The lot was then the size as we know
it today with the exception of a lot 150 ft. by 146 ft. in the back fronting
on Vine Street conveyed by the then owners Forest L. Cropp and Dolores
B. Cropp to Louise Taylor along Vine Street on February 16, 1966.
George
W. Robinson died October 22, 1916, his wife Martha Bonner Robinson, daughter
of his business partner Jeremiah Bonner had died much earlier in 1895.
His will left the property to his children of whom only Margeret Bonner
Kelly and George B.(Bonner) Robinson appear to have been living.
A third child Arletta is not mentioned in the transaction and is presumed
to have died earlier.
On
October 10, 1918, George B. and Martha Connelly and Bonner H. Robinson,
(George W. Robinson's grandson) inherited the property on September 7,
1950 except for a portion in trust with the executor, Warren National Bank
which was left in a life estate to George B. Robinson's sister, Martha
A. Connelly which, at the death of Martha, was conveyed to Bonner H. Robinson
on June 13, 1952, for $1.00.
On
October 24, 1958, the property was sold by Bonner H. Robinson to Leona
E. Blum and Charles R. Emerson for $11,000.
On
July 1, 1959, the property was sold by Robert R. Blum, Leona E. Blum, Charles
R. Emerson, and Helen T. Emerson to Forest L. and Dolores A. Cropp for
$10,500.
On
February 16, 1966, Forest L. Cropp and Dolores B. Cropp conveyed a 150
ft. by 146 ft. piece along Vine Street to Louise Taylor for $1,200.
On
December 9, 1971, Forest L. Cropp and Dolores B. Cropp sold the property
to Milford W. Smith and Janet K. Smith for $26,000.
On
January 10, 1975, Milford and Janet Smith sold the property to Howard J.
and Susan Mealy for $33,000.
On
June 18, 1997, Howard and Susan Mealy sold the property to the Forest County
Historical Society for $70,000. Taxes and closing increased the cost to
about $73,000.
Some
Notes:
The
May 25, 1872, edition of the Independent Democrat mentions George W. Robinson
living on the west side of Elm St. This was the opposite side of the street
from the property and probably a temporary residence prior to purchasing
the property on the East side on April 22, 1873.
The
1890 History of the Counties of McKean, Elk, and Forest by J. H. Beers
and Co., mention George W. Robinson, merchant Tionesta as having been born
in Manor township, Armstrong Co., PA July 24, 1839. He was in the
Civil War, enlisting in July, 1862 in Company B, One Hundred.
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