Venango County, Pennsylvania

Not to be confused with Venango, Pennsylvania.

Venango County
County
Venango County Courthouse
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 41°24′N79°46′W / 41.4°N 79.76°W / 41.4; -79.76
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
Founded	September 1, 1805
Named for	Native American word for otter
Seat	Franklin
Largest city	Oil City
Government
• Commissioners	Samuel H Breene
Area
• Total	683 sq mi (1,770 km2)
• Land	674 sq mi (1,750 km2)
• Water	8.6 sq mi (22 km2)  1.3%
Population  (2020)
• Total	50,454
• Density	75/sq mi (29/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts	15th, 16th
Website	www.venangocountypa.gov

Venango County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 50,454. ^[1] Its county seat is Franklin. ^[2] The county was created in 1800 and later organized in 1805. ^[3] The county is part of the Northwest Pennsylvania region of the state. ^[a]

Venango County comprises the Oil City, PA micropolitan statistical area. It is part of the Pittsburgh and Erie media markets (with Erie channels available to Comcast subscribers in the area).

History

Wells along Benninghoff Run in 1866

Drake Well Museum in Cherrytree Township

Shortly afterward, Rogers met oil pioneer Charles Pratt, who purchased the entire output of the tiny Wamsutta Oil Refinery. In 1867, Rogers joined Pratt in forming Charles Pratt and Company, which was purchased by Standard Oil in 1874. Rogers became one of the key men in John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil Trust. Venango County was created on March 12, 1800, from parts of Allegheny and Lycoming Counties. The name "Venango" is derived from the Native American name of the region, Onenge, meaning Otter. This was corrupted in English as the Venango River. ^[4] The settlement at its mouth was likewise called Venango, which since March 3, 1871, has been the South Side of Oil City.

Venango County was home to an oil boom in the years following discovery of natural oil (petroleum) in the mid-1850s.

George Bissell, a Yale University chemistry professor, and Edwin L. Drake, a former railroad conductor, made the first successful use of a drilling rig on August 28, 1859, near Titusville. (Although Titusville is in Crawford County, the first oil well was drilled outside of town, less than a mile inside of the Venango County boundary) This single well soon exceeded the entire cumulative oil output of Europe since the 1650s. Within weeks, oil derricks were erected all over the area. Other oil boom towns located in Venango County included Franklin, Oil City, and the now defunct Pithole City. The principal product of the oil was kerosene.

McClintocksville was a small community in Cornplanter Township in Venango County. In 1861, it was the location of Wamsutta Oil Refinery, the first business venture of Henry Huttleston Rogers, who became a leading United States capitalist, businessman, industrialist, financier, and philanthropist. Rogers and his young wife Abbie Palmer Gifford Rogers lived in a one-room shack there along Oil Creek for several years beginning in 1862.

After joining Standard Oil, Rogers invested heavily in various industries, including copper, steel, mining, and railways. The Virginian Railway is widely considered his final life's achievement. Rogers amassed a great fortune, estimated at over $100 million, and became one of the wealthiest men in the United States. He was also a generous philanthropist, providing many public works for his hometown of Fairhaven, Massachusetts, and financially assisting helping such notables as Mark Twain, Helen Keller, and Dr. Booker T. Washington.

Perhaps in one of history's ironies, another resident of Venango County about the same time as Henry and Abbie Rogers was a little girl named Ida M. Tarbell, whose father was an independent producer whose small business was ruined by the South Improvement Company scheme of 1871 and the conglomerate which became Standard Oil. Introduced to each other in 1902 by their mutual friend Twain, Tarbell, who had become an investigative journalist and Rogers, who knew of her work, shared meetings and information over a two-year period which led to her epoch work, The History of the Standard Oil Company , published in 1904, which many historians feel helped fuel public sentiment against the giant company and helped lead to the court-ordered break-up of it in 1911.

The oil heritage of Venango County is commemorated by a Pennsylvania State Park and many heritage sites which help tell the story and memorialize the people of the oil boom of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Geography

French Creek (left) meets the Allegheny River at Riverfront Park in Franklin.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 683 square miles (1,770 km²), of which 674 square miles (1,750 km²) is land and 8.6 square miles (22 km²) (1.3%) is water. ^[5] Venango County is one of the 423 counties served by the Appalachian Regional Commission, ^[6] and it is identified as part of the "Midlands" by Colin Woodard in his book American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America . ^[7]

French Creek is formed near French Creek, New York and extends for a length of 117 miles (188 km) with a drainage area of 1,270 square miles (3,300 km²). It joins the Allegheny River near Franklin. The watershed area includes parts of Erie, Crawford, Venango, and Mercer Counties in Pennsylvania as well as Chautauqua County, New York.

Adjacent counties

• Crawford County (northwest)
• Warren County (north)
• Forest County (northeast)
• Clarion County (east)
• Butler County (south)
• Mercer County (west)

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1800	1,130		—
1810	3,060		170.8%
1820	4,915		60.6%
1830	9,470		92.7%
1840	17,900		89.0%
1850	18,310		2.3%
1860	25,043		36.8%
1870	47,925		91.4%
1880	43,670		−8.9%
1890	46,640		6.8%
1900	49,648		6.4%
1910	56,359		13.5%
1920	59,184		5.0%
1930	63,226		6.8%
1940	63,958		1.2%
1950	65,328		2.1%
1960	65,295		−0.1%
1970	62,353		−4.5%
1980	64,444		3.4%
1990	59,381		−7.9%
2000	57,555		−3.1%
2010	54,984		−4.5%
2020	50,454		−8.2%
U.S. Decennial Census [8] 1790–1960 [9] 1900–1990 [10] 1990–2000 [11] 2010–2017 [12]

Age pyramid for Venango County based on census 2000 data

As of the census ^[13] of 2000, there were 57,565 people, 22,747 households, and 15,922 families residing in the county. The population density was 85 people per square mile (33 people/km²). There were 26,904 housing units at an average density of 40 units per square mile (15/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.64% White, 1.09% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.17% from other races, and 0.67% from two or more races. 0.52% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 43.9% English or Welsh, 12.5% were of German, 11.1% American, 9.9% Irish, 8.3% Scotch-Irish, 2.8% Dutch, 2.1% Italian, and 1.6% French ancestry.

There were 22,747 households, out of which 30.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.80% were married couples living together, 9.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.00% were non-families. 26.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.20% under the age of 18, 7.20% from 18 to 24, 26.70% from 25 to 44, 25.10% from 45 to 64, and 16.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 95.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.10 males.

2020 census

Venango County Racial Composition ^[14]

Race	Num.	Perc.
White (NH)	47,117	93.4%
Black or African American (NH)	434	0.86%
Native American (NH)	68	0.13%
Asian (NH)	172	0.34%
Pacific Islander (NH)	10	0.02%
Other/Mixed (NH)	2,076	4.11%
Hispanic or Latino	577	1.14%

Micropolitan Statistical Area

See also: List of micropolitan statistical areas

The United States Office of Management and Budget ^[15] has designated Venango County as the Oil City, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area (μSA). ^[16] As of the 2010 U.S. Census ^[17] the micropolitan area ranked 9th most populous in the State of Pennsylvania and the 182nd most populous in the United States with a population of 54,984.

Law and government

United States presidential election results for Venango County, Pennsylvania ^[18]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	18,883	70.44%	7,624	28.44%	302	1.13%
2020	18,569	69.81%	7,585	28.51%	447	1.68%
2016	16,021	68.09%	6,309	26.81%	1,200	5.10%
2012	13,815	62.07%	7,945	35.70%	497	2.23%
2008	13,718	58.42%	9,238	39.34%	525	2.24%
2004	14,472	61.17%	9,024	38.14%	163	0.69%
2000	11,642	56.68%	8,196	39.90%	703	3.42%
1996	8,398	42.96%	8,205	41.97%	2,946	15.07%
1992	8,545	39.64%	8,230	38.18%	4,779	22.17%
1988	11,468	56.60%	8,624	42.56%	171	0.84%
1984	13,507	59.44%	9,114	40.11%	104	0.46%
1980	11,547	56.04%	7,800	37.86%	1,257	6.10%
1976	12,270	57.58%	8,653	40.60%	388	1.82%
1972	13,991	67.28%	6,302	30.31%	501	2.41%
1968	12,323	56.14%	8,319	37.90%	1,307	5.95%
1964	9,873	42.89%	13,065	56.75%	84	0.36%
1960	17,193	68.01%	8,064	31.90%	23	0.09%
1956	17,107	75.31%	5,594	24.63%	14	0.06%
1952	17,006	72.16%	6,356	26.97%	204	0.87%
1948	11,920	67.97%	5,144	29.33%	472	2.69%
1944	14,916	68.91%	6,426	29.69%	304	1.40%
1940	17,728	71.90%	6,873	27.87%	57	0.23%
1936	17,676	64.12%	9,212	33.42%	677	2.46%
1932	12,230	64.07%	6,174	32.34%	684	3.58%
1928	17,450	79.00%	4,531	20.51%	108	0.49%
1924	10,841	74.29%	1,886	12.92%	1,865	12.78%
1920	7,718	65.71%	2,669	22.72%	1,359	11.57%
1916	3,856	40.98%	3,938	41.85%	1,616	17.17%
1912	1,660	18.26%	2,507	27.57%	4,925	54.17%
1908	4,868	49.73%	2,815	28.76%	2,105	21.51%
1904	5,892	57.33%	1,747	17.00%	2,639	25.68%
1900	5,931	52.75%	4,014	35.70%	1,299	11.55%
1896	5,133	49.82%	4,599	44.63%	572	5.55%
1892	4,099	49.31%	3,288	39.55%	926	11.14%
1888	4,424	50.49%	3,475	39.66%	863	9.85%

Venango County has long been predominantly Republican. Only twice since the Civil War has the county selected a Democratic presidential candidate, and only Lyndon B. Johnson in his 1964 landslide has gained an absolute majority for the Democratic Party. In 1984, Venango County actually voted fractionally more Democratic than the nation at-large due to hostility towards Reaganomics in industrial districts, and in the 1992 and 1996 elections it came within two points and one point, respectively of voting for Democrat Bill Clinton, but by 2016 Donald Trump had gained 68.1 percent to Hillary Clinton's 26.8 percent – figures which were long typical of the county.

Voter Registration

As of February 21, 2022, there are 32,319 registered voters in Venango County ^[19]

Chart of Voter Registration

   Republican (58.37%)

   Democratic (28.41%)

   Independent (8.87%)

  Third Party (4.35%)

• Democratic: 9,181 (28.41%)
• Republican: 18,864 (58.37%)
• Independent: 2,868 (8.87%)
• Third Party: 1,406 (4.35%)

County commissioners

• Samuel H. Breene (Republican)
• Ken Bryan (Republican)
• Albert Abramovic (Democrat)

State Senate ^[20]

• Scott Hutchinson, Republican, Pennsylvania Senate, District 21

State House of Representatives ^[20]

• Lee James, Republican, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 64

United States House of Representatives

• G.T. Thompson, Republican, Pennsylvania's 15th congressional district
• Mike Kelly, Republican, Pennsylvania's 16th Congressional District

United States Senate

• John Fetterman, Democrat
• Bob Casey Jr., Democrat

Economy

Major employers

• Joy Mining Machinery
• Pennzoil
• Quaker State
• UPMC Northwest
• Komatsu

Pennzoil and Quaker State left the Venango area for Texas. After leaving the area they merged and stopped refining oil. They now concentrate on retail oil and automotive additives produced for them by other companies. As of 2007, the two companies only exist as brand names after the company disappeared because of successive mergers.

With global crude oil prices touching US$100 in early 2008, long-dormant interest reawakened in Venango County's remaining oil reserves, 70% undrilled by one estimate. High prices make less accessible oil deposits worth extracting. For instance, a Canadian firm proposed drilling several large mines and allowing oil to flood the tunnels. ^[21]

Education

Venango County, Pennsylvania public school districts

Public school districts include: ^[22]

• Cranberry Area School District
• Franklin Area School District
• Oil City Area School District
• Valley Grove School District

These public school districts are only partially in Venango County:

• Allegheny-Clarion Valley School District
• Forest Area School District
• Penncrest School District
• Titusville Area School District

Colleges and universities:

• Clarion University, Venango Campus (closed 2024)
• Dubois Business College (closed 2016)
• Penn State University Venango County Co-Op Extension

Transportation

Airport

• Venango Regional Airport

Major highways

• I-80
• US 62
• US 322
• PA 8
• PA 27
• PA 36
• PA 38
• PA 157
• PA 208
• PA 227
• PA 257
• PA 308
• PA 417
• PA 427
• PA 428
• PA 965

Recreation

Pennsylvania State Parks and Forests

• Oil Creek State Park
• Cornplanter State Forest
• Clear Creek State Forest

Attractions and tourism

• DeBence Antique Music World
• Oil Region Astronomical Observatory
• Franklin Silver Cornet Band
• Oil Valley Film Festival
• Franklin Public Library. The Franklin Public Library was founded in 1894 and has had several homes, although its current location on Twelfth Street in Franklin, Venango County, PA has been its home since 1921. The original structure on Twelfth Street was built in 1849 as a residence and required extensive renovations in 1921 to make it suitable for library use.

Communities

Venango County, Pennsylvania with Municipal Labels showing Cities and Boroughs (red), Townships (white), and Census-designated places (blue)

Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, in at most two cases, towns. The following cities, boroughs and townships are located in Venango County:

Cities

• Franklin (county seat)
• Oil City

Boroughs

• Barkeyville
• Clintonville
• Cooperstown
• Emlenton (partly in Clarion County)
• Pleasantville
• Polk
• Rouseville
• Sugarcreek
• Utica

Townships

• Allegheny
• Canal
• Cherrytree
• Clinton
• Cornplanter
• Cranberry
• French Creek
• Irwin
• Jackson
• Mineral
• Oakland
• Oil Creek
• Pinegrove
• Plum
• President
• Richland
• Rockland
• Sandycreek
• Scrubgrass
• Victory

Census-designated places

Census-designated places are geographical areas designated by the U.S. Census Bureau for the purposes of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law. Other unincorporated communities, such as villages, may be listed here as well.

• Hannasville
• Hasson Heights
• Kennerdell
• Seneca
• Woodland Heights

Unincorporated communities

• Bredinsburg
• Cranberry
• Dempseytown
• Fertigs
• Petroleum Center
• Raymilton
• Siverly ^[23]
• Venus

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Venango County. ^[17]

†county seat

Rank	City/Town/etc.	Municipal type	Population (2018 Census)
1	Oil City	City	9,897
2.	Cranberry	Township	6,789
3	† Franklin	City	6,231
4	Sugar Creek	Borough	5,008
5.	Cornplanter	Township	2,316
6	Hasson Heights	CDP	1,437
7	Woodland Heights	CDP	1,726
8	Cherrytree	Township	1,378
9	Seneca	CDP	1,289
10	Pleasantville	Borough	887
11	Polk	Borough	826
12	Emlenton (partially in Clarion County )	Borough	625
13	Rouseville	Borough	523
14	Clintonville	Borough	508
15	Cooperstown	Borough	460
16	Kennerdell	CDP	247
17	Barkeyville	Borough	207
18	Utica	Borough	189
19	Hannasville	CDP	176

Notable people

• Orrin Dubbs Bleakley
• Cornplanter
• William Holmes Crosby Jr.
• Hildegarde Dolson
• Frank Evans
• Gabby Gabreski
• Leon H. Gavin
• Alexander Hays
• Judge Robert Lamberton
• Ted Marchibroda
• Jesse L. Reno
• George C. Rickards
• Henry H. Rogers
• Joseph Sibley
• Peter Moore Speer
• Ida M. Tarbell
• John Wesley Van Dyke

See also

• Oil Creek Library District
• Oil Region

Notes

1. Includes Erie, Mercer, Crawford and Venango Counties

References

1. "Census - Geography Profile: Venango County, Pennsylvania". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved December 18, 2022.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. "Pennsylvania: Individual County Chronologies". Pennsylvania Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2008. Archived from the original on March 25, 2015. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
4. Donehoo, George (1995). "French Creek". Indian Villages and Place Names in Pennsylvania. Gateway Press. Retrieved January 24, 2007.
5. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
6. "About the Appalachian Region". Appalachian Regional Commission. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
7. Woodard, Colin (July 30, 2018). "The Maps That Show That City vs. Country Is Not Our Political Fault Line". New York Times. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
8. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
9. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
10. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 24, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
11. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
12. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
13. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved May 14, 2011.
14. "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Venango County, Pennsylvania".
15. "Office of Management and Budget – The White House" . Retrieved November 29, 2018.
16. "Businesses that Received Forms in 2012: Pennsylvania - U.S. Census Bureau". Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
17. CNMP, US Census Bureau. "This site has been redesigned and relocated. – U.S. Census Bureau". census.gov. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
18. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
19. "Voter Registration Statistics by county". dos.pa.gov. February 23, 2022.
20. Center, Legislativate Data Processing. "Find Your Legislator". The official website for the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
21. "As Oil Prices Soar, Prospectors Return to Pennsylvania". The Wall Street Journal. February 19, 2008. Archived from the original on February 28, 2008. Retrieved February 25, 2008.
22. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Venango County, PA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau . Retrieved July 23, 2024. - Text list
23. "Siverly Populated Place Profile / Venango County, Pennsylvania Data". pennsylvania.hometownlocator.com. Retrieved November 29, 2018.

External links

• Official county website

41°24′N79°46′W / 41.40°N 79.76°W / 41.40; -79.76