Families of NW Pennsylvania: Links

Founders & First Settlers

The individuals on this page have been commonly referred to as the founders or first settlers of the townships or communities in which they appear. I encourage you to look at the township histories in this History section to learn more about these and the other early settlers. Here we will present links to the commonly recognized founding families and to migration maps showing the paths they took to get to NWPa and sometimes to move on.

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Conneaut Township Settled in 1795 Map & Events History Conneaut Twp Map 1865	Jonathon Spaulding	Jonathon Spaulding was born in New Hampshire in 1772, In 1795, he moved to Conneaut Twp, Erie Co., PA, being the first settler. He bought and cleared a farm which he occupied until his death. He raised a family of eight children, three boys and 5 girls. The daughters married, but there is no record. Severald of his sons descendents still reside in the area. See Map of the Migration of the Spauldings
Albion Formerly Jacksons Corners Incorperated 1859-61 Map & Events History Albion Map 1865	Lyman Jackson See 'Descendents of Michael Jackson'	Lyman Jackson was born in Connecticut, married a girl from Vermont, did several tours in the American Revolutionary Army, moved to Otsego, New York, where he swapped with Solomon Spaulding for some of the latters lands in Holland Purchase section of Northwestern Pennsylvania. He moved (ca 1814)to the area soon known as Jackson Corners and later as Albion. There he and several neighbors joined the newly organized Morman Church. He is buried in the Albion Cemetery. Most of his family moved on west, but a few remained in the area. See Map of the Migration of the Jacksons
	Patrick Kennedy	Patrick Kennedy raised a family in Willington, Connecticut, before migrating to Pennsylvania in time to be counted in the 1800 Springfield census. Bates shows him in Albion in 1802. He is buried in the Randall Valley Cemetery. Patricks descendents are numerous including Kennedys and Shacks. Many remain in the area, notably including the proprietors of the multigeneration Kennedy General Store in Cranesville.. See Map of the Migration of the Kennedys
	Thomas Alexander	Not much is known about Thomas Alexander except that he was in Springfield in the 1800 census and is mentioned by Bates as a first settler of Albion. Nothing is known of his family.
Keepville 2 miles west of Albion Settled in 1808 Map & Events History	Marsena Keep See Keep Family	Marsena Keep was born in Massachusetts in 1769. He moved to NW Pa prior to the birth of the second Marsena in 1802, though Bates has his arrival in 1808. He established the village of Keepville and many of his descendents remain in the area. Hee is buried in keep Cemetery See Map of the Migration of the Keeps
Elk Creek Settled in 1795 Map & Events History Elk Creek Twp Map 1865	Eli Colton	Eli Colton was born in Granby, Connecticut in 1765. In 1797, he moved to Elk Creek Twp, Erie Co., PA, being the first settler. Interestingly, Eli was the 4th cousin of Marsena and Mathew Keep who settled Keepville. He is buired in Hope Cemetery, Girard. His family continued to live in the county. See Map of the Migration of the Coltons
Lundys Lane Originally Wellsburg Settled in 1815 Map & Events History Early Days in Wellsburg	Samuel Wells	Samuel Wells was born in Massachusetts and moved his family to Northwesrtn Pennsylvania in 1815, founding the town of Wellsburg which bore his name until it was renamed Lundys Lane to avoid a postal confusion. Samuel Wells and his five sons settled Wellsburg in 1815. He has several descendents remaining in the area. See Map of the Migration of the Wells Family
Cranesville Settled in 1815 Map & Events History	Fowler Crane	Fowler Crane founded Cranesville on the site where his father Elihu had settled in 1800. Elihu was from Connecticut and had been in Conneaut Township for two years before selecting the Elk Creek site. The Crane family has several descendents remaining in the area. See Map of the Migration of the Crane Family
Pageville Settled in 1815 Map & Events History	Ezekiel Page	Ezekiel Page established an oar factory of considerable reputation employing over 50 people in what is now Pageville. Despite the success of his business venture, little else seems to be known about Mr Page… we don’t know where he came from, whether he had a family, or where he went. See Map of the Migration of the Page Family
Springfield Settled in 1796 Incorporated in 1832 Map & Events History	Samuel Holliday	Captain Samuel Holliday, a revolutionary veteran from Franklin Country, setttled in the area in 1796. The Holliday family has many descendents remaining in the area. Prominent among them are the proprietors of the famous Peggy Gray Candies enterprise in North Springfield. See Map of the Migration of the Holliday Family
Girard Settled in 1798 Incorporated in 1832 Map & Events History	William Silverthorn	William Silverthorn from Greenwich, New Jersey, settled in the area that is now Girard in 1798. The tonship of Girard was broken out of Springfield in 1835. The Silverthorn family has several descendents remaining in the area. See Map of the Migration of the Silverthorn Family
Platea Originally Lockport Incorporated in 1870 Map & Events Lockport Map & Events Platea History Lockport Twp Map 1876	Silas Pratt	Silas Pratt had a contract to build locks on the canal and owned the land that is now Platea. He built a store and other structures, but his businesses failed in 1849. Silas Pratt appears to have descended from a well known New England preacher of the same name and to have left family in the Erie-Crawford County area, but I find no definitive records. See Map of the Migration of the Silverthorn Family
Washington Township Settled in 1796 Originally Conneauttee Map & Events History	Alexaner Hamilton	Alexander Hamilton, cousin of our first Vice President, along with William Culbertson, both of Williamsport, settled Washington Township. The Hamilton family is connected to the Vice President and to the Royal Stewarts of England. They have several descendents remaining in the area. See Map of the Migration of the Hamilton Family See Relationship of Alexander the settler to Alexander the Vice President See Relationship of Alexander to Mary daughter of James II Stewart
Cussewago Including Crossingville and Mosiertown First settled ca 1795 Map & Events History Cussewago Map 1873 Cussewago Biographies History of St Philips	John Collum	John Collum claimed to be the first settler of Cussewago, arriving first in 1792 then permanently in 1795. See Map of the Migration of the Collums
	Alexander Swaney	Alexander and John Swaney, brothers from Donegal, Ireland, were among the first settlers. Swaney descendents continue to live in the area. See Map of the Migration of the Swaneys
	Bartholomew McBride	Edward, Patrick, and Bartholomew McBride were browthers who settled in the Cussewago area about 1798. Many descendents continued to live in the area. See Map of the Migration of the Mcbrides