Venango County, Pennsylvania
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Venango County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 50,454. Its county seat is Franklin. The county was created in 1800 and later organized in 1805. The county is part of the Northwest Pennsylvania region of the state.
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
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. 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.
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
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. Venango County is one of the 423 counties served by the Appalachian Regional Commission, 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.
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
| 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% | |
| 2025 (est.) | 49,346 | −2.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2017 |
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 50,454 and a median age of 47.4 years. 20.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 23.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.7 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 47,117 (93.4%) White (NH), 434 (0.86%) Black or African American (NH), 68 (0.13%) Native American (NH), 172 (0.34%) Asian (NH), 10 (0.02%) Pacific Islander (NH), 2,076 (4.11%) Other/Mixed (NH), and 577 (1.14%) Hispanic or Latino residents of any race.
43.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 56.1% lived in rural areas.
There were 21,506 households in the county, of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 47.5% were married-couple households, 19.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 26,156 housing units, of which 17.8% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 74.7% were owner-occupied and 25.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.7%.
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000 | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 56,016 | 53,052 | 47,117 | 97.30% | 96.48% | 93.38% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 614 | 567 | 434 | 1.06% | 1.03% | 0.86% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 99 | 81 | 68 | 0.17% | 0.14% | 0.13% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 131 | 196 | 172 | 0.22% | 0.35% | 0.34% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 11 | 10 | 10 | 0.01% | 0.01% | 0.01% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 37 | 18 | 96 | 0.06% | 0.03% | 0.19% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 359 | 582 | 1,980 | 0.62% | 1.05% | 3.92% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 298 | 478 | 577 | 0.51% | 0.86% | 1.14% |
| Total | 57,565 | 54,984 | 50,454 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2000 census
As of the 2000 census, 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.
Micropolitan Statistical Area
The United States Office of Management and Budget has designated Venango County as the Oil City, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area (μSA). As of the 2010 U.S. census 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
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1888 | 4,424 | 50.49% | 3,475 | 39.66% | 863 | 9.85% |
| 1892 | 4,099 | 49.31% | 3,288 | 39.55% | 926 | 11.14% |
| 1896 | 5,133 | 49.82% | 4,599 | 44.63% | 572 | 5.55% |
| 1900 | 5,931 | 52.75% | 4,014 | 35.70% | 1,299 | 11.55% |
| 1904 | 5,892 | 57.33% | 1,747 | 17.00% | 2,639 | 25.68% |
| 1908 | 4,868 | 49.73% | 2,815 | 28.76% | 2,105 | 21.51% |
| 1912 | 1,660 | 18.26% | 2,507 | 27.57% | 4,925 | 54.17% |
| 1916 | 3,856 | 40.98% | 3,938 | 41.85% | 1,616 | 17.17% |
| 1920 | 7,718 | 65.71% | 2,669 | 22.72% | 1,359 | 11.57% |
| 1924 | 10,841 | 74.29% | 1,886 | 12.92% | 1,865 | 12.78% |
| 1928 | 17,450 | 79.00% | 4,531 | 20.51% | 108 | 0.49% |
| 1932 | 12,230 | 64.07% | 6,174 | 32.34% | 684 | 3.58% |
| 1936 | 17,676 | 64.12% | 9,212 | 33.42% | 677 | 2.46% |
| 1940 | 17,728 | 71.90% | 6,873 | 27.87% | 57 | 0.23% |
| 1944 | 14,916 | 68.91% | 6,426 | 29.69% | 304 | 1.40% |
| 1948 | 11,920 | 67.97% | 5,144 | 29.33% | 472 | 2.69% |
| 1952 | 17,006 | 72.16% | 6,356 | 26.97% | 204 | 0.87% |
| 1956 | 17,107 | 75.31% | 5,594 | 24.63% | 14 | 0.06% |
| 1960 | 17,193 | 68.01% | 8,064 | 31.90% | 23 | 0.09% |
| 1964 | 9,873 | 42.89% | 13,065 | 56.75% | 84 | 0.36% |
| 1968 | 12,323 | 56.14% | 8,319 | 37.90% | 1,307 | 5.95% |
| 1972 | 13,991 | 67.28% | 6,302 | 30.31% | 501 | 2.41% |
| 1976 | 12,270 | 57.58% | 8,653 | 40.60% | 388 | 1.82% |
| 1980 | 11,547 | 56.04% | 7,800 | 37.86% | 1,257 | 6.10% |
| 1984 | 13,507 | 59.44% | 9,114 | 40.11% | 104 | 0.46% |
| 1988 | 11,468 | 56.60% | 8,624 | 42.56% | 171 | 0.84% |
| 1992 | 8,545 | 39.64% | 8,230 | 38.18% | 4,779 | 22.17% |
| 1996 | 8,398 | 42.96% | 8,205 | 41.97% | 2,946 | 15.07% |
| 2000 | 11,642 | 56.68% | 8,196 | 39.90% | 703 | 3.42% |
| 2004 | 14,472 | 61.17% | 9,024 | 38.14% | 163 | 0.69% |
| 2008 | 13,718 | 58.42% | 9,238 | 39.34% | 525 | 2.24% |
| 2012 | 13,815 | 62.07% | 7,945 | 35.70% | 497 | 2.23% |
| 2016 | 16,021 | 68.09% | 6,309 | 26.81% | 1,200 | 5.10% |
| 2020 | 18,569 | 69.81% | 7,585 | 28.51% | 447 | 1.68% |
| 2024 | 18,883 | 70.44% | 7,624 | 28.44% | 302 | 1.13% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2018 | 11,210 | 60.56% | 6,945 | 37.52% | 357 | 1.93% |
| 2024 | 17,825 | 66.93% | 7,902 | 29.67% | 904 | 3.39% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2016 | 14,581 | 62.83% | 6,989 | 30.11% | 1,638 | 7.06% |
| 2022 | 13,406 | 64.29% | 6,777 | 32.50% | 671 | 3.22% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2014 | 7,771 | 55.10% | 6,333 | 44.90% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 10,856 | 58.29% | 7,431 | 39.90% | 338 | 1.81% |
| 2022 | 12,741 | 60.91% | 7,777 | 37.18% | 401 | 1.92% |
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
- Republican (58.4%)
- Democratic (28.4%)
- 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
| Office | Holder | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Commissioner | Samuel H. Breene | Republican |
| Commissioner | Ken Bryan | Republican |
| Commissioner | Albert Abramovic | Democrat |
State Senate
| Senator | Party | District |
|---|---|---|
| Scott Hutchinson | Republican | Pennsylvania's 21st Senatorial District |
State House of Representatives
| Representative | Party | District |
|---|---|---|
| Lee James | Republican | Pennsylvania's 64th Representative District |
United States House of Representatives
| Representative | Party | District |
|---|---|---|
| G.T. Thompson | Republican | Pennsylvania's 15th congressional district |
| Mike Kelly | Republican | Pennsylvania's 16th congressional district |
United States Senate
| Senator | Party |
|---|---|
| John Fetterman | Democratic |
| Dave McCormick | Republican |
Economy
Major employers
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.
Education
Public school districts include:
- 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
Major highways
Recreation
Pennsylvania State Parks and Forests
Attractions and tourism
- DeBence Antique Music World
- Oil Region Astronomical Observatory
- Franklin Silver Cornet Band
- Oil Valley Film Festival
- . 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
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
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.
Unincorporated communities
- Bredinsburg
- Cranberry
- Dempseytown
- Fertigs
- Petroleum Center
- Raymilton
- Siverly
- Venus
Population ranking
The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Venango County.
† 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
Notes
External links
41°24′N 79°46′W/41.40°N 79.76°W/ 41.40; -79.76