Venango County Archives - Pennsylvania Genealogy

The Osborne Family of Franklin, Pennsylvania

Old town hall, Allegheny City, torn down in 1863

This article traces the Osborne family from early New England settlers in Connecticut through generations in East Hampton, Long Island, and later New York, then follows the line to Franklin, Pennsylvania. It outlines the family’s ancestry, marriages, and descendants in some detail, including the branch that produced Rev. David Cuvier Osborne, a prominent Methodist minister known for church-building work, musical leadership, and involvement in the Akron Plan. The narrative also connects the Osbornes with the Mitchell and Wilson families of western Pennsylvania, showing how these interrelated lines shaped the civic, religious, and business life of the region.

The Nichols Family of Oil City, Pennsylvania

This genealogical sketch traces the Nichols family of Oil City through interrelated Farwell, Mason, and Riddell lines, beginning with John Nichols of Farmersville, New York, and following his descendants into Pennsylvania. It highlights William Wallace Nichols’s work with the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad and his son Hosea Monroe Nichols’s rise from Standard Oil employee to banker and civic leader in Oil City. The narrative also preserves the earlier histories of the Farwell, Mason, and Riddell families in New England, including Revolutionary War service, migrations to New York and Pennsylvania, and the marriages that linked these lines together across generations.

The Criswell Family of Franklin, Pennsylvania

This genealogical sketch traces the Criswell family from Scotch-Irish roots and early settlement in the Kishacoquillas Valley to later generations in Venango County. It follows Elisha Criswell and his descendants, including Robert Chesney Criswell, a substantial farmer who settled in Richland Township, and George Stuart Criswell, who rose from local schooling and legal training to become a respected Venango County judge. The account also notes the family’s civic involvement, church affiliation, marriages, children, and educational achievements, preserving a detailed picture of a Pennsylvania family whose members contributed to farming, law, public service, and community life in Franklin and the surrounding region.

The Porterfield Family of Emlenton, Pennsylvania

A detailed genealogical and biographical account traces the Porterfield and Allebach families in western Pennsylvania, beginning with Scotch and German immigrants who settled first in Lancaster, Germantown, and Berks counties before moving into Venango County. It follows Joseph Porterfield and his descendants, especially John C. Porterfield, whose business leadership helped shape Emlenton through mercantile ventures, banking, railroading, and local utilities. The article also profiles Howard Hall Porterfield, who expanded the family stores and continued its civic and business influence, and Henry Allebach, Emlenton’s first jeweler, whose family connections link the two lineages.

The McCalmont Family of Franklin, Pennsylvania

This article traces the McCalmont line from its legendary Irish and Scottish origins to its establishment in Pennsylvania, where successive generations became prominent in the Franklin and Venango County area. It follows the family from early emigrants and frontier settlers through lawyers, judges, soldiers, and public officials, including Judge Alexander McCalmont, General Alfred B. McCalmont, and later descendants such as Samuel Plumer McCalmont and David Burnett McCalmont. Along the way, it preserves family traditions, Revolutionary-era service, pioneer recollections, and the family’s role in local civic, legal, and political life across the nineteenth century.