Big moments in its history, which are covered up to date over a span of 137 years, record a visit by the international Lafayette of revolutionary fame. A day-long visit by the president of the United States. The same amount of time and attention by Poland's greatest World War general. An international Chess tournament, the birth and childhood of the American leader of the Bauhaus, worldwide international religions, 8 lengthy articles in Scribners Magazine using its residence and activities as studies of America's small-town life.
Induction of the first concrete mixer with paddles. The production of the pick of New York City fancy coach workers at the turn of the century. In the dedication and the growth in the most interesting and perhaps the most significant adventure in major education.
That of the vocational and academic trimmings of the second and third generations of Polish immigrants without losing old-world culture. Not much of this, however, happened in the first 88 years following Jobe Van Court's reaction. Whatever they have been to the act of settling a new community in building a pioneer log cabin. The first 88 years were contained in the average experience of the average community over the same span of years in the same era. The hearts of people need the warmth of contact with their own races. It was natural that others joined Jobe Van Court and his son Ben; some of them were women, there were marriages, and there would be begetting and other begettings.
There were many crude occupations, limited money circulation, and other forms of wealth, and the community grew slowly.
The old Susquehanna Pike was built; more properly speaking, it was laid out. After 137 years, it has not yet been built. Starting at the so-called Town House Corners to Cambridge Springs, only a certain amount of grading with the application of salt during the past year, 1937. Only this, even though, from the white man's experience, it has been recognized as the shortest and most easily negotiated route. The chronological table attached shows the first bridge built across French Creek at the site of Cambridge Springs in 1815. This was only a timber and board fair.
But it brought regular coach routes and travelers. After a few years, a covered bridge replaced it, soon to be replaced by a suspension bridge, which stood until the present modern structure, in turn, replaced it in about 1890.
The people engaged themselves in the occupations of the American wilderness: timber, of course; hides, pelts of wild animals, maple sugar and syrup, and rum, to be sure; wool, handcrafts, and until the first sawmill was established in 1847, later followed by a local tannery.
All this day's merchandise was loaded onto rafts during the spring and fall. It floated down French Creek, the Allegheny, the Ohio, and the Mississippi to natural markets and some rare occasions as far South as New Orleans.