 Greenville 1896 (click on image to enlarge) |
Greenville is a borough with home rule status in northwestern Mercer County, PA. Located along the Shenango River, it lies roughly 80 miles from both Pittsburgh and Cleveland.
Incorporated as West Greenville in 1836, it changed its name to the Borough of Greenville in 1865 and began to operate under a home rule charter on Jan 1, 2020, under the name of the "Town of Greenville." The origin of the name is speculated to have come from East Greenville, Pennsylvania.
Greenville was known for its manufacturing interests, including railroad shops, bridge works, gristmills, a cement block plant, an automobile factory, foundries and machine shops, saw and planing mills, steelworks, a railroad car manufacturer and flour mills. Water power was supplied by the Shenango River.
Greenville in 1874 - The Past & Present
From the advance street of the Shenango Valley Directory, work now under compilation, we take the following prelude to the Greenville division of this work. Most of our readers will recognize thte familiar tone of the writer, whose articles from time to time have formed an attractive feature in this journal.
Greenville, in Mercer County, Pennsylvania is situated at the confluence of the Little with the Big Shenango, in 41 deg. and 80 min. north latitude. It received its name from the original founder and proprietor of the place on the west side of the river, Mr. Wm. Scott, about the year 1800. Previous to this date it was called "Shanks' Ford, " taking that name from Mr. John Shanks, who kept the first hotel in the place, said hotel was erected in the year 1797, on the west bank of the Big Shenango, near the western terminus of the present iron bridge. It was made of hewed logs, one story in height.
The first settlement in this valley by white men after the French were driven from this region, was made in the year 1796, by four young men of Westmoreland county, viz: Andrw Christy, Joseph Keck, James Klingensmith and Peter Klingensmith. Their children and grandchildren still make this region their home and are a portion of the staid people of the place, and country.
The first dry goods brought to the place for sale was by Arthur G. Long, whose store was situated on the ground now occupied by Huling's tannery. The first effort to hold religious services was made by the Seceder Church, conducted by Rev. Daniel McLean, a pioneer preacher of that denomination, in Shanks' hotel, in the year 1798. He succeeded in organizing a church in this place, and a branch in Crawford county, and continued pastor of the two congregations for aperiod of 40 years, and ceased to labor in this field only when the infirmities of age compelled him to retire into private life. The next church organied was by the Methodists in the year 1802. In the year 1824 the Presbyterians effected an organization, and at a comparatively recent date the German Reformed, Lutheran, Baptist and Roman Catholics, have established churches in our midst.
Greenville continued to be a part of West Salem township until the fall of 1838, when it became a separate election district, with the usual completement of Borough officials: James Wick was chosen the first Burgess and James Pollock the first Constable; Moses Varney, Andrew Campbell, W. J. Woods, McCure Cowan and Josiah McPerrin were elected the first town council; they appointed John Keck, Clerk and Samuel Goodwin, treasurer.
 |
Greenville Main Street
 |
| 1873 Landowners Map |
1870 U.S. Census for Greenville Borough |
 Greenville Main Street (click on image to enlarge) |
| REMINISENCES EARLY SETTLERS OF MERCER COUNTY - 1876 |
| Theil College |
| National Register of Historic Places located in Greenville Greenville Commercial Historic District Alexander P. & James S. Waugh House |
Source: Post card images, PA Archives