Venango County Courthouse is located at 1174 Elk Street, Franklin PA 16323; phone: 814‑432‑9501.
TOWNS
About [1]
Venango County is located in western Pennsylvania about halfway between Pittsburgh and Erie. The county encompasses 675 square miles and includes the cities of Oil City and Franklin, nine boroughs and 20 townships. Venango County is classified as a sixth class county and is ranked 42nd in the state of 67 counties, with the population of 57,000.
Beginnings [2]
Formed March 12, 1800, territory then recently acquired by treaties from the Indians, named from In-nan-ga-eh (a rude figure cut in a tree), Seneca language. A well-watered county, the Allegheny River meandering through rugged hills, about 400 feet high, presents places of rare scenic grandeur; into it flow several streams of considerable volume, among them Oil Creek, French Creek, and Big Sandy. For a number of years after the discovery of petroleum, in 1859, it continued to be the principal oil-producing field; now chief industries are manufacturing, refining of petroleum, lumbering, and agriculture.
HISTORIC SITES