Pennsylvania
Norwich Township
This is a provisional page, here as a starting point for this family community.
We welcome more details, photographs, history, or even a complete re-write.
And of course
web links to your communities web sites.
|
|
|
Norwich Township, McKean County, Pennsylvania
Administration: Supervisor and Secretary/Treasurer
(Patricia C.Fay - who has kindly provided information).
Population: 633
Area: 96 square miles
 Norwich Township is in a remote area of the state and mainly forested mountains up to 2,200 feet above sea level. The whole of McKean County is now part of the Allegheny National Forest Region.
There are no major towns in the township. There are two churches in the villages of Colegrove and Crosby, and the School pupils are bussed to the nearest town - Smethport - some 7 miles away in Keating Township.
Early History
In the early 1800's, word spread of land being available in the thick timberlands full of wild game in McKean County, Pennsylvania.
One of the chief early migrations to the new county was in October of 1815 when fifteen families from Norwich, Connecticut, came to the area by way of Norwich, N.Y. and settled. They followed Indian trails, and had to cut their way through the forests to make a path for the wagons and carts.
The heads of families that led this migration were: Abbey, Brewer, Burdick, Burlingame, Colegrove, Comes, Gallup, Irons, Smith and Wolcott.
We are indebted to Carlyn Gallup Sleighman, author of the book 'Rememberance' which is an amazing history of the Gallup family, for her stories and photographs; and to Ross Porter who is the scholastic authority on the area and has also provided information.
Those early pioneers had to provide for themselves, clearing the land, building their own houses, and turning their hand to any job that needed doing. Before the roads were built. the best way to travel was by the many creeks through the area. In fact for a short time the creeks were designated as public highways!
Carlyn Sleighman recalls a charming tale about her Grandfather, a schoolteacher, who in the winter would put his skates on and skate down Potato Creek to the school!
 An old photograph of Norfolk Township
nicely illustrating how the American term 'sidewalk' came about.
Web Links
Planet Smethport
Updated 05 July 2006
|
Top of Page