Edinboro
Government | Local Offices | History | Events | Community | Visiting | Weather
PA Legislative Directory Welcome to Edinboro, where the springs are
sweet and green, the summers are long and lush, the falls ring of harvest time and football, and the winters are white and crispy cold with snow. Everything is here! The university provides
educational, cultural and sporting events, and the townspeople provide a small-town atmosphere with big-town services. The icing on this "cake" is Edinboro Lake, which provides endless recreational
activities year-round. Come to Edinboro and find what you've been looking for! Government
Back To Top Local Offices
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Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
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Paul Snyder, Deputy Mayor
Jean A. Davis
H. Robert Cannell
Christopher Gillette
Robert Gray
Mary Ann Horne |
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Meeting Date: Second and fourth Monday, 7 p.m. |
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Manager |
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Secretary/Treasurer |
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Gorzynski, Felix & Gloekler |
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General McLane School District |
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Edinboro Volunteer Fire Department |
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Edinboro Police Department |
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Back to Top History
A traveling man once called Edinboro the "prettiest little inland town I have found in all my travels," quoted John L. Marsh and Karl E. Nordberg in their second book about
Edinboro. The town abounds with history, beginning from the time the township was first settled and a mill was established at the south end of the lake in what is now the
borough limits. Other mills were soon built and a small village grew up around them, with storekeepers, artisans and craftsmen bringing their special talents to the community.
The villagers were quite self sufficient, for neither a canal line nor a railroad traversed
the township, although a stagecoach line was in operation on the Plank Road to and from Erie in the mid 1800s. A faster, more comfortable service was in operation by
the Erie Traction Company between Erie and Cambridge Springs from 1900 to 1928. A bus line began service in 1926 and continued after the trolley ceased operation. In
1929 a trolley car was brought back to Edinboro and placed permanently on the southwest corner of Erie and Plum Streets (Route 6N and 19) to operate as a diner.
Named the "Crossroads Dinor" by a young Edinboro resident, it remains in business today. The college has been the primary focus of the community, almost from the beginning.
Early residents were wise in their understanding of the value of education. With two small schools within the borough limits offering only the lower grades, residents
formed an organization in 1856 to build an academy. It was so successful that three more buildings were erected by 1860. The Pennsylvania Normal School Act was
passed in 1857 and Edinboro was a candidate as a location, if it also could offer a Model School with a guaranteed enrollment of 100 students for children in those lower
grades. By extending the school district's limits into the township, closing the public schools, and appropriating the school taxes to support it, the Model School enabled a
teaching college to be established in Edinboro in 1861. The history of the Edinboro State Normal School - today known as Edinboro
University - is one long success story, with the exception of an unfortunate incident in 1892 when the popular Normal School's longtime manager, Prof. Joseph A. Cooper,
was fired by the Board of Trustees. Cooper had many loyal supporters and for a time it appeared he might be reinstated, but this did not occur.
Being a "college town" in the 1800s meant that the males and females were boarded in separate buildings. Most were housed in rooms in private homes in the borough
with the women on Meadville Street south of West Normal Street and the men housed on the north side. By local custom the areas were named "Girl Town" and "Boy Town."
Rivaling the college for the townspeople's attention was the lake, just at the north end of the borough. Every kind of water sport was enjoyed there, including camps for
boys and girls. In the early decades of the 20th Century Conneaut Lake was publicly promoted as offering an inexpensive vacation, with easy access by trolley. Today
cottages, campsites and year-round homes circle the lake, and it remains the center of much activity within the community.
A name long synonymous with Edinboro is Goodell. The patriarch of the family, Layton B., came to the area in 1832 and began a blacksmith business. Two of his
descendants, Todd and Ned, remained in the area and Todd's two daughters, Carrie and Margaret, carried on the family farm at the edge of the borough for many decades until the late 20th
Century, long after their father had passed away. Three devastating fires occurred during the first decade of the 20th Century that might
have been a death knell for other communities, but the citizens of Edinboro rebuilt, better than before each time. Today many fine homes still line the sidewalked streets
of the borough. Middle and high school level students now attend the General McLane School District, having merged with the township children and those of
McKean Borough and Franklin and McKean Townships. In the center of the borough at the corner of Erie and Waterford Streets, a triangular
area called "The Diamond" still announces that it is Edinboro a visitor has entered. And, a fine fountain still operates, as it has since it was dedicated in 1913. Back To Top EVENTS All Year
- Dates TBA. Edinboro University sponsors a variety of public events all through the year. Call (814) 732-2000, or (814) 732-2518 for a current schedule.
April
- 3rd Sunday, Trap League Shoot, location to be announced. Sponsored by Lake Edinboro Sportsmen's' League.
May
- 4th Saturday, Garage Sale, Edinboro Mall. Sponsored by Kiwanis Club.
June
- Every Saturday, Flea Market, Edinboro Mall. Sponsored by Edinboro Chamber of Commerce.
- 2nd Saturday, Health & Safety Fair, location to be announced. Sponsored by Kiwanis Club.
July
- 4th of July Gigantic Festival, Lakefront Park.
- 4th Sunday, John Gillette Memorial Golf Scramble, Culbertson Hills Golf Course.
November
- Election Day, Kiwanis Pancake Day, Borough Building. Sponsored by Kiwanis Club.
- 2nd Sunday, Ham & Turkey Shoot, Edinboro/McKean VFW Memorial Post #740.
December
- 1st week, day to be announced, Festival of Lights & Arrival of Santa Claus, Borough Building.
- New Year's Eve Party, Mountain View Ski Area. Sponsored by Chamber of Commerce.
Back to Top COMMUNITY
- American Association of University Women (AAUW), Edinboro Chapter
- Boy Scouts
- Eastern Star
- Edinboro Area Historical Society
- Edinboro Volunteer Fire Department
- Edinboro Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary
- Edinboro Garden Club
- Girl Scouts
- Grange
- Greater Edinboro Area Roundtable
- Heather Club, Garden Club
- Kiwanis
- Lake Edinboro Sportsmen's' League
- Lions Club
- Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.)
- Rebekahs
- Rotary
- Senior Citizens
- Town & Country Garden Club
- VFW, Edinboro/McKean Memorial Post #740
- VFW Auxiliary, Post #740
- West County Shrine Club
Back To Top VISITING The Edinboro Independent
began in business on February 1, 1880. Today it is called the Independent-Enterprise, located at 109 Erie Street, and is part of the Brown Thompson Newspapers chain. Isaac Taylor, a prominent leader in the community, built a fine home at 139 Meadville
Street in 1878. Today that home is the center for Marketing & Development for Edinboro University.
At 105 Erie Street is a three-story high building once known as the Brick Drug Store. It was built in 1885 for Dr. Sidney H. Hotchkiss. Hotchkiss was an Edinboro Normal
School graduate, earning further degrees from Allegheny College and Bellevue Hospital Medical College. He returned and opened his Edinboro practice in 1871,
later opening the drug store. During that era, doctors often owned and operated their own drug stores. In 1928 Frank "Happy" Jolley purchased the Brick Drug Store and
operated it until 1963. During the World War II era, it was a favorite hangout for the young folks still in town. Pizza lovers stop in there today for John's Wildwood Pizzeria.
At the north end of Edinboro on the east side of Route 99 is Walker Brothers Chevrolet. This family business was begun elsewhere in the borough in 1918.
The home of Edinboro Normal School's longtime manager, Prof. J. A. Cooper, is across the street from the Edinboro campus, at 220 Meadville Street. Also called the
House of Seven Gables, it provides a good photo opportunity for housing of the late 19th Century.
Another "must see" is the fountain and Diamond in the center of Edinboro. This was the crossroads of the community. The fountain was set in place in 1913 to serve men, horses and dogs. A special spot for lunch is the Crossroads Dinor on 6N at the corners of Erie and Plum Streets. It was once a trolley car that was brought into Edinboro a year after
the last trolley rolled through town. Named by a young student in the school district, it continues today under the same name.
The Edinboro University campus provides a lovely setting for a stroll. One of the oldest buildings, Normal Hall, still stands on East Normal Street. The original
building, Academy Hall, was gutted by fire in 1969. Edinboro University offers 100 different degree programs and 4 minor programs. The student population is about
8,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Just at the edge of Edinboro University campus, on Washington Street (U.S. Route
6N), is the Northwest Tri-County Intermediate Unit. The fifth of 29 such units, this facility offers auxiliary staff and services to schools in three counties – Erie, Crawford
and Warren. Stop in and ask questions. The staff is very willing to chat with you.
The Edinboro Area Historical Society organized in 1998 to preserve the history of the borough and township. Currently it is headquartered in the municipal building with
meetings every other month. It is adding to its collection of artifacts and those include photos and oral histories from a very successful program called "World War II
and Edinboro." At this time the Society does not have regular open hours, but more will be heard from this organization in the future! Back To Top |
