Legend held that the Clarion River was called "Stump" or "Toby" Creek after two Indian trappers.

The river was not steamboat navigable, but it was filled with numerous rafts and coal boats.  Once, steamboats on the Allegheny (irregular schedules and only ran part of the year) and stage coaches were the only means of travel.

From Perry Township, a Bicentennial Perspective, Joelle Logue, Editor, published June, 1976:

          Page 2:  The Clarion River was originally called "Toby" or "Stump" Creek.  In 1817, Daniel Stanard and David Lawson were surveying for a state road between Bedford and Franklin and remarked that the clear sounds of the distant ripples reminded them of a clarion.  The name was not officially accepted until 1819; even then the older folks held onto the names "Stump" and "Toby" with considerable tenacity.  These names did not disappear completely until 1840.

The picture at left below is the mouth of the Clarion River about 1916.  The picture at right is the Clarion River at Cooksburg.