From Iron County Chronicle, Vol. 9, No. 3, Summer, 1989
published by the Clarion County Historical Society.

When Clarion County was established in 1839, a "purely political" decision was made to create a new town to serve as the county seat.  That town was, of course, Clarion.  The political decision was made to end the debate regarding which of the county's existing communities would be chosen as the county seat.  The three communities that promoted their qualities as an appropriate seat of government were Callensburg, Shippenville, and Strattanville.

Callensburg

Hugh Callen, the founder of Callensburg, was born in Westmoreland County on June 5, 1773.  In 1812, he purchased three hundred acres in Armstrong County.  This land included the greater part of the present site of Callensburg.  He settled on the land that same year.

In 1826, the Clarion River and the area near the Callen homestead was surveyed in order to determine the region's suitability to be included in the route of the Pennsylvania Canal.  Callen realized that, if the canal were constructed, it would be necessary to build several locks in the vicinity of his land to facilitate the movement of boats.  The financial advantages of locating a town near the site of such an important transportational facility were obvious to Hugh Callen, and he began to "lay out" his town.  Sidle Lobaugh was employed to survey the land and establish the lots.  Before the town was laid out, however, "the hope of the canal had almost gone, but Mr. Callen perceived the beauties of the place as well as the richness of the soil, and felt that it would be a good town for country trade, even if no public works were erected."  (History of Clarion County, by A. J. Davis, page 461).

While establishing town lots, Callen reserved three acres on which to build a Presbyterian Church and cemetery.  A spring, located on an open lot north of Main Street, was reserved for public use.  The first house in town was constructed by John L. Reed in 1827.  Reed's house was soon followed by other buildings, including a tannery (1830), a store (1831), a blacksmith shop (1836), a wagon shop (1843), and other homes and businesses.  The first school in the area was constructed in 1826.  Callensburg was incorporated as a borough in 1851.

Shippenville

Shippenville was named in honor of Judge Henry Shippen, who owned the land on which the town was constructed.  The site of the town became a business center for Elk Township at the time of the first settlements in the area.  This was the result of the site's being located at the intersection of the two main roads in the township:  the Susquehanna and Waterford Turnpike (presently Route 322) and the road (presently Route 208) from Edenburg (now Knox) to Fryburg.

John Shippen, a former resident of Lancaster County, built the first store in Shippenville in 1822.  Richard Shippen, John's brother, became a partner in the business and in later years, in partnership with Jacob Black, constructed Shippenville Furnace.  John King, the first blacksmith in the township, built a shop in Shippenville in 1823.  Frederick Kahle built the first hotel in the village in 1824.  A post office was established in Shippenville in 1825 with John Shippen as postmaster.  David Hosterman established a tannery on the east end of the town in 1829.  Shippenville's first grist mill was constructed by James Hassen, who would later become the first sheriff of Clarion County.  The success of these and other businesses led to the development of Shippenville's residential section.  The first school was constructed in 1825.

Strattanville

Although there were settlers in the area as early as 1807, the town of Strattanville was not established until 1828.  At the time of its establishment, its location on the route of the Susquehanna and Waterford Turnpike insured its success, and the town was soon considered to be one of the principal places of business between Meadville and Bellefonte.

The land on which the village is located was first purchased by Philip Clover in 1817.  In 1826, Clover sold the land to John Strattan.  Two years later, Strattan laid out the village.  The first building in Strattanville was constructed by John Ray.   Samuel Wilson opened the first store in June, 1834.  This wa sthe only store between Brookville and Franklin, except for John Shippen's store in Shippenville.  The History of Clarion County notes:

"Goods were brought here from Philadelphia, Pa., in Conestoga wagons drawn by six horses.  These wagons always returned laden with flax, clover seed, rags, and deer and bear skins.  People came to this store from what are now Armstrong, Jefferson, Forest, Venango, and Clarion Counties."

Strattanville's rapid growth included the construction of many homes and the establishment of a diversity of businesses, including hotels, blacksmith shops, mills, a tannery, a cabinet shop, and a shoemaking shop.  Later in the century, the iron and lumber industries would play pivotal roles in the town's economic life.

As noted in the Spring, 1989, issue of the Iron County Chronicle, a town's economic prosperity would be virtually guaranteed by its being selected as the county seat.  It is not surprising that Callensburg, Shippenville, and Strattanville advanced their claims to the honor.  While receiving the honor would have virtually guaranteed prosperity, failing to be named the county seat virtually guaranteed that the three communities would be eclipsed by the new town of Clarion, a situation that soon became a reality.

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