By Evan, Class of 2004

This is a map of  the town of Shippenville.
Click to enlarge.

          Shippenville, Pennsylvania, is a small town in Clarion County, located on Route 322, seven miles west of Clarion. This town which I call home, has undergone tremendous changes over the years.

Pennsylvania was given to William Penn in 1681 from King Charles II of England.  William Penn later deeded the area, which was later to become Shippenville, to the Holland Land Company. It was later deeded over to the Huide Koper Land Company and eventually to the Shippen Family.

Between the years of 1826 and 1828, Shippenville, Callensburg, and Strattanville came into existence, in that order.  These were the first villages in the county.  Judge Henry Shippen of Meadville, Pennsylvania laid out the town of Shippenville in 1826.  Shippenville boro was incorporated on December 23, 1889 from Elk Townships. At that time, the Lutherans had just completed the only church in town.

The years from 1820- 1840 were a time of great advances in what is now Clarion County. It was a period of road making, bridge building, and opening of churches and schools.  Shippenville was no exception; John Shippen built the first store in 1822, the Shippenville Post Office was built in 1825, and the first inn of Clarion County was built in Shippenville in 1827.

         Iron ore was plentiful in the Shippenville area, and Clarion River was valuable as it provided a means of transporting the iron to Pittsburgh.  So Shippenville was one of the small parts of what made Pittsburgh what it is today, The Steel City.  The iron ore industry provided many jobs for the man in Shippenville.

          One of the strongest bank in Clarion County, First National Bank of Shippenville, was completed and opened for business in 1905.  There was a robbery at the bank several years later. That bank building changed hands several times over the years and currently houses a brokerage company.

          By 1917 there were four churches in town; Mount Zion Lutheran Church, Methodist Church, Lutheran Church and Free Methodist Church.  In 1921 Shippenville High School was built; it consisted of three separate buildings.  At that time two grades were housed in one room, as first and second grades in one room.  Later a new brick gymnasium was built.  This building still stands today and it houses McHenry’s Machine Shop, the other two buildings were eventually taking down.

Over the years, Shippenville has been victim to various natural disasters.  One large fire destroyed a grocery store, tailor shop, telephone office, and a house.  A twister on July, 1978, caused property damage for many homeowners in Shippenville and the surrounding areas.  Luckily their were no fatalities.  This was not so in the flood of 1996 when a trailer park was destroyed and life was lost.

While Shippenville was once a busting town, it is anything but that today.  A few businesses remain in town, Red and White, Gatesman Plumbing, Dick’s Dry Cleaners, Swartzfager’s Day Care, Erie Insurance, Hockman’s  Furniture Store and two gas stations.   So as you can see, most residents must travel outside the boro for employment opportunities.  According to the 1990 census, Shippenvile's population was 474, with a median age is 36.6, 473 were white with 1 asian or pacific islander.  Crime is practically nonexistent in Shippenville.

Today, there is a Community Park in Shippenville, Woodburn Park, which is 1.9 acres and consists of two horseshoe pits, one pavilion, four picnic tables and three grills.  So, like employment, travel is required for most recreational activities

Shipppenville has had a serious problem with its city water, but hopefully that will soon be resolved. The Pennsylvania American Water Company is going to buy the Shippenville's water treatment system. The Shippenville Water Authority will continue to operate the system until October 2004. The Pennsylvania American Water Company will own the system at 2004. The PAWC is planning on pumping the water out of the Clarion River and replacing about 20,000 feet of water lines.

I, like the rest of my family and most Americans, was reminded of the value of family and friends following the attacks on September 11, 2001. So even though I may, at times wish there was more to do in Shippenville, I can't think of a better place to grow up or raise a family.

This is a picture of the old school  house.
Click to enlarge.