5-Volume Set SIGNED Indiana County PA 175th Anniversary History by Clarence Stephenson

Clarence Stephenson, late historian of Indiana County, Pennsylvania, worked for decades to research, conduct interviews, and write this 5-volume set of history about the county for its 175th anniversary, releasing the first volume as part of those celebrations in 1978. Publication was complete with Volume 5 in 1995. Each volume covers some different aspects and time periods of Indiana County history, including a broad range of genealogical details and images as well as thorough footnotes and bibliographies (footnotes for vol. 2 were published in a separate booklet which is not included). Each historical event is discussed in terms of its connection and effects on Indiana County and its families.

We are selling these as a set, but would consider selling individual volumes - please contact us to inquire.  All volumes are SIGNED by Mr. Stephenson, and are in excellent condition with just faint wear to the covers and tight binding. Pages are clean and crisp.

Volume 1: 736 pages, published 1978, includes:

• A history of the county from earliest times through the Civil War period, including:
• Indigenous peoples
• French and Indian War and Revolutionary War
• Early treaties and land divisions
• First settlements and early settlers
• Early salt and iron industries
• Education, churches, and leisure activities
• Farming and wildlife
• Early trails, roads, and turnpikes
• Abolitionism, anti-slavery activities
• Growth of railroads
• Civil War
• Dozens of color and black-and-white illustrations and maps

Volume 2: 809 pages, published 1989, includes:

• A history of the county from 1866 through the late 1970s including:
• Politics and local government
• Military and veterans affairs
• Schools, universities, academies, and seminaries, including the Indiana State Normal School (later Indiana University of Pennsylvania - IUP)
• Churches and hospitals
• Cultural development, including music, libraries, journalism, holidays, and sports
• Transportation and communication, including railroads, bridges, telephone, and telegraph, airport
• Agriculture, timber, and wildlife
• Economic development, including iron furnaces, mills, glass factories, pottery, petroleum industry, salt, and more
• Coal industry, mines, company towns, mine disasters
• World Wars, Korean War, Vietnam War
• Great Depression
• Dozens of color and black-and-white illustrations and maps

Volume 3: 650 pages, published 1979, includes:

• All primary materials from a 1758 poem describing a journey into Western Pennsylvania through the 1978 dedication of a water treatment plan in Creekside, northern Indiana County. Transcriptions include:
• Early letters and descriptions of the area and travels through it
• Early newspaper articles and other selected excerpts
• Correspondence
• Excerpts from numerous publications such as church newspapers, brochures, diaries, and other materials
• Dozens of illustrations are included
• Primary sources have helpful footnotes

Volume 4: 637 pages, published 1983, this volume is subtitled "Biographical Sketches of Noted Citizens, Past and Present" and includes:

• Hundreds of biographical and genealogical sketches of Indiana County people and their families, many with photos, including such notables as:
• Actor James "Jimmy" Stewart
• Author and environmentalist Ed Abbey
• David Earhart and family, grandfather of Amelia Earhart
• Pennsylvania Governor John S. Fisher
• Inventor John B. McCormick
• Author, antislavery activist, and feminist Jane Grey Swisshelm

Volume 5: 824 pages, published 1995, includes:

• Surname index to Volumes 1-4
• Subject index to Volumes 1-4
• Gazetteer of place names
• Extensive bibliography
• Appendices including:
• List of County officials, State, and National legislators
• Additional biographical sketches
• Nugen Cave story
• Harry White's Letter from Libby Prison
• Origin of Jim Crow
• Old Stone House in White's Woods (Croylands)
• Benedictine Monastery in Cherryhill Township
• Soldiers of Early Wars, Spanish-American, and World War I
• Folklore notes
• Blairsville in 1827 sketch
• nearly 200 pages of photos in color and black-and-white