April 18 is Warren’s Birthday.

It’s called Founder’s Day and it marks the 228th anniversary of the legislative action that resulted in the initial layout of the City of Warren.

The Warren County Historical Society is commemorating that date both with a special display of artifacts as well as a raffle.

The display will run through April 19 – 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Historical Society’s Fourth Ave. office – and includes antique land surveying equipment and charts, early maps of the region from the late 1700s and early 1800s as well as the journal of Celoron de Blainville, who claimed this area for the French in 1749.

The raffle will include a $500 first prize as well as prize packages like “The Indoor/Outdoor Golf Package” and “The Foodies & Festivities Package.” Tickets are $5 and the drawing will take place on Tuesday, April 18.

Founders Day commemorates the day that Governor Thomas Mifflin was authorized to appoint two commissioners to survey a wide swath of land – Presque Isle to the mouth of the French and Conewango Creeks and Fort LeBoeuf.

“These towns became known as Erie, Franklin, Warren and Waterford, respectively,” according to the WCHS. “Later in 1795, General William Irvine and Surveyor Andrew Ellicott, along with soldiers and other surveyors arrived in what would soon be called Warren to lay out the streets, inlots, and outlots.”