Times Observer photo by Josh Cotton This portrait of Sarah Parker McDowell - a Venango County frontier woman with Warren County connections - hangs in the commissioners conference room at the Warren County Courthouse.

So how does the portrait of a wealthy Philadelphia debutant who moved to the then-frontier town of Franklin wind up hanging in the Warren County Courthouse?

It turns out it very much has to do with the first treasurers of both Venango and Warren counties.

“Sarah Parker was born to the wealthy Philadelphian family of pre-revolutionary British Captain Parker and Elizabeth Adam,” the description of the portrait states. “As she grew up in the house of her stepfather, sea captain Thomas Skelly, Sarah was said to have become a notoriously witty, charming and beautiful adolescent.”

She married a Revolutionary War veteran – Colonel Alexander McDowell – in 1795.

“Biographies note a juxtaposition between the onset of traveling west with a chest full of gowns, jewelry and other precious items and what became a difficult life of learned frugality on the frontier,” the description states.

“It was in their constructed home on Elk Street in Franklin that Sarah raised her nine children as well as those of her daughter, Margaretta, who had died shortly after marrying Archibald Tanner and birthed two children including Laura Tanner (later Scofield).”

Her husband, McDowell, was Venango County’s first treasurer.

Her daughter married Tanner, who was Warren County’s first treasurer.

According to a piece in Schenck’s History of Warren County, Tanner was born 1786 and came to Warren in 1816 by keel boat. “He had been located for a few previous months in Franklin,” per Schenck.

The early years on the Pennsylvania frontier certainly presented challenges but they also presented vast amounts of opportunity.

Tanner was in the mercantile business; deputy postmaster and treasurer; an investor in roads, turnpikes, boats and bridges; owner of the first steamboat in Warren; an inventory with patents signed by James Madison and John Q. Adams and, later in life, an oil man.

“In December, 1819, Mr. Tanner married the daughter of Colonel Alexan-der McDowell, of Franklin, one of her earliest and most prominent citizens,” that piece explains. “His married life was short. In 1825 he was left a widower with two infant daughters, only one of whom, wife of Hon. Glenni W. Scofield, survives him.”

That’s enough on Tanner, though.

This story is about his mother-in-law.

Much of what I could find on her comes from the 1890 book “History of Venango County, Pennsylvania,” similar to Schenck in both composition, style and voluminous length.

Sarah’s husband-to-be came to the frontier first, appointed deputy surveyor in 1794 for the Holland Land Company, responsible for the area west of the Allegheny River and Conewango Creek, according to that book.

“In 1790 he was commissioned justice of the peace, and was the first to discharge the functions of a magistrate in Venango county,” the report explained. “He was also the first postmaster at Franklin, and was commissioned to that office January 1,1801.”

He brought his family here in 1797 to a log home.

He and Sarah’s first child – Thomas Skelly McDowell – was “the first white child born in the town,” according to the Venango County history.

The couple set out to build a more permanent home five years later, described as a “house of greater pretensions.”

“In this new building there were neither windows nor door at first, but it was a house and had goodly promise of being a luxurious abode some time in the future,” the Venango history explained. Blankets and sheets served to till the places of doors and windows. The latter came in due time.”

It was the first home to have wallpaper in Franklin.

“It was in sheets, thick and strong, and lasted until the house was demolished in 1874,” the text states. “The paper was made with a light ground, and pictures of boys and dogs in blue made it very attractive to the early citizens.”

Sarah would live as a widow in the home for nearly 50 years. Col. McDowell died in 1816 and Sarah lived until Sept. 1865. “Mrs. McDowell used to relate some of her adventures with the Indians,” that text explains, in language we might consider rough today but, remember, the book was written in 1890.

“On one occasion an Indian came to Mrs. McDowell’s house to trade. He had nothing to trade, but said ‘Me catch fish, very much fish. Me give white woman fish, get moneys, Indian like money.’ ‘Well,’ said the lady, ‘Bring me a nice fish, and I will give you a silver shilling.’ ‘Well, Indian bring fish, but maybe white woman lie.’ On the assurance that there would be honest dealing, the fish was brought, and the contract completed to the satisfaction of all parties.”

Sarah’s son lived his entire life in Franklin.

“A large family followed, sons and daughters, but they have all passed away from the scenes of time,” the author wrote. “Their grandchildren and great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren are amongst us at the present day, so that the name is not lost and it will be long ere the memories of these pioneers are forgotten.”

That author commented on the portraits, seemingly referencing the one that now hangs in the commissioners conference room at the courthouse.

“There are portraits of these old pioneers still extant, that are quite worth a journey to see,” the text argues. “Judging from these, Colonel McDowell was a gentleman of the old school, sedate, dignified, well accustomed to the amenities of life, and well trained to the usages of society.

“Mrs. McDowell was a small woman, graceful in form, beautiful in feature and countenance, and in her early days must have possessed unusual attractions. These portraits are nearly one hundred years old, and show the skill of the artist in drawing and coloring, as well as the dress and style of that ancient day.”

The portraits are now probably 200 years old.

But the description is still just as accurate.