¯ In 1870, David Beaty decided to retire and bought the Clemons’ 34-acre farm just across the Conewango from Warren. Beaty poured over $100,000 into building his luxurious mansion and its surroundings. He grew tired of heating with coal, so in 1874, he moved in his drilling rig from Trunkeyville and within two years was producing 475 barrels of oil a day from what was then referred to as the “Glade City Boom.” Warren yielded great fortunes from its natural resource resulting in the establishment of eleven large refineries. Warren was known for its production of high-quality oil and gas.

¯ In the summer of 1871, the Hon. Glenni W. Scofield stated to the Pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Warren Rev. W. A. Rankin that he was in possession of a large collection of books and wished to donate them for public use. Rev. Rankin offered the Lecture Room as a temporary storage space and there the book collection remained for many months. Later in 1871, at a meeting of the YMCA, it was proposed that the community required a library. The Library Committee was formed, chaired by Rev. Rankin, and the fundraising efforts began. The YMCA Library was formed providing a large room in the Verback Building located on Water Street. Six hundred and nine volumes were purchased for $500, and Judge Scofield’s two hundred and three volumes were cataloged for lending. Hours were instituted on Wednesdays and Saturdays, a list of rules was posted, and all patrons were required to pay 15¢ for each book borrowed.

¯ In 1872, the YMCA library was dissolved and The Warren Library Association committee was appointed to draft a new constitution. On October 16, 1873, the new constitution was adopted with C.W. Stone, C.H. Noyes, F.A. Randall, R.P. King, J.H. Spencer, G.P. Orr, and G.O. Cornelius named as members.

¯ In 1877, the Warren County Courthouse opened its doors for business. Designed by a Buffalo architect in a Modern Italian Renaissance style, the Fourth Avenue entrance wears chamfered quoins at the first story angles and projections with plain pilasters of stone running up through the second story and terminating under the cornice with large carved stone capitals. The two large archways are built with stone pillars at each side and faced with dressed stone. Inside the first story vestibule, two stairways on either side wind their way to the second-floor main courtroom as the wide corridor with marble tile floors and walnut woodwork, extends the length of the original building. The second story houses the main courtroom, Judge’s chambers, and two jury rooms, with the grand jury room on the third floor. The office and courtroom woodwork and floors are Georgia pine. Additions were made in 1916, and the north wing was built in 1925.

Photo courtesy of the Warren County Historical Society Struthers Library Theatre in Warren in an early 20th century photo.

¯ In June 1877, the Lady Justice was raised on the dome. She stood 125 feet above the sidewalk. The clock was made to order in New York and the bell, which weighed 1600 pounds, was cast in Cincinnati.

¯ In 1882, at a public meeting Thomas Struthers proposed, if the citizens of Warren would purchase a suitable site, he would at his own expense, erect a building suitable for the accommodation of the Library. The Struthers Library Theatre was built with the accommodations promised and the library maintained residence at the theatre until 1916 when Edward D. Wetmore and J. P. Jefferson donated the current library building to the community.

¯ In 1891, the work began of paving the city streets with brick and concrete.

¯ Circa 1903, Water Street was renamed Pennsylvania Avenue.

¯ In 1920, the financial growth of Warren ranked the city as the richest city in the United States. The bank deposits showed the city to have had the largest per capita wealth of any city in the land.

Photo courtesy of the Warren County Historical Society An early look across the river at Warren General Hospital.

¯ In 1934, the Conewango Realty Corp. deeded 43-acres on the west-side parcel to the Borough for Warren’s first and only airport. Warren Airport was listed in the airport directories as early as 1933. It was described as a commercial airport having three sod runways, the longest being the 2,250′ with “Airport” painted on the hangar roof. The airport closed circa 1970 and the hanger was demolished in 1973. Since 1990, the city has utilized the land to create a complex for the community. The Clifford R. Betts Memorial Park offers many faucets of recreation and is a perfect example of the City of Warren’s dedication to the quality of our community.

¯ Between 1936 and 1937, the current Municipal Building was constructed, replacing a 70-year-old structure that had surpassed its economic usefulness. The plan is H-shaped providing offices for the burgess, clerk, city engineer, and police department.

¯ In 1967, On January 1, 1978, the City became a Home Rule Municipality, giving citizens the right to self-govern except where expressly forbidden by state law.

¯ In 1988, Warren was initially designated as a Tree City USA.

¯ On January 2, 1989, the Borough of Warren changed its municipality designation to the City of Warren. The change was motivated by a potential increase in state funding and in the April 1988 election the voters agreed.

¯ In 1999, a 28-block area of Warren was designated by the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission as a historic district as well as placed on the National Registry of Historic Places by the National Park Service. The boundaries for the Warren Historic District are to the east, the Conewango Creek, to the south, the Allegheny River, to the north, Seventh, Sixth, and Fifth Avenues, and to the west, Hazel Street.

¯ In 2014, the Walkable Warren corridor was launched. The project promotes healthy lifestyles, recreation, and cultural history in an urbanized setting. Several kiosks have been installed highlighting Warren’s remarkable history.

There are many more facts and attributes about the City of Warren that should be included in this brief summary. If you have something to share, please send it to the Warren County Historical Society at 210 Fourth Avenue, Warren, PA 16365 or warrencountyhistory@aol.com.