"In the year 1796 James Dickson took up two tracts of land of 400 acres each, on the west side of the creek about four miles north of Meadville. At that early day the place was called McGuffin's Falls, because a man named McGuffin had taken some levels with the intention of building a mill dam. There was, however, no dam or mill there till after a number of years. Mr. Joseph Dickson's boyhood was spent on this farm. He attended a school kept by Martha Orrie, the grandmother of James Kilday, near his present residence on the road between Meadville and Coon's Corners. The school house afterward became a part of the family residence and is still standing, though in a dilapidated condition. The distance from McGuffintown to the school house is about two miles. Being one of the younger children, Mr. Dickson was sent to make up the time lost by those who were older, so that his early schooling amounted to but two months in each of two winters. In this time he had learned to read, and had read entire the new testament, which was the principal text book. Other books were very scarce, but every family had a bible, and as a consequence the minds of the young were well stored with moral and religious truth. It is no douby owing to this early training that Mr. Dickson's recollection of scripture was so clear even in his old age. During his boyhood he attended several other schools in the neighborhood. Joseph Anders taught two winters on the Dickson farm, and Abran Jones taught one or two winters. Mordcai Thonpson taught on the Ray farm. In 1810-11 he attended a school of a higher grade in Meadville, taught by John Reynolds. During the first winter, the school was held in a brick building on the corner of Liberty and Chestnut streets, on the site now occupied by the resifdence of James Davis. At the same time Mr. Old taught school in a frame building near at hand. Between the schools there was considerable rivalry; and on an occasion, feeling aggrieved at certain reflections cast upon him and his companions, Mr. Dickson sent a challenge to the other school in the shape of a problem in mensuration. It was never answered. The scholars from the country came in on foot in the morning and returned in the evening, except during a short time when the creek was impassable, when they boarded in town. The road to McGuffintown then lay along the creek on the line of the canal. Like most of the roads at that day, it was simply cut through the woods without being graded and it was at times impassable, except on horseback or on foot. In 1811 Mr. Reynold's school was held in the building now occupied as the Barr House, on Water street. This was the year of the earthquake. It occurred just before the opening of the school, Alexander White and Mr. Dickson being the only persons in the room. There was a very perceptible motion of the floor, like waving water. The shock lasted but a few seconds. When Mr. Reynolds came in he tied a string at the ceiling and fastening a chip at the end, made a pendulum by which they might detect the slightest vibration; but the shock was not repeated. Transcribed from the Centennial Edition of the Daily Tribune-Republican of Saturday morning, May 12th, 1888 p. 91 thru 96 Tribune Publishing Company, Printers, Publishers, and Binders Meadville, Pennsylvania Sandy Roche Schroeder (SamiWV) slschroe@intrepid.net Volunteer for Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness http://www.rootsweb.com/~tnraogk/index.htm