"Some time after this exciting occurrence the Dickson family moved into a house on Water street, where it is intersected by the bed of the canal. While living in this house Joseph Dickson attended the first school ever held in Crawford county. The teacher was Miss Jane Finney, afterward Mrs. Gen. David Meade. The school was held in a small building on Water street, between North and Randolph streets. there were probably about a dozen scholars. The teacher was a strict disciplinarian, and when she detected any misconduct in a scholar, she would throw hew "taws" or cat-o'-nine-tails at his feet. The guilty scholar was then requited to bring the taws to the teacher, who administered chastisement to whatever extent seemed proper. Joseph Dickson was then under 5 years of age, and naturally regarded the school as a place of amusement. In the midst of his fun the taws were thrown at his feet. He picked them up and threw them back at the teacher. This insubordination could not of course be allowed to pass without rebuke. The child was not whipped, but the meaning of the taws was explained to him, and this was sufficient to convince him that school was not a very desirable place. He ran out and went home. This was the extent of his experience in Meadville's first school. "Independence Day was celebrated in the year 1795 by the entire poplulation, which, however, was not large. Tables were arranged at a place about midway between the residence of James Keplar and James E. McFarland, and they were plentifully supplied with food, of which all partook. Two young men thought that the only appropriate way of celebrating independence was by getting drunk. Their efforts in many cases, though not in all, were successful. They made a drink called egg nog, which they supplied liberally to all, not excluding the children, and some of the little ones actually became intoxicated. Mr. Dickson was then about five and a half years old. "James Dickson bought two lots on Water street, where the Eagle Hotel now stands, and built a house of hewed logs, in which the family lived till the spring of 1796. The appearance of the town at that time was as follows: There was the stockade with the block house, and houses of Mr. Mead as described before. At the head of Water street, near where the red mill now stands, there was a rude saw mill, which had been built for Mr. Mead by Matthew Wilson in 1790. Along Water street, north of Centre, there were a few log cabins. During the two years of the residence of the Dicksons in Meadville, more of these cabins were built, and some houses of a more substantial character. The house now standing on the corner of Water street and Cherry alley, was built by William Dick in 1795. This is the building in which the first court was held in 1800. The house on the corner of Water and Centre streets, owned by Mrs. Streit (and lately torn down), was built about the same time. Bartholomew White kept a public house there in 1796. Samuel Lord's tavern was on the next lot, now owned by John Sergeant. The town reached along Water street nearly as far as the crossing of the run below Dock street. "Mr. Dickson did not have any recollection of any other open streets previous to 1796. All other parts of the town were covered with forest. There was a sugar grove where the residence of J. C. Limber now stands on Park avenue. Two men were shot by Indians near the mouth of Conneaut in 1794. One of them named McCormick, had been a boarder at Dickson's, and the body was brought to the house for burial. 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