In the "History of Crawford County, PA, 1885" there are several more PEIFFER families: On page 678, in the section dealing with the history of Venango Borough, Venango Township: "The first settlement on the site of Venango Borough was made by Philip Straw as early as 1897. John Lasher and Solomon Walters purchased his improvement in 1817, and anticipating the location of a turnpike through the place, laid out a village plot. Their expectations however, were not realized. In 1819 Mr. Walters sold his interest to Michael PEIFFER, who in company with Jacob Sherritz soon after built a saw-mill. This, together with the mill privilege and eighteen acres of land, was bought in 1829 by Asa Freeman, and in 1832 John Kleckner, who had removed from Lycoming County the year previous, purchased the mill property and a farm near by. He built a new saw-mill in 1832, and repaired the old one. In 1838 he had the village plot surveyed, and named it Klecknerville; it was changed to Venango when the borough was incorporated. The earliest residents of the village were John Bender, a blacksmith; John Lasher, farmer; George Thomas, a shoemaker; Isaac F. Clark and Josephus Herriott, cabinet-makers, all of whom had settled here prior to 1840. Reynolds and May, of Erie, were the first merchants, and Philip Kleckner in 1840 opened the first tavern, where now stands the Venango House. From 1840 to 1860 the village grew steadily. Its development has since been slower. "Venango was incorporated in the spring of 1852. Its first officers were Isaac PEIFFER, Burgess; Jacob Kepler, John Kleckner, Anthony W. Mumford and Charles P. Penoyer, Council; John PEIFFER, Treasurer; John W. Coulter, Collector; George Lasher, High Constable. Isaac PEIFFER was re-elected Burgess in 1853, and his successors have been: Joseph Blystone, 1854; George Kleckner, 1855-56; S.W. Kepler, 1857; John Bender, 1858; H.J. Logan, 1859; William L. Apple, 1860; William P. Floyd, 1861; A.W. Mumford, 1862; Isaac F. Clark, 1863; William P. Floyd, 1864; W.D. Dibble, 1865-66; J.C. Giddings, 1867; Adam L. Braden, 1868; J.C. Giddings, 1869; A.L. Braden, 1870; Joseph Blystone, 1871; George C. Straw, 1872; C. Bender, 1873; Samuel Clark, 1874; J.J. Whipple, 1875; J.C. Harris, 1876; George C. Straw, 1877; H.J. Brookhouser, 1878; Joseph Blystone, 1879; Robert Clark, 1880; W..I. Blystone, 1881-82; Jonathan Sherred, 1883" On page 679 of the same section: "The oldest religious society of Venango Borough is Zion Evangelical Lutheran, General Council, Church. It was organized by Rev. Colson with fourteen members in 1816. Revs. Frederick Hoyer, Muckenhoupt, Moyerhoffer, Shultz and Straw were early pastors. Among the earliest members were: Peter Saeger, Frederick Zerns, Andrew and Michael Sherred, John Stokes and John and Michael PEIFFER." "Venango Methodist Episcopal Church was organized about 1842, by Rev. Ahab Keller, of Cambridge Circuit. The original class scarcely numbered a dozen, and included Joseph L. Perkins and wife, Jacob Wood and wife, Mrs. John PEIFFER, Miss Delilah Mumford, John Terrell, Nicholas PEIFFER and Benjamin Hays and wife. The first meetings were held in the old schoolhouse, situated about a mile west of the village, afterward in the Lutheran Church until the winter of 1846-47, when the present frame church, located on the west side of Church Street, opposite South, was erected at a cost of $12,200. The society now numbers forty-eight members. It is connected with Cambridge Circuit." On page 680 of the same section: "Venango Valley Lodge, No. 45, A.O.U.W., was instituted February 7, 1873. Its charter officers were: M.L. Faulkner, P.M.W.; N.F. PEIFFER, M.W.; G.C. Straw, G.F.; A.L. Lasher, O.; J. Blystone, Recorder; William H. Dibble, Financier; G.W. Kleckner, Receiver; A.Torry, G.; M.P. Barrett, I.W.; Frank N. Kleckner, O.W. The membership is now thirty, and the regular meetings are held every Friday evening. "French Creek Lodge, No. 476, I.O.O.F., was chartered February 28, 1876, with the following officers: W.S.Skelton, N.G.; G.D. Humes, V.G.; I.J. Delo, Secretary; Joseph Blystone, Assistant Secretary; Isaac PEIFFER, Treasurer. Meetings are held every Tuesday evening, and the membership is forty-four. Sylvia Lodge, No. 122, Daughters of Rebekah, was chartered March 31, 1879, by regular meetings are no longer held." On to more PEIFFERS! Kathy Brubaker Volunteer Genealogist Linesville Historical Society kbrbkr@toolcity.net