In the spring of 1788, a company was formed (in Sunbury) consisting of David Mead, John Mead, Joseph Mead, Thomas Martin, John Watson, James Fitz, Randolph and Thomas Grant, who also joined by Cornelius Van Horne and Christopher Snyder who lived at Sunbury from New Jersey about the time party was ready to start for French Creek. These nine persons were the first settlers in what is new the County of Crawford. The party, commanded by David Mead, followed up the Susquehanna River, to the mouth of Anderson's Creek near Curwensville, Clearfield County. They then struck overland blazing a new trail thru the wilderness-now known as Mead's trail. This extends thru Jefferson, Clarion, Venango and Crawford Counties. On the evening of May 12, 1788 this pioneer band built their camp fire beneath a wild cherry tree on the banks of French Creek, near the present site or the Mercer Street Bridge, Meadville, Penn. The next day, they built a cabin between the Cussewago and French Creeks, and commenced their first planting. Their first planting was destroyed by a late summer flood. Only four of the original, David Mead, John Mead, James Fitz Randoph, and Cornelius Van Horne, became permanent settlers of the County.
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