Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Conneaut Lake. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1906Linesville sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Conneaut Lake.
Places that used to be
Lost post offices, places now gone and burying grounds
Conneaut Lake’s post office has been open since 1892. Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.
Evensburg
1819–1829
Evansburgh
1829–1892
Conneaut Lake
1892–today
18101920today
Gone or out of use
Conneaut Lake Post Officepost office
1cemetery inside Conneaut Lake
Our Lady Queen of the Americas
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
The town was founded in 1799 as "Evansburg", named after a local farmer, Abner Evans, who had opened a successful mill, of which several more followed. The town's population would continue to grow as soon it would be connected to other towns by a canal and later by railroad.
By the 1880s the town's economy boomed with the foundation of several important businesses, most notably, the famous tool company Channellock and The Conneaut Lake Ice Company (which was a major supplier of fresh ice for cities and towns around the region).
Passages that mention Conneaut Lake, cut from the printed page as they were published.
history of crawford county, pennsylvania1885 · page 625Read the page →
Read the text
The little borough of Evansburg is beautifully situated at the outlet of Conneaut Lake, and is well and favorably known as a summer resort.* It was not until the construction of the Meadville & Linesville Railroad, however, that it became conveniently accessible to the outside world. Containing four large hotels and one or two restaurants, it has ample means for the accommodation of guests. A fifth. hotel, a spacious brick structure, built in 1843 by Robert Andrews, is located a half mile east of the borough, on the Evansburg & Meadville Road. The village in 1870 had a population of 174, and in 1880 of
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
history of crawford county, pennsylvania1885 · page 282Read the page →
Read the text
An enlargement was proposed but never undertaken. The water of Lake Erie could not be made to flow up hill, and opinions differed whether French Creek and Conneaut Lake would furnish enough water to float the increased size of boats necessary to compete with the railroad. A company was formed, however, who had faith in the experiment. They offered Gen. Reed, who controlled most of the stock, a handsome sum for the canal, but, in the midst of their negotiations, in June, 1870, they were notified that he had disposed of it to the railroad management, who also purchased the rights and franchises, Novem-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Timeline
Conneaut Lake, 1796 to 1917
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikimedia Commons (2), the Library of Congress (4), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
1907
1909
1909
1909
