From 1801 to 1825, the roots of the town were formed when congregations of Presbyterian and Methodist churches began moving to the area and building houses and churches, some of which are still around today. The original resident, William Culbertson, built the first school around 1825. The first post office was built and formed around 1837 when it was included in the Erie and Crawford counties' postal routes. The farms helped the area grow during this time, and the area was incorporated in 1840 with a population of 232 at about . A turnpike between Erie and Meadville was constructed in the 1840s; it was made of wooden planks, and completed in 1852. In 1857, an academy was started, which was renamed the State Normal School in 1861, and which would eventually become Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.