Many people were attracted to Crawford County, and especially Meadville, because of the ample supply of water, diverse forest habitats, and fertile soil. The region was the ancestral home of the Erielhonan, Haudenosaunee, and Lenni Lenape. Meadville’s history has been intimately tied to Mill Run, which was central to David Mead's decision to locate Meadville here. Meadville's history also interweaves with the history of Tamarack Lake and French Creek.  More detail will be forthcoming, but this link from the French Creek Watershed Program is useful in the meantime: http://watershed.allegheny.edu/history