Village History

The Village of Minerva originated when surveyor John Whitacre purchased 123 acres of land from Isaac Craig, in 1818 for the construction of a log mill.
The town, named for Whitacre’s niece, Minerva Ann Taylor, born April 19,1833, who grew up around the log mill.

The community grew & the first schoolhouse was built in 1846. The Sandy & Beaver Canals helped the community’s industry thrive, then later, the Pennsylvania railroad.
In fact, Minerva manufacturers Willard & Isaac Pennock patented the United States’ first steel railroad car in the nineteenth century.

Situated on the historic Lincoln Highway (U.S. 30) the quaint village was part of the first transcontinental highway for automobiles across the United States.