James L. Gillis, nephew of Jacob Ridgway by marriage, was appointed the land agent for Mr. Ridgway’s holdings. Mr. And Mrs. Gillis and their three children arrived by packhorse and ox-team at the Montmorency site along present day PA Route 948, 6 miles north of present day Ridgway

Joseph Willis Taylor arrived at the Montmorency Farm and worked for James Gillis. Mr. Taylor later worked for James Gallagher at his tannery. In 1832, he began work to clear the site of present day downtown Ridgway. Reported to have cut down the first tree on the Courthouse Square.

Enos Gillis, brother of James Gillis and James Gallagher arrived in Ridgway. Enos Gillis preferred the valley along the Clarion River to the Montomorency site and each built log cabins in what is now Ridgway Borough. Mr. Gillis erected a sawmill, grist mill and a tannery in the area of the present day Race and Mill Streets. His home was in the block between Mill Street and the Clarion River. Mr. Gallagher was employed in the Gillis Tannery and built a log cabin near the small stream that bears his name on the east side of Ridgway.  

The site of this log cabin is the southeast corner of the St. Leo’s Catholic Church Parking Lot. The first school classes in Ridgway were held in Mr. Gallagher’s home.

First Post Office established. First Postmaster was Reuben Aylesworth. Mr. Aylesworth served until 1836 when Cabel Dill was appointed.

Other early settlers in Ridgway were: David Thayer, Joseph Smith Hyde, Edward Derby, Henry Souther, William Wilcox, Henry Gross, Dr. Charles Early, William Healy, Jerome Powell, M.L. Ross W. Weaver and Joseph Willis Taylor.

George Dickinson arrives in Ridgway. He entered a partnership with James Gillis, Lyman Wilmarth and Arthur Hughes, and together they constructed a dam in the Clarion River above the mouth of Elk Creek and adjacent to the end of present day Penn Avenue. A large mill race was dug from the dam to the far west end of Ridgway. The mill race was filled in during 1910.

The partnership built a water-powered sawmill at the end of the mill race. Mr. Dickinson and Mr. Wilmarth later bought out their partners. Dickinson and Wilmarth erected the first sawmill at Laurel Mill in 1849.

First bridge built across the Clarion River connecting the East and West ends of the new community of Ridgway. The bridge was a toll bridge and Joseph M. Clyens and his wife Elizabeth operated the toll house that sat on the corner of what would become Penn Avenue. Remained a toll bridge until 1854.

David Thayer arrives in Ridgway. He immediately began rafting timber to Pittsburgh. It should be noted that after the construction of the Dickinson Dam on the Clarion River in 1832, the history books state that it became impossible to run rafts down the Clarion from above Ridgway. All rafting and boat bottom production occurred along the Clarion River below Ridgway.

Joseph Smith Hyde arrives in Ridgway. He married Jane Gillis, daughter of Enos Gillis in 1842. Mr. Hyde erected and operated a sawmill on Elk Creek beginning in 1846.

John Cobb arrives in Ridgway. Mr. Cobb was a partner of James Gallagher. He erected his house on the corner of Montmorenci and West Main Streets. Mr. Cobb was Ridgway’s Postmaster from 1850 to 1853.

April 18, 1843, Elk County was established with portions of land from Clearfield, Jefferson and McKean counties with Ridgway as the county seat.