by Steve McCloskey

You only celebrate your 165^th birthday once.

This month, Mansfield Borough and Charles S. Ross, the first known person to be born in the Borough of Mansfield, celebrate their historic 165th-year birthday milestone within 24 hours of each other.

The process of officially becoming a borough actually started on November 28, 1856, when fifty-seven citizens petitioned the Tioga County Court to elevate Mansfield from unincorporated status within Richmond Township to a self-governing borough.

On Friday, February 13, 1857, the Grand Jury of Tioga County certified that the conditions demanded by the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania had been met, legally establishing Mansfield as a borough within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Seventy-seven days after presenting the petition and less than 24 hours after becoming a borough, Mansfield had its Virginia Dare moment, welcoming the birth of the first child inside the limits of the newly certified borough.

Not only was Charles Sturdevant Ross the first baby born in the borough of Mansfield, he was also the first child for his parents Sarah McKune Ross and Andrew J. Ross. Born at the family residence on North Main Street, Charles, who died in May of 1940, would remain a citizen of the borough for his entire life. A brother Edward followed eight years later. (Photo: The Ross Family home on North Main Street is now North Forest Realty.)

Historical accounts record Charles' parents moving to Mansfield in 1855. Shortly thereafter, his father Andrew entered into a partnership with Phillip Williams in the mercantile and lumbering profession. Their venture was so successful that in 1872 they established a banking house that later matriculated into today’s First Citizens Community Bank. That original Ross & Williams banking business financed the economic development of Mansfield almost since its conception and its predecessor continues that service to this day. (Photo: Ross & Williams Bank built 1874, Demolished 1989, corner of S. Main and E. Wellsboro Streets)

Charles was a student at Mansfield State Normal School when his father Andrew died at the age of 48 in 1875. After completing his studies at the Normal School in 1876, Charles took over his father’s interests in the Ross and Williams Bank. He continued that partnership until Williams died in 1894, becoming the sole owner of the bank. In 1907, Charles went into partnership with many of the most prominent members of the Mansfield business community to establish the First National Bank. He would serve as President of the First National Bank until retiring in 1931.

Charles, who never married and lived most of his adult life in an apartment above the bank, ranked as one of the most prominent and influential citizens in Mansfield history. He played a key role in the success of the Mansfield Fair, Smythe Park Association, Mansfield Electric Company, Paisley Shawl Factory, Sun Milling Company, Wood Novelty Company, and Oakwood Cemetery as well as numerous other endeavors. He also served as a long-time Trustee and Treasurer of the Mansfield State Normal School as well as a founding member of the Hook and Ladder Fire Company. If he wasn’t an investor or an owner, he arranged the financing of seemingly every business venture in the community. His influence is felt to this day in our town.

While we at the History Center are well versed on the remarkable and impressive accomplishments of Mansfield’s first birthday boy, we are at a loss in describing what he looked like. Mansfield has had a continuous succession of photographers doing business inside the borough limits since F.M. Spencer first opened his shop in 1865. You would think there would be numerous images of such a prominent, long-time citizen.

However, in the 12,561 catalogued photographs and postcards presently in our database, we have yet to discover an identified picture of Mansfield’s first-born child. In fact, we haven’t been able to identify photos of his parents Andrew J. and Sarah Ross or his brother, Edward, another prominent business and civic leader who served as Burgess and is credited with owning the first automobile in the borough.

We invite you to stop by the History Center sometime this month to help celebrate the 165^th birthday of the borough and its first birthday boy. With any luck, you may help us come across the first identifiable photo of our own Virginia Dare.

To enhance your museum visit, we have created a series of pictorial scavenger hunts. Each page has 10 to 14 items to find throughout the rooms and display areas. It's fun to hunt them down. Stop in if you have a few minutes. Bring a friend and turn the hunt into a competition.

After two long Pandemic years, we hope that the High School reunions can start again. If you are planning a reunion, consider a casual afternoon Meet & Greet at the History Center's Museum of Us. In an informal environment, you can chat with your friends, watch a slide show of Mansfield's historic photos, and find traces of yourself, your friends, and your family. Many of our exhibits are geared to those who grew up here. The Blue & Gold Room is full of MHS sports mementos. The pictorial display includes YOU along with all the other MHS graduates in its first hundred years.

For the New Year. Consider a gift membership. Members will receive our 40 page printed journal by mail 4 to 6 times a year with new articles that have never been researched before and outstanding photos to illustrate. Share your love of the Mansfield area with your friends and family.

It's the only way we can continue offering our important services to the community.

The next issue of Voices from the Archives is in preparation. It will be forty pages of articles about the lives and activities of our town. Be sure your membership is current, so you don't miss any.

Family $50

Individual $35

Senior (Over 65) $25

Business Level $100

Lifetime $500

MHS Class Memorial $200

Checks to

The History Center

83 N. Main Street

Mansfield PA 16933

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