History of Elwood City

This article is under construction.

Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, 1885
In 1885, Buffalo Bill and Lakota chief Sitting Bull visited present-day Elwood City to perform for local crowds. The show was in affiliation with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, which toured the country at the time. The show took place on the banks of Mill Creek, near a tree which still stands today on the edge of the Mill Creek Mall parking lot.

Official Founding, 1903
Elwood City prospered decades before 1903 as a logging town. The first saw mill was built on the banks of Bear Lake under the supervision of Jacob Katzenellenbogan. In 1903, an infirm Katzenellenbogan attended the official declaration of Elwood City's incorporation. President Theodore Roosevelt declared the area known as Elwood an official city. Prominent businessmen of time, Henry Ford and J.P. Morgan were credited for transforming 50-acres of swampland into a thriving lumber town. They donated a statue in honor of the city's founder, but Katzenellenbogan did not appreciate the generous contribution, simply because he intended for the city's name to be Elmwood. It was never changed, therefore the name stuck since that day. His last name was also misspelled on the plaque under the statue. With the industrialization of the area, the green-tailed grebe eventually became extinct, though recent sightings have been rumored.

Grebes Established, 1918
The Elwood City Grebes have been established and win the World Championship Series.

The Read Family, 1920-30s
The Read Family has lived in Elwood City with for a long period of time. Grandma Thora was born in Elwood City, attended Elwood City High School, and gave birth to 3 kids, one of them being David Read, the father of Arthur Read.

Possible Alien Sighting, 1952
In the summer of 1952, a family taking a peaceful countryside drive near Elwood City encountered a strange sight, which was thought to have been an extraterrestrial spacecraft.

Lakewood Elementary Founded
In the 1950s, Lakewood Elementary School was built.

Centennial, 2003
Elwood City celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2003. The students of Lakewood Elementary School were chosen to put on a musical play in commemoration. Celebrity guests with connections to Elwood City were in attendance.

Other historical events
A large dinosaur skeleton from the Mesozoic era was accidentally discovered at the groundbreaking for the city's recycling center. Other dinosaur fossils have been found at nearby Rainbow Rock State Park.

There was an Indian trading post at the current site of the football field. Lenape Indians would swap furs for pots, pans and clothes.