WPC Ecologist Robert Coxe has put together a new six-part Wednesday series explaining how western Pennsylvania places received their names. Today, Robert focuses on Clearfield, the fourth entry in his series of six.

What's in a Name? -- Unclarity surrounds Clearfield

The name “Clearfield” has its origins in a remark made by the Reverend John Ettwein who was a Moravian Missionary in the late 1700s (Roberts 1947). On July 14, 1772, he was traveling and remarked “Reached Clearfield Creek, where the buffalos formerly cleared large tracts of undergrowth, so as to give them the appearance of cleared fields.” Hence the Native Americans called the creek “Clearfield” (Scott 1888). An alternate origin of the name has also been published. In his 1925 book, Pennsylvania Place Names, John Epenshade states that Sherman Day said the name had its origin in that “clear fields, or open patches of prairie, apparently the site of some ancient cornfields, were found in the vicinity” (Espenshade 1925). It is perhaps implied that these fields may have been planted by the Lenni Lenape Indians. Presumably this may be the Adena people, also known as the mound builders.

Today the name for Clearfield Creek (pictured today at the mouth of the waterway) has been applied to Clearfield County and the Borough of Clearfield.

Espenshade, A. Henry. 1925. Pennsylvania Place Names (State College: Pennsylvania State University), 375 pp.
Roberts, John M. 1947. The story behind the names of Western Pennsylvania Counties (Pittsburgh, Pa: John M. Roberts and Son Co.)
Scott, Kate M. 1888. History of Jefferson County, PA: with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers. (Syracuse, NY: D. Mason and Co. Publishers) 748 pp.

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