Hydetown
Borough
A Small Town with a Big Heart
Welcome to Hydetown!
Hydetown, Pennsylvania is located in the southeast corner of Crawford County in Northwestern Pennsylvania. Founded in 1793 and incorporated in 1868, Hydetown was first settled by Peter Titus. He and his brother, Dan Titus Sr., selected eight hundred acres just outside of Titusville, the birthplace of the oil industry, on which to make a life.
In 1846, Elijah Hyde and his sons came to the area and bought Titus Mills and began the town’s first store. While the name of the area was first Oil Creek Borough, it was later changed to Hydetown.
One of Hydetown's most well-known residents was Sam Ridgway, the son of Charles and Frances Titus Ridgway. His mother, Frances, was the daughter of founder Peter Titus.
Sam Ridgway started the Ridgway Sanitarium in 1882, located on the south side of Route 408/Main Street. The large building was a place for curing ailments and many wealthy guests visited the sanitarium.
After Sam’s death, the sanitarium burned down in 1903.
Left Image: Ridgway Sanitarium (Source: Titusville Herald)
In the early 1900s, Hydetown boasted train and trolley service to Titusville, Pleasantville, and Tryonville. It also featured three churches, two of which still hold services today.
In the present, Hydetown is home to just over five hundred residents and the population has remained steady since her founding. Hydetown features both vibrant residents and natural beauty – a small, serene community in Pennsylvania’s Oil Region.
(All the above information and more is available in Titusville: An Illustrated History by Mabel Clark.)
Images Above Courtesy of Jessica Hilburn & Heather Hilburn.
Announcements
Hydetown is now a PBDA Designated Broadband Ready Community!
As of February 2025, Hydetown Borough is now a Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority (PBDA) designated Broadband Ready Community. This designation lets service providers and potential funders know Hydetown is interested in providing high-quality, high-speed internet access to our residents and we are willing to reduce barriers to its implementation. The Borough is proud to be a part of the effort to bring better internet connectivity to Northwestern Pennsylvania.
Hydetown Veteran Banner Program
Hydetown Borough is accepting applications for our new Veteran Banner Program! Applicants must fill out the application on the website (middle link: "Hydetown Banner Application"). The fee is $125 which includes the banner and hardware for Hydetown to mount and a yard sign for you to keep.
Photos must be scanned at 600dpi or higher and emailed to the address on the form. If you are unable to scan your photo, we can scan it for you. Please mail or drop it off to the address on the form and it will be returned to you when finished.
Banners will be displayed on Main Street in no particular order and placement may vary from year to year. Specific placement cannot be requested. If a banner is damaged by wind or weather, replacement fees are charged to you if you desire replacement.
DEADLINE for submission: Friday, August 16, 2024
See website for application: https://troopbanners.com/Hydetown/
Photo to left is example only.
This new program from Waste Management is now available (beginning August 12, 2023) to Hydetown Borough residents who are Waste Management customers.
You can dispose of electronics, fluorescent tubes/bulbs, batteries, paint, household chemicals, automotive products, garden chemicals, solvents, swimming pool chemicals, syringes, and more safely and for NO extra charge!!
Visit wmatyourdoor.com to schedule a pickup.