Woodcock Borough is located in the valley of Gravel Run, in the northern part of Woodcock Township. It had in 1870 a population of 220, which in 1880 had decreased to 184. The village owes its origin to Henry Minium, by whom it was laid out and christened Rockville in the spring of 1819, thus making it one of the oldest villages in the county. The Meadville & Erie Turnpike was constructed in 1818, and it was owing to this fact that Mr. Minium, owning land through which it passed, conceived the idea of founding a village. He was then a miller at the site of Saegertown, and did not remove to Rockville until about 1824. Jacob Kepler had in 1818 purchased a lot from him, and was the only resident on the plat when it was surveyed in 1819. Mr. Kepler was a shoemaker, and cobbled for the settlers in his locality. After Rockville was started he erected the first hotel and kept the first postoffice, and in view of his local prominence the place was known as Keplertown. Mr. Minium made a public sale of the village lots, and under the persuasive accents of the auctioneer, Derk Jan Newenhausen, "Dutch John," as he was familiarly known, the lots were nearly all disposed of at a handsome figure for those times. The travel on the turnpike was then prodigious. It was the main thoroughfare, and the route pursued by hundreds of incoming settlers seeking Western homes. Daniel Shaffer was the first blacksmith. John Scott and Mr. Whitley kept the first stores, which at first were very small. The village thrived, but by the construction of the plank road on the opposite side of French Creek it received its first check, the travel being drawn thitherward. The New York, Pennsylvania & Ohio Railroad passes within a mile of the village, but has proved of little service in developing it.

Rockville was incorporated as a borough and named Woodcock, by an enactment of the Assembly in 1844 George Pond, a chair-maker, was its first Burgess. Recent Burgesses have been as follows: 1868, S. S. Minium; 1869-70, A. Logan; 1871, D. Rupert; 1872, S. S. Minium; 1874, David Rupert; 1875, C. Schultz; 1876-77, S. S. Minium; 1878, D. Rupert; 1879-82, S. S. Minium; 1883, C. W. Knerr; 1884, C. C. Stalker.

The village now contains three general stores, one drug store, one furniture store, one hotel, two blacksmith, one harness, one shoe and two wagonshops, Perkins & Shaffer's steam saw-mill, three physicians, a two-story frame school building, three churches and two orders.

Woodcock Borough Lodge, No. 951, K. of H., was organized with twenty-three members March 13, 1878. B. F. Wales was its first Past Dictator and C. W. Knerr its first Dictator. The membership is now thirty-five and meetings are held each alternate Saturday.

Magnolia Lodge, No. 249, K. and L. of H., was instituted February 12, 1880, with twenty-five members, and now numbers twenty- seven. Its first Past Protector was C. Schultz; its first Protector, Edward Perry. Regular meetings are held each alternate Tuesday.

Gravel Run Presbyterian Church was organized about 1809. Rev. John Matthews was the first pastor. He was installed pastor of Waterford and Gravel Run Churches October 17, 1810, and was released from his charge of the latter November 8, 1814. The following have since served as pastors: Rev. Peter Hassinger from October 1, 1828, to 1832; Rev. Alexander Cunningham, from October 5, 1843 to 1851; Rev. James W. Dickey was installed April 19, 1854, and served many years. The present pastor is Rev. William Grassie, who came in 1877, succeeding Rev. W. B. McCarroll. In 1838 the congregation was divided into Old School and New School branches.

In 1854 each branch erected a house of worship: the New School a frame with basement, in which the Protestant Episcopal Congregation now worships, and the Old School, a brick structure, which is still occupied. Rev. George W. Hampson was pastor of the New School branch for seventeen years until his death in 1869, and soon after the two divisions re-united into one congregation. The membership is now about 125.

Rockville Methodist Episcopal Church was organized as the Gravel Run Church in 1810, by Rev. Joshua Monroe, at the dwelling-house of John Shearer, situated in the southwest corner of Cambridge Township. In 1817 a log meeting house was built in Cambridge Township, immediately northwest of the Woodcock Borough limits, and services held therein until 1839, when a brick edifice was erected within the borough at a cost of $1,800. It has ever since been the house of worship. In 1879 a parsonage was erected at Woodcock at a cost of $700. An old parsonage stood in the village but has not been occupied since 1870. In numbers the society exceeds 100. Rockville Circuit was organized in 1844, and its pastors have since been: J. Graham and F. Morse, 1844; J. Graham and I. Blackford, 1845; D. H. Jack, 1846-47; A. Callender and J. Hildebrand, 1848; M. H. Bettes, 1849; O. P.Brown, 1850; J. McLean, 1851; S. K. Paden, 1852; B. Marsteller and S. K. Paden, 1853; C. R. Chapman, 1854-55; A. H. Bowers, 1856; I. Lane, 1857-58; P. W. Sherwood and J, M. DeWoody, 1859; W. A. Clark, 1860; J. Wrigglesworth, 1861-62; E. Wade, 1863; S. Holden, 1864; J. W. Hill, 1865-66; G. M. Eberman, 1867-68; J. F, Perry, 1869-70; R. C. Smith, 1871-73; H. M. Chamberlain, 1874-76; J. H. Vance, 1877; J. L. Mechlin, 1878-80; J. F. Perry, 1881-83. Besides Woodcock the circuit now embraces the following appointments: New Richmond, Old Richmond, Van Scoders, Jarvis and Pinneys.

The Protestant Episcopal Congregation was organized in the autumn of 1881 by Rev. E. G. Carstensen, of Meadville, who supplied the church until July, 1882. Revs. Steward and Maycock preached for short periods, and since September, 1883, Rev. Lewis, of Meadville, has filled the pulpit each alternate Sabbath. The services are conducted in the old New School Presbyterian Church. The membership is about twenty.

Woodcock Grange, No. 639, was instituted in 1875. In 1878 a Granger's fair was proposed, to which each member should bring a choice product of his farm, and for their mutual edification describe the course adopted to bring the product to its high degree of excellence. In the autumn of that year the first fair was held in the Grange Hall, but only five members responded. The next year a much greater variety of articles was exhibited, the condition of describing the method of farming being withdrawn, and besides a large quantity of grain, fruit, etc., one calf was on exhibition. The third and fourth years witnessed increased interest and attendance, but the Grange languished.

A stock company was formed to perpetuate the fair thus humbly started, as mentioned above, commodious grounds were leased just west of the Borough of Woodcock, and two very successful fairs have been held there.