Cochranton Borough was created by order of the Court of Quarter Sessions April 5, 1855, in response to a petition presented by Charles Cochran and other residents of the village. The first election was held April 14, 1855. James Greer was elected Burgess, and the first Council consisted of Charles Cochran, D.M. DeVore, Samuel Markle, William T. Dunn, and Hugh Smith.
This was the most important village in the southern portion of Crawford County, and received its name from the first owners and settlers of its soil. Joseph Cochran who settled in Wayne Township received the southern part of Tract 1291 in which the heart of the village was located from his father, Thomas Cochran. Charles Cochran who may have been distantly related to Thomas and Joseph was the first settler within the borough. He emigrated from the Susquehanna River area about 1800 and settled south of the village on what later beccame the McFate Farm. During the War of 1812 a rough log fort was erecteed on his farm as a protection against Indian invasions.
John Adams arrived from Butler County and erected the first sawmill in 1802. Later he added a grist mill and carding mill in 1825. The property was destroyed by fire about 1845.
John Bell, a cabinetmaker, arrived about 1825 folled a few years later by George Henry who opened a store.
The village was situated on French Creek at the mouth of Little Sugar Creek. By 1840 the population consisted of approximately one-dozen families. In 1860 it had grown to 250 and by the 1890's its growth had tripled.
The first post office was kept on the pike east of the village, and about 1852 Hugh Smith became the first Postmaster.
By 1865 there was a substantial business district which consisted of the types of businesses required to meet the needs of this rural, agricultural community.
The Trigon was the first newspaper venture. It had a brief career that came to an end shortly before the Times was established in November 1878. R.H. Odell was publisher and editor until 1880 when C.A. Bell purchased the property. It was an independent newspaper published each Friday.
The Associate Reformed Church (former U.P.) was organized in 1827. The Presbyterian Church was formed in 1848. The Methodist Episcopal Church began in 1839, and Saint Stephen's Catholic Church was erected in 1874 on the south side of East Pine Street near the present residence of Walter Dunn.
The French Creek Valley Agricultural Society was formed in 1877 and has since sponsored annual fairs.
The Cochranton Cemetery Association was chartered in 1860, and its grounds comprised eight acres lying just east of the borough. Since that time additional land has been purchased to increase the size of the grounds to more than twenty-seven acres.