Unlike almost every other county seat in the United States, Clarion was not chosen to be the government center of Clarion County; the borough was created for the role.

When Clarion became a county in 1839, there was just one dwelling in the area. The borough's population exploded shortly thereafter, attracting more than 700 people by 1850 and peaking with a population of more than 6,500 in the 1990s. Clarion was a key contributor in the iron, lumber, oil, and natural gas industries and, more recently, a regional manufacturing hub for glass bottling and prefabricated homes. A gateway to Cook Forest State Park, Allegheny National Forest, and paddling sports on the Clarion River, the borough of Clarion is also home to PennWest Clarion, a charming downtown shopping district, and a burgeoning arts community.

Sandy Mitchell Pavick has been a full-time freelance writer for more than 25 years and has written five previous titles for Arcadia Publishing. For this book, Pavick has collected nearly 200 images, many of which have never been published before, from area libraries and churches, the Clarion Historical Society, and private collections. Images of America: Clarion is her love letter to the welcoming, creative, and industrious people of Clarion.