OP-ED: Washington County history fascinating
As we face the vicissitudes of daily living, it is easy to lose sight of the rich history that surrounds us in Washington County. It is true that our community has gained some well-deserved notoriety from the Whiskey Rebellion and from the archaeological rock shelter at Meadowcroft with its colonial village. There is much more to consider.
Recalling local history and local traditions based on the past help to strengthen our community connections. Numerous local individuals who helped to facilitate the modern transformation of Southwestern Pennsylvania reflect the grand scheme of historical change.
Southwestern Pennsylvania was critical to the founding of Colonial America. The area played an important role in the French and Indian War, American Revolution and Civil War. It was an indispensable gateway to the opening of the western frontier. Decades later, the glass works, steel mills, railroads and coal mines were ushered in during the industrial revolution. These new industries offered employment to thousands of immigrants seeking to live the American dream.
Several fascinating examples of local history have struck me as having national, historical importance in the development of America. This commentary will discuss these events.
The National Road: I never grow tired of driving Route 40, the original National Road, with its abundance of old homes, taverns, tollbooths and historical battlegrounds. The National Road was built between 1811 and 1834 to reach the western settlements. It was the first federally funded road in U.S. history, built to connect the Potomac and Ohio Rivers. Thomas Jefferson believed that a trans-Appalachian road was necessary for unifying the young country. In 1806, Congress authorized construction, and by 1818 the road was completed from Cumberland to Wheeling. Wagons hauled produce from frontier farms to the East Coast, returning with staples such as coffee and sugar.
To avoid difficulties in construction, the original route proposed by surveyors bypassed established towns such as Uniontown and Washington. Local residents were angered by the choice of route. Secretary of the Treasury, Albert Gallatin, as a former representative in the Pennsylvania Legislature, exchanged letters with local politicians and President Madison. Eventually, Madison decided on a route that included both Washington and Uniontown.
Forts and blockhouses: One of my favorite pastimes as a child in rural New Jersey was going into the woods to build forts with my friends. Local county residents may not be aware that the locations of dozens of frontier forts and blockhouses surround them. The forts provided protection for settlers from attacks by hostile Native Americans when Washington County was the western frontier.
Known locations include the following: Dillow’s Blockhouse (Hanover Township); Beeler’s Fort (Robinson Township); McDonald’s Stations/Fort (Robinson Township); Burgett’s Blockhouse (Burgettstown); Vance’s Fort (near Cross Creek Village); Hoagland’s Blockhouse (southern Smith Township); Cherry’s Fort (Mt. Pleasant); Reynold’s Blockhouse (north of Cross Creek Village); William’s Blockhouse (Mt. Pleasant Township); Rice’s Fort (13 miles from Ohio River); Miller’s Blockhouse (Donegal Township); Wolf’s Blockhouse (5 miles west of Washington, Route 40); Roney’s Fort (Findley Township); Ryerson’s Fort (near Greene County); Campbell’s Blockhouse (east of Ryerson), and Lindley’s Fort (north branch of Ten Mile Creek).
The large number of facilities tells us that before the Revolutionary War, community defense on our frontier was serious business. Pitched battles were documented at several of the locations.
The Underground Railroad: The efforts of my Quaker abolitionist ancestors have always drawn me to the history of the Underground Railroad. Luckily, Thomas Mainwaring, a local professor and historian, has written an excellent study of the Underground Railroad in Washington County (“Abandoned Tracks,” 2018, University of Notre Dame).
Mainwaring establishes that the Scots-Irish Presbyterians of Washington County were among the first in Western Pennsylvania to establish an antislavery society. Washington County views on slavery were in sharp contrast with those of Fayette and Greene counties, where sympathies were with the South. Because of Washington’s location, the local flow of escaping slaves was minimal compared with central Pennsylvania, where Maryland provided a steady stream of slaves seeking freedom.
Washington County’s most famous abolitionist was Dr. Julius LeMoyne. By 1840 he had become a nationally known figure in the movement to aid escaping slaves. When the first national anti-slavery party formed in 1839 (the Liberty Party), LeMoyne was recruited to run as vice president in the 1840 election. He refused, with the reasoning that the movement was a religious enterprise and he should abstain from politics.
Mainwaring identifies 60 Underground Railroad sites in Washington County, ranging from the extremely well-documented to the highly unlikely. Separating the myths and legends from the historically accurate proved to be a colossal task. The book’s appendix examines each of the possible local Underground Railroad sites in scholarly detail. Fourteen sites earned five stars for convincing proof from several independent sources. Eleven sites were graded with four stars for only one primary source.
Civil War generals: A friend who comes to Washington County by way of Belmont County, Ohio (St. Clairsville) recently provided my last item of local history with national significance. He shared with me a self-published book on the Civil War generals of Belmont County that I found fascinating. No less than 11 generals, 10 Union and one Confederate, were born in Belmont County. Perhaps this should not be surprising, in that more than 300,000 Ohioans served in the Union Army, more per capita than any other state. In addition, Gens. Ulysses Grant, William T. Sherman and Philip Sheridan were from Ohio.
Gary Stout is a Washington attorney.