George
Washington in Crawford County
December
7 - December 26, 1753
download pdf
December 7
George Washington and his party, joined by four Frenchmen led by M. LaForce
(presented to the Virginians as the Commissary but actually the engineer in
charge of building Ft Machault), set out for Fort LeBoeuf. They got a late
start as the Indian Agent Joncaire attempted to detach the four Iroquois from
the group and deflect their effort to make the third and final return of the
speech belt which had allowed the French freedom to travel and trade in the
Upper Ohio region of the Iroquois Confederacy.
At Venango (today's Franklin)
Christopher Gist, Washington's clerk and guide, left late in the day on
December 6 to take the horses up to (Big) Sugar Creek; Washington left with
the main party at noon on the 7th following one last council fire. The group
made only the 5 miles to (Big) Sugar Creek where they camped.
Northwest on US 322
December 8
They made good progress and crossed Little Sugar Creek (at today's
Cochranton). [If the traveler has time and interest, a small but nicely
developed board&batten railroad museum at Cochranton's Fairgrounds offers an
opportunity to visit the development of a rural market center.] The group
reached the confluence of Cussewago and French creeks (today's Meadville)
about nightfall and set up camp on the bluff overlooking the deserted Seneca
summer camp. There are few reminders of Washington's trip at Meadville, beyond
a DAR marker at the head of Market on Randolph streets, and a Venango Path
boulder on Terrace at the foot of Locust Street. Washington, in his journal,
remarks that they had passed through several rich meadows, and Gist notes they
had to leave a horse behind, unable to travel farther. Poor horse.
Continue NW on US 322
Meadville's first settlers followed Washington's published journals to find the area of broad meadows for settlement. A replica of Mead's early 1788 cabin is set in Bicentennial Park directly on French Creek. Picnic shelter, comfort facilities, playground, boat access, parking. At the Mead Avenue bridge, accessed from the Arterial Highway, Mead Avenue exit. Watch for Audubon's Great Blue Heron, painted on Audubon's 1824 visit here. A descendant still patrols his territory along French Creek.
To view the monuments, turn left at first traffic light (Linden Street) at Meadville city limits, turn right at next light onto Park Avenue, and proceed north 7 traffic lights to Randolph Street. Turn left one block for DAR monument, then right and one block for Venango Path monument at Terrace and Locust, where there is a curb cut for parking and an interpretive kiosk for the French Creek Feeder Canal.
To resume trip continue north on Terrace to
Reynolds Ave access to Meadville Arterial (French Creek Parkway) US 6/19.
For coaches or to avoid the downtown, enter Meadville at Linden and travel two
traffic lights to the Arterial Highway US 6/19, turn right (north) to
Saegertown.
December 9
The party made it as far as the landmark broad ford, north of today's
Saegertown, and camped. They had intended to raft across to achieve the west
side of French Creek here, but the water was too fast and rough.
Take Arterial highway/ US 6/19 north through
Saegertown Borough to the Broadford Bridge.
December 10
They passed what is today Cambridge Springs and crossed French Creek probably
at "Dead Water" below the confluence with Muddy Creek using a tree to raft
their goods and swimming the horses. They camped and the Iroquois killed a
bear, providing fresh meat.
Follow US 6/19 turning right (east) at traffic light
in Venango Borough and continuing into Cambridge Springs. Turning right and
then left at Triangle Park is the Cambridge Springs Museum in the flatiron
19th century "City Hall". It documents to town's history as a Mineral Spa,
dairying center, and home of the PNA Alliance College. Turning left at the
Triangle Park and over the bridge, the Riverside Inn, a 19th century mineral
spring resort, offers a creekside overnight and/or excellent dining room.
December 11
This day, they traveled north, now on the west side of French Creek, and
made the 15 miles which brought them within view of Ft LeBoeuf (today's
Waterford) after sunset. There they sent a messenger ahead. They were "greeted
with complaisance," according to Gist, by Legardeur de St Pierre, a
distinguished and very senior officer of the French LaMarine forces, who was
newly assigned to the Upper Ohio. They were requested to await the arrival of
the commander from Ft. Presqu'ile, Legardeur de Repentigny (called Reparti by
Washington) who had been in the region for a long tour of duty and knew the
local background better. The Legardeurs were distantly related, both part of
the professional French army force, LaMarine, which was the administrative arm
of the French territorial government.
North of Cambridge coaches should continue on US 6/19
to Waterford. Cars may wish to turn east on Miller Station Road, turn north at
Miller's Station where they can visit an exceptional Octagon Barn with antique
and craft displays, and follow the by-ways into Waterford.
December 12 - 15
Washington, having sent his horses back across country to Venango where there
was some forage or fodder for them, decided to leave Ft LeBoeuf by (dugout)
canoe down French Creek.
Visitors may return by the same land route, or may hire a guide to float down.
December 16
On 16 December they left Waterford and made the general Cambridge Springs area
the first night, the Virginians in one canoe and the Iroquois in another. The
Iroquois went on ahead, camped and hunted, killing three bears, but White
Thunder was badly mauled. Washington, feeling the pressure to return to
Williamsburg with his observations, pressed on ahead.
December 20
By 20 December they had made 25-30 miles to perhaps four miles south of
Meadville (the trip was much longer by water), where they came up on icepacks
formed at the Wilson Shute's meanders.
Wilson Shutes is a well marked exit on US 322 south
of Meadville. The area is also accessed by the Ernst Trail on the French Creek
Recreational Trail, a hiking and biking trail between Meadville and Conneaut
Lake.
December 21- 22
Here they had to get out and portage the canoes across the ice and river
banks. Here also the Iroquois and three French Canoes caught up with them. One
of the French canoes "overset" with its cargo of ammunition for the fort
builders at "Venango", but the Virginians kept on, leaving the French to
perform whatever salvage they could. They camped the night of the 21 with
about 20 miles left to Venango (Franklin) and with the satisfaction of knowing
that another French canoe had swamped and dumped its cargo of brandy. The
night of the 22 December they made Venango (Franklin).
It is fair to say that Washington did not enjoy canoeing on French Creek and
was happy to see his horse until he realized how bad shape it was in from lack
of food. He left Jesekaka, White Thunder and Tanacharissen at Venango as White
Thunder was in such bad shape he was going to have to be transported to
Logstown by canoe. Young Hunter, that is Guyasutha, would continue with the
Virginians. By 26 December Washington was on foot, and had left the Virginians
and Guyasutha behind, proceeding with Gist to the Forks of the Ohio.
Signs provided by Butler County Planning Commission