Potomac Allegheny Heritage Corridor

Potomac Allegheny Heritage Corridor “It all started with a mission back in 1753 and a passion today”

Potomac Allegheny Heritage Corridor 20 February 2015 – 2nd PAHC Meeting C&O Canal Headquarters 1850 dual Highway Suite 100 Hagerstown, Maryland Top Left to Right 1. Dru Vodra – Alexandria, Virginia 2. Bob Sutton – Bob is the Chief Historian and manages the National Park Service History Program and specializes in the American West, the Civil War, and American Constitutional History. -Washington DC Robert_sutton@nps.gov 3. Daniel Cocks- Executive Director, Fayette County Cultural Trust- Pennsylvania fcctrust@zoominternet.net

4. Julie Donovan - Vice President, Public Relations, Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau – Pennsylvania jdonovan@laurelhighlands.org 5 . John Hempel –Dr. John Hempel, University of Pittsburgh Protein biochemist – Retired.

Braddock Pennsylvania 6. Will Corkem – Dr. Wilton Corkem, President and CEO, Accokeek Foundation, helps to steward 200 acres of Piscataway Park in Accokeek, Maryland.

7. Bill Vodra – Former FDA Lawyer, Alexandria, Virginia 8. David Brickley – President & CEO, September 11th National Memorial Trail Alliance 911trail@comcast.net Bottom Left to Right 9. James Rada Jr. – James is the author of seven novels. These include the historical novels Canawlers, October Morning, Between Rail & River and The Rain Man. His other novels are Logan’s Fire, beast and My little Angel. Battlefield angels: The Daughters of Charity Work as Civil War Nurses is non-fiction history. Looking Back and Looking Back II are collections of interesting stories about Western Maryland.

10. Galen Wagner – Professor of Medicine, Duke University –Durham, North Carolina 11. Karen Gray - 33 years of varied service as a VIP at the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal NHP. Her accomplishments have included managing the digitization of Harlan Unrau’s "Historic Resource Study of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal," a work of major significance for interpretation and cultural resources in the park, playing an active role in the C&O Canal Association, walking as a "Levelwalker" along a 9-mile stretch of the canal, and serving as docent of Lockhouse 75. – Hagerstown, Maryland 12. Mary Bruce Corkem –

The following is a synopsis of why this “Corridor” is so important to the shaping of the United States of America.

In October of 1753, George Washington, a 21-year-old major in the Virginia militia, volunteered to carry a letter from the governor of Virginia to the French commander of the forts recently built on the headwaters of the Ohio River in northwestern Pennsylvania. The French had recently expanded their military operations from the Great Lakes into the Ohio country, and had spent the summer of 1753 building forts and roads along the Allegheny River, with the design of linking their trade routes and sphere of influence down the Ohio to the Mississippi. Virginia governor Robert Dinwiddie believed them to be in violation of treaties and claims that made those territories part of Virginia and Pennsylvania, as granted by the British Crown, and his letter to the French commander instructed him to cease, desist, and depart from those regions.

Washington left Williamsburg, Virginia on October 31, 1753, and completed the round trip of more than 1,000 miles by horse, foot, canoe, and raft in about ten weeks. He was accompanied

by Christopher Gist, an explorer and surveyor employed by the Ohio Company, by Jacob Van Braam, a French Interpreter, four Indian traders and baggage-men, and various Indian delegations and guards, including Tanacharison, known as the “Half-King.” When George Washington arrived at the junction of Wills Creek and the Potomac River, at the site of presentday Cumberland, Maryland he traveled through an old Native American path, “Nemacolin Path”, which took him over the rugged Appalachian Mountains. Washington accomplished far more than the mere delivery of a letter: he practiced diplomacy to keep the Native leaders allied to the English cause; he interviewed French deserters and reported on the extent of

French military posts between New Orleans and the Great Lakes; he reconnoitered the Forks of the Ohio with an eye to the proper site for building a fort; and he inspected and reported on the construction of the new French forts and made estimates of their strength and preparations for the following year’s expeditions.

Along with the French, many tribes of Native Americans, primarily the Six Nations of the Iroquois and the Delawares, also claimed these lands. All sides were willing to shed blood to secure their rights.

When Washington arrived back in Williamsburg on January 16, 1754, Governor Dinwiddie immediately asked him to prepare a written report for the House of Burgesses. Dinwiddie then had this report printed, and it became very popular reading. The Virginia legislature was so pleased with his mission and his report that they voted him a ÂŁ50 reward. The Journal of Major George Washington was reprinted in various colonial newspapers as far away as Boston, and a British edition was issued in London later that same year, for which Washington sent materials for the preparation of a map.

Braddock Road In 1755 the Nemacolin Path became “Braddock’s Road”.

After appeals from colonial governors, the British decided to take matters more seriously and sent Major General Braddock to North America with two regiments of infantry. Braddock, a career soldier, had risen through the ranks. After 45 years of military service he became commander-in-chief of all British forces in North America. The British plan for 1755 was to simultaneously attach many French forts in North America. Braddock would lead the expedition against Fort Duquesne personally. That adding colonial troops and a few Indians to his force, Braddock had about 2,400 men. George Washington joined the campaign as a volunteer aide to the General.

Braddock decided to follow the road, “Nemacolin’s Path,” which Washington had blazed over the mountains on his way to Fort Necessity the previous year. Because the trail was inadequate for the army’s large wagons and artillery, it was widened to 12 feet, but only at great effort and expenditure of time. The force seemed to move at a snail’s pace. Finally the army was split in two with Braddock moving ahead with the bulk of the men and a few pieces of artillery. The remainder would follow under the command of Colonel Dunbar.

In early July, the advance group was approaching the Forks of the Ohio. On July 19, 1755, they made a second crossing of the Monongahela River. From that point it was a short march to Fort Duquesne.

The Battle of the Monongahela Soon after the river crossing, the woods in front of the British column exploded with musket fire and the whooping of Indians and their French allies as they collided head-on with the British. Advance British units fell back upon the main body, while the rear units continued advancing, adding to the confusion. Disorganization and fear seized the British. In the smoke of the battle, fighting an unseen enemy, and with many British officers killed early on, discipline all but ended.

The Battle lasted three hours. Finally, as Braddock was carried from the field severely wounded, the surviving British fled. British losses had been horrendous: more than 900 casualties out of 1,400 men engaged. They were completely beaten by a force they could not see in a wilderness where they did not want to be. Their retreat to the safely of Dunbar’s camp was hastily and disorganized. Washington reported “The shocking Scenes which presented themselves in the Nights March are not to be described. The dead, the dying, the groans, lamentations, and crys…of the wounded for help were enough to pierce a heart of adamant”.

The General is buried On July 13 The British camped about a mile west of the Great Meadows, site of Fort Necessity, and in the evening Braddock died. Washington officiated at the ceremony the next day. The general was buried in the road his men had built. The army then marched over the grave to obliterate any traces of it and continued to eastern Pennsylvania.

The French used this British retreat to their advantage, and soon French-inspired Indian attacks occurred throughout the frontier. Terrorized settlers streamed eastward and the war spread. In the ensuring decade, however, France lost all her colonies in North America and the British Empire was expanding around the globe. The removal of external threats to colonist and the increased cost of governing the British Empire helped set the stage for the American Revolution.

The French and Indian war ended in this region in 1758 when General John Forbes marched an army westward across Pennsylvania and captured Fort Duquesne. Forbes purposefully avoided Braddock’s Road, which was no longer and had fallen to disrepair. But Braddock’s Road was not to be forgotten. It would soon become a major route for settlers heading west over to the new town of Pittsburgh and on into the Ohio Country. It would form the basis for the first National Pike, which went on to become U.S. Route 40, and then U.S. 68. The name of Braddock has been remembered with streets, towns, and waterways, and his mastery of the terrain has formed the basis for interstate transportation as we now know it in the mid-Atlantic corridor.

“The events that occurred in this area did not only shape the United States but also the World. The lessons learned by George Washington would serve him well some twenty years later in a struggle for freedom for the United States. He eventually became the nation’s first President.”

Why do we need a Potomac Allegheny Heritage Corridor?

The history of the United States is not only fascinating, but a part of the past that we need to keep alive for future generations. The story of the Potomac Allegheny Historic Corridor region is one of the most important aspects in the shaping of America. It was in this corridor that our first United States President, George Washington was trained as a scout, and then a leader in the fight for the United States of America. It is in this corridor where history still exists today, but without an encompassing organization the history will continue to be pieced together in such a way, that education and economic development along this historic route will continue to struggle.

“Piecing together the tapestry of the past to form future bonds and partnerships, enhance historic education, and further escalate economic development.�

Vision Statement Connecting and promoting the Historic, Cultural and Natural significance of the early National Passage to the West which shaped the United States of America.

Other important area organizations that help educate, preserve history, and further economic development.

American Whiskey Trail – The American Whiskey Trail is a Cultural Heritage and Tourism Initiative of the Distilled Spirits Council. This trail connects the history of distilling and spirts in our country.

Appalachian National Scenic Trail – The Appalachian Trail is one of the longest continuously marked footpaths in the world, measuring roughly 2,180 miles in length. The trail goes through fourteen states along the crests and valleys of the Appalachian Mountain range from the southern terminus at Springer Mountain, Georgia, to the Trail’s northern terminus at Katahdin, Maine. Known as the “A.T.,” it has been estimated that 2-3 million people visit the Trail every year.

C&O National Historical Park – Preserving America’s early transportation history, the C&O Canal began as a dream of passage to Western wealth. Operating for nearly 100 years the canal was a lifeline for communities along the Potomac River as coal, lumber and agricultural products floated down the waterway to market. Today it endures as a pathway for discovering historical, natural and recreational treasures!

Fayette County Cultural Trust – The mission of the Fayette County Cultural Trust is to enrich the area’s quality of life by promoting our cultural, artistic, historic and natural assets by creating partnerships to revitalize communities and further their economic development.

Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau – To promote and support tourism, tourism development, and interests of the travel and hospitality industries in Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands region generally comprising Fayette, Somerset and Westmoreland counties, thereby contributing to the economic growth and quality of life for the area.

Lincoln Highway Association – (Route 30) – The mission of the Lincoln Highway Association is to preserve, promote, and mark the Lincoln Highway route across the United States, and educate the general public of the various routes and related resources.

National Road Heritage Corridor- (Route 40) - The mission of the National Road Heritage Corridor is to advocate for, build awareness of, and encourage the conservation of the cultural, historic, natural, recreational and economic resources along the Historic National Road in Pennsylvania through education and interpretation. Helping community development, in a manner that promotes partnerships among the corridor’s many stakeholders, and reflects, celebrates, and enhances the corridor’s national significance.

Rivers of Steel – Interprets and develops historical, cultural and recreational resources throughout Western Pennsylvania, including the eight counties that comprise the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area. The dynamic and powerful story of the region’s evolution from colonial settlement to “Big Steel” to the modern era is evident in its many artifacts, buildings, vibrant communities and industrial sites. Rivers of Steel seeks to link our colonial and industrial heritage to the present and future economic and cultural life of the region and the communities it serves. Its vision is to become a nationally recognized brand that not only celebrates our past but also embraces our future, by connecting people to their environs.

September 11th National Memorial Trail- The September 11th National Memorial Trail Alliance was formed in 2004 for the sole purpose of establishing a memorial trail that will link the planned and existing memorial sites at the World Trade Center, Pentagon and the Flight 93 National Memorial.

The Journey through Hallowed Ground – Experience the fascinating historical and cultural landscape that is the Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area, a 180-mile long, 75-mile wide area stretching from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello in Charlottesville, Virginia. This site encompasses 9 Presidential Homes & Sites, 18 National & State Parks, 1,000’s of Historical Sites, 57 Historic Towns & Villages, 21 Historic Homes, and 100’s of Civil War Battlefields.

Washington Rochambeau National Historic Trail – The Washington Rochambeau National Historic Trail commemorates over 680 miles of land and water trails followed by the allied armies under General Washington and General Rochambeau through Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and what is now Washington DC. The trail was designated a National Historic Trail by Congress in March 2009.

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