Institution

Hanna's Town was a small subsistence farming community that had no need for any shops or buildings other than housing and an occasional tavern. Records show that Hanna's Town had about 30 homes, three taverns, and a Blacksmith shop. Blacksmithing was an essential part of early American trading and most colonial towns had an active Blacksmith. It is believed that Hanna's Town had a Blacksmith shop that was the only "business" other than the three taverns on site.There are occasional demonstrations that take place in the Blacksmith shop at Historic Hanna's Town. The local Blacksmith, Rex Baughman has also made some of the hinges on the doors in the houses on site. There are also some pieces in the tavern that Rex has made. Most tools that are used in the Blacksmithing demonstrations were donated by the family of David "Pokey" Ridenour.The Blacksmith Shop was not moved to Historic Hanna's Town from another place but was constructed from scratch. The logs that were used to build the cabin came from a small spring house that stood on a farm on route 119 and originally date back to 1775. The logs were donated to the Westmoreland County Historical Society in 1994 and were used to construct the cabin that would become the Blacksmith Shop.

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The Blacksmith Shop is comprised of a small building that shows what a first-year cabin would have looked like. Blacksmithing was a crucial part of early American trade and although Hanna’s Town was a small subsistence farming community, the town would have needed a Blacksmith shop.

Historic Hanna's Town Blacksmith Shop

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The land that later became Hanna’s Town has a long history. It was originally settled by indigenous Monongahela Peoples who flourished in the Ohio Valley prior to European colonization in the early 17th century, evidenced by archaeological material discovered at the historic site. The Iroquois Six Nations (Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora) lived close to the present-day New York/Pennsylvania border. The Shawnee and Delaware (Lenape) lived in the western Ohio River Valley and upper Mississippi Valley. In the 18th century, what is now western Pennsylvania was considered multi-tribal hunting and trade territory, with major trails crossing through the region.European colonization intensified struggles between the British, French, and Native Americans over claim to land, particularly the Forks of the Ohio at modern-day Pittsburgh. During the French and Indian War, British general John Forbes constructed the Forbes Road to move troops over the Allegheny Mountains to capture Fort Duquesne from the French in 1758. The British erected Fort Pitt and established a British stronghold of the region. The Forbes Road soon became a travel route for European settlers moving west.The Treaty of Fort Stanwix (1768) transferred land from the Iroquois (Haudenosaunee) to the Penn Family. The “New Purchase,” as it was called, included northeastern PA and southwestern PA, following the Allegheny Mountains. The New Purchase allowed an Irish farmer and businessman named Robert Hanna to acquire land and establish a settlement west of the Allegheny Mountains along the Forbes Road.Originally from County Down, Northern Ireland, Robert Hanna immigrated to York County, Pennsylvania, with his family when he was a young child. He married Elizabeth Kelly of Lancaster County in 1762, and the couple later had four daughters. In 1769, Robert Hanna applied for 337 acres of land in what was then Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. Sometime after, Robert, Elizabeth, and their daughter Jane, traveled to the property and settled Hanna’s Town. Robert Hanna leased lots to settlers predominately of Scots-Irish descent, who built log homes and engaged in subsistence farming. Some residents also arrived as indentured servants of Scots-Irish descent or as enslaved people of African descent. According to archaeological research, it is estimated that Hanna’s Town had at least thirty homes, three taverns, many outbuildings, and a stockade fort.When Hanna’s Town was founded in the early 1770s, Pennsylvania was proprietary colony of Great Britain. A growing population on the frontier, the need for law and order, and border disputes with Virginia led to the establishment of new counties in western Pennsylvania. Robert Hanna was involved in establishing Bedford County in 1771, and quickly sought an additional southwestern county. Westmoreland County, encompassing most of southwestern Pennsylvania, was formed on February 26, 1773, with Hanna’s Town selected as the county seat. The first court session was held on April 6, 1773, making Hanna’s Town the first site of English courts west of the Allegheny Mountains. Court sessions were held four times a year in “quarter sessions,” and addressed legal matters ranging from license applications to disputes to crimes including theft and treason. Hanna’s Tavern served as a courthouse, and trial were also held outdoors. As the county seat, Hanna’s Town attracted settlers, travelers, and those seeking justice on the Pennsylvania frontier.In April 1775, British soldiers fired on American militia in Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts, sparking the Revolutionary War. Word made its way to the Pennsylvania frontier in the coming weeks. Though far from the revolutionary epicenters of Boston or Philadelphia, the people of Pennsylvania were still engaged with debates around British rule over the colonies. On May 16, 1775, in response to Lexington and Concord, citizens of Westmoreland County drafted and approved the Hanna’s Town Resolves. The Resolves protested the injustices of the British Parliament while remaining loyal to George III, the English monarch. The Resolves also led to the creation of a county militia to defend the region from attacks. Hanna’s Town later served as a recruitment center for the county militia along with the Continental Army. On October 19, 1781, British General Cornwallis surrendered to American forces at Yorktown, Virginia, yet the war was not over in the west. The western campaigns of the Revolutionary War were shaped by shifting borders, betrayed treaties, raids on American settlements, and massacres at Native American villages. This violence continued well into 1782. In May, Seneca and their British allies left Fort Niagara to launch an assault on western Pennsylvania to weaken the region and push settlers east. Hanna's Town was attacked on July 13, 1782, while court was in session. Most of the town was burned and destroyed, though almost everyone in town survived, taking refuge in the fort that was spared in the attack. This event is considered one of the final conflicts of the Revolutionary War. Hanna’s Town never recovered from the attack or the untimely death of Robert Hanna in 1786, after which the county seat was moved to Greensburg.The land moved through several hands until purchased in by the Steel family at a sheriff’s sale in the 1820s. Several generations of the Steel Family farmed the land for about 140 years. In 1969, the property was purchased by Westmoreland County in collaboration with the Westmoreland Historical Society. The farmland preserved artifacts and archaeological features that have become an invaluable resource for the study of early American life. Reconstruction efforts of the site began in the 1970s and the site was added to the National Register of Historic Places.Today, Historic Hanna's Town is a county park and historic site interpreted by the Westmoreland Historical Society, which has its headquarters on the property. Historic Hanna's Town encompasses the reconstructed Hanna's Tavern, fort, and jail; five historic log buildings moved from other properties; an authentic Conestoga wagon; along with walking paths, an 18th century kitchen garden, and native pollinator gardens. The Westmoreland History Education Center includes a research library, museum shop, and exhibit gallery with changing exhibits. Programs and events are offered throughout the year, including Frontier Court Days, where visitors can witness reenacted court cases once held at Hanna's Town.

Hanna's Town served as the site of the first English courts west of the Allegheny Mountains and first seat of government for Westmoreland County, established in 1773. Hanna's Town was an outpost for settlers, travelers, and those seeking law or court interventions. In May 1775, citizens of Westmoreland County drafted the Hanna’s Town Resolves condemning British actions at the Battles of Lexington and Concord and calling for a county militia. Throughout the Revolutionary War, Hanna’s Town served as a recruitment center for the county militia as well as the Continental Army. On July 13, 1782, Hanna’s Town was burned by British and Seneca forces in one of the last conflicts of the Revolutionary War. Today, Historic Hanna's Town offers guided tours of the reconstructed historic site, educational programs, and special events. Historic Hanna's Town is a Westmoreland County park managed by the Westmoreland Historical Society, which bases its operations at the Westmoreland History Education Center on site.

After extensive archaeological research and digs, it was concluded that settlements near these springs may be prehistoric. Native Americans found this land valuable because of the plentiful flowing water which was sometimes difficult to come by. They would have to fetch the water themselves in order to use it for anything. With an easily accessible water source, the settlement would have had an easier time growing and populating, making it overall successful.When the Treaty of Stanwix was signed in 1768, the New Purchase ceded Native American territory to the Penn family which expanded Pennsylvania's boundaries. Robert Hanna purchased the Mier’s Spring because of its strategic location between Fort Ligonier and Fort Pitt. The resources that came with Mier’s Spring were also a draw for settlers. Colonists at this time found fresh and natural running water to be a big deciding factor in the quality of life of the people and overall growth.The Steel family thought of a more advanced way to utilize the spring while living on the land. They decided to build a spring house, which was used as a place to store perishables and was used as an early refrigerator. The family would also gather water for cooking and washing clothes. This building could also be used as a milk house on the Steel family homestead.

Jacob Mier was the first to settle on the land that would later be called Hanna’s Town. Mier established a waystation at the spring in the early 1760s. However, it would not be until the Treaty of Fort Stanwix was signed in 1768 that Europeans could settle this far west. After the Treaty of Fort Stanwix, Robert Hanna purchased the land and established Hanna’s Town in 1769. Hanna had three springs that played an essential role in his building. The Mier’s Spring is the only one still active. The milk house beside the spring belonged to the Steel family and was not present during the 18th century. The small building would be cool and used like a refrigerator.

Mier’s Spring/Steel Springhouse

Robert Hanna emigrated from Northern Ireland in 1736. His father, Patrick, relocated the family to Newburgh Township in York County between 1738 and 1739. Robert Hanna married Elizabeth Kelly of Lancaster County in 1762 and the pair had their first daughter, Jane. Approximately seven years later, Robert applied for a survey of land around Forbes Road. He and his family moved onto that land by 1772, thus founding Hanna’s Town. The new town thrived and eventually ended up being named the county seat of Westmoreland County in February of 1773, with Hanna’s Tavern being the location of the county court.Taverns in the mid to late 18th century were multi-purpose buildings. Along with housing and feeding visitors of the town, the tavern would also serve as a home for the family of the tavern keeper as well as a courthouse for the court of quarter session. Because Hanna’s Town was the first and founding county seat of Westmoreland County, and Robert Hanna was the founder and head judge of the Town, court was held in Hanna’s Tavern. The tavern was used for business, as well as church services on some occasions. Being a small subsistence farming community, there were no other businesses in Hanna’s Town other than the tavern and Blacksmith shop. Because the tavern was self-serving and multi purposeful, there was no need for any other businesses. Archaeological data reveals that there were at least two other existing taverns at Hanna’s Town: Foreman’s Tavern and Orr’s Tavern.Being the county seat, court was held at Hanna’s Town quarterly in January, April, July, and October. Court was a busy time and brought a lot of different people who wanted to socialize and conduct businesses. With the Court Days, there were also forms of entertainment. Traveling performers and entertainers would come to Hanna’s Town and the court cases themselves were entertaining for the community to watch. Traveling merchants and tradesmen also came to sell their goods at Hanna’s Town during Court Days. Charles Foreman, owner of Foreman’s Tavern, and Arthur St. Clair, who later became president of the Continental Congress and governor of the Northwest Territory, were court justices alongside Robert Hanna. Court cases were tried at Hanna’s Town during the late Colonial Period, the Revolutionary War period, and the early days of the Republic until the court was moved to Greensburg in January of 1787. Following the battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775, the court decided to issue the Hanna’s Town Resolves where the people of Westmoreland County protested the injustices of Parliament while still staying loyal to King George III. The Resolves said that the county would resist the acts that were put in place in Lexington and Concord and would raise a militia to defend the region. It is unknown who signed the Hanna’s Town Resolves because they were unfortunately lost to history, however the memory of the Resolves is preserved in a newspaper.Hanna’s Tavern had two rooms for travelers to stay in. The first of which was a guest room that had nicer accommodations than the basic travelers bedroom. The guest bedroom was for more wealthy travelers who could pay for the privacy of a single room rather than a single spot in a bed. Some of the people who may have stayed in the room would have been court justices, traveling religious figures, notable members of society, or women. Any other guests would have to stay in the traveler’s room that the Hanna’s had in their tavern. When traveling, rooms were few and far between and when renting somewhere to sleep for the night, travelers would rent a space in a bed and a meal. The Hanna’s would squeeze as many people as they could into one bed after feeding them a meal and oftentimes there would be travelers sleeping on the floor on pallets with spare bedding. The mattresses were filled with leaves, straw, grass, and cornhusks so disease and illness spread quickly through travelers sleeping in taverns during this time. Since the travelers slept so close together, lice, mites and bacteria were often living with them, thriving on the travelers’ sleeping bodies.Together, Robert and Elizabeth had four children: Jane, Elizabeth, Margaret, and Susanna. It is unclear if the Hanna’s stayed in the tavern as their primary residence or lived in a home outside of the tavern but their bedroom was designed in typical 18th century decor. Their quarters were very small and the family of six likely shared a room.In the 18th century, people knew that water was often contaminated and alcohol was seen as a safer alternative. Drinks in the bar included assortments of ales, whiskeys, ciders and malts. Every tavern that sold beer had to be licensed to the tavern owner. It is recorded that the Hanna’s Tavern license was registered under Robert’s daughter, Jane's name. As far as currency was concerned in Hanna’s Town, colonists tended to use Spanish and English coins because the coins allowed for a universal currency across the colonies. Paper money was not as widely accepted in the 18th century and the most common way of paying for a meal, drink, or place to stay was to barter or trade for it.Through archeological digs, Hanna’s Tavern was reconstructed on the site it would have been placed in prior to the burning of the community in the 18th century. The tavern was reconstructed on July 11th, 1973, on the bicentennial birthday of Hanna’s Town and Westmoreland County. The tavern itself is not original, but when being reconstructed, period-correct construction techniques were used to bring the building to life.

Hanna’s Tavern was one of the most important structures in Hanna’s Town. It served as a reliable waystation for those traveling down Forbes Road and it was a bustling place where locals came together during the height of the 18th-century. The tavern consists of a main public gathering room, a bar and grill, a private guest room, a travelers' bedroom, and the Hanna family bedroom. The private room would have been reserved for important quests or those who could afford the space while most travelers would be placed 5 to a bed in the shared bedroom. Hanna’s Tavern was also home to quarterly court sessions and was the location of the signing of the Hanna’s Town Resolves, a precursor to the Declaration of Independence.

Hanna’s Tavern

The current kitchen garden is a small example of kitchen gardens during the 18th-century, being about a fourth of the size. In the 18th century, kitchen gardens were typically ⅓ to ½ of an acre which was large enough to feed the garden’s community and travelers. Currently, the kitchen garden contains lettuce, carrots, potatoes, onyons (onions), cucumbers, beets, parsnips, peas, kale, cabbage, red lima beans, and a variety of pole beans.During the 18th century in Hanna’s Town, it was important to have a plentiful garden in order to feed the growing community. It is strategically placed behind Hanna’s Tavern because Elizabeth Hanna was responsible for feeding the people who travelled through the town. Everything that Mrs. Hanna made came from the kitchen garden, fields, and animals brought back from hunts. Whatever she made was what the travellers and people of Hanna’s Town would eat that night. The community ate everything that came from the land including from the fields and forests. The people worked together to search and harvest mushrooms, Blackberries, elderberries, staghorn sumac, slippery elm, common yarrow, wood sorrel, white snakeroot, sweet flag, ginseng, poke, sassafras, and red mulberries. Corn, potatoes, pumpkins, squashes, and beans were harvested in the fields and gardens. These vegetables were combined with pork, squirrel, deer, and bear meat to create soups and stews. Herbs were used for medicinal purposes, seasonings, and fragrances and some of the herbs included rosemary, sage, tansy, mint varieties, lemon balm, horehound, lavender, rue, savory, ambrosia, and thyme. Hanna’s Town had a great amount of flowers that were used for dyes, fragrances, and medicine and they included flowers such as pansies, hearts-ease, golden daffodils, hyacinths, foxgloves, peonies, carnations, irises, primroses, marigolds, canterbury bells, poppies, and tiger lilies. Pennsylvanians also took great pride in their lilacs so it is likely that the people of Hanna’s Town had their own.Colonial gardening included terminology to categorize plants. The word ‘herb’ was a general term to describe plants that were useful to the people of Hanna’s Town whether it be medicinal, for food use, or for clothing and examples of the plants included under the umbrella term ‘herb’ are dill, apothecary rose, fennel, parsley, chamomile, borage, comfrey, feverfew, and elecampane. The people of Hanna’s Town included words like ‘sallet’ (salad) and ‘pot’ (flavor/seasoning) in their recipes and receipts. In-lots and out-lots were used to separate the crops from the gardens. In-lots were areas which included plants that were grown in limited quantities. Out-lots were the fields where the grains and flax was grown. The layout of these kitchen gardens were similar to what modern gardens look like. They would use raised beds with alleys in between to quickly thaw the soil in the spring and to keep people from stepping on the plants. The entire garden would be surrounded by a fence to keep roaming animals out and to allow the east to west setting sun to reflect the light onto the plants, creating a microclimate and helping to shade from some harsh sun beams.Kitchen gardens were an essential part of everyday life on the frontier during the 18th century and for the people of Hanna’s Town, it was no different.

Hanna’s Town was a small subsistence farming community where most of the food came from the kitchen gardens, and fields or foraged from the woods. Families relied on their gardens for dyes, food, medicine, and seasonings for their meals. Many of the women, including Robert Hanna’s wife Elizabeth, were responsible for the upkeep of the kitchen garden.

Hanna’s Town Kitchen Garden

The Murry-Beacom House originated from Murrysville in Penn Township. The founder of Murrysville, Jeremiah Murry immigrated to America in 1783 where he settled in Westmoreland County with his wife in 1785. In 1800, Jeremiah had the cabin built for one of his younger daughters, Sarah Murry. From the Murry family, the house went to the Beacom family where Dr. Alonzo Beacom was born and raised. Beacom was known around the region for his extensive knowledge of medicine. When he eventually moved to Kecksburg, the house remained empty. In 1991, the house went up for sale and a landfill division and waste system was going to purchase the property and demolish the 19th century cabin. Instead of selling, the house was donated to the Westmoreland Historical Society and the Murry-Beacom house was erected at Historic Hanna’s Town in September 1993 and construction finished in 1995Currently, the Murry-Beacom house is home to a textile exhibit which displays artifacts that would have aided the people of Hanna’s Town in textile production. In the 18th century, flax and wool were used the most in the production of textiles. Textile making was a year-long process that involved the entire community.Clothes were very tedious and difficult to make and so most people only had one or two outfits to wear. As children grew out of their clothing, they would pass their garments down to a smaller child and they would inherit their next garments from someone who grew out of their clothing. Clothing was durable and suitable for manual labor. It was much more common to patch clothing rather than make new clothing from scratch. Unlike bigger colonial towns, the people of Hanna’s Town made their clothes out of necessity. Clothing was meant to protect people from the sun and heat, from insects, and from scratches.Garments were typically made of flax and wool. Linen is made from flax and the people of Hanna’s Town harvested flax in the summer and it would be layed out to dry. The fibers were then broken down, scutched, and smoothed. The smooth fibers were spun using different spinning wheels and spindles. From there, the fibers were woven onto a loom shared by the community. Linen was predominantly used for undergarments, jackets, and petticoats because of its lightweight material that was breathable. Wool, on the other hand, came from sheep and was used for garments that went over the undergarments. Wool garments were worn throughout the year because they were light and breathable for the warmer weather and insulated for the cooler weather.

The Murry-Beacom House is a historic house originating from Murrysville. The building was a gift from the founder of Murrysville, Jeremiah Murry to his daughter Sarah Murry in 1800. Later, Dr. Alonzo Beacom would grow up and live in the house, giving the name Murry-Beacom. The house was reconstructed on Hanna’s Town property from 1993-1995. The house was used as a gift shop and visitor center until 2019 when the Education Center was built. Today, the Murry-Beacom House is a textile exhibit that holds 18th-century artifacts that were used to make textiles. People living at Hanna’s Town wore clothing to work in. During the summer months, clothing provided protection from the sun, bugs, and scratches. In the winter, wool and furs were used to retain body heat. It was not typical to have a large assortment of clothes. Everyone knew how to sew to fix their clothing and families would often pass down pieces from child to child.

Murry-Beacom House 

The Lefevre house is one of the newest buildings in Historic Hanna’s Town. The Lefevre house was first owned by J. Rappe Myers, owner of the General Greene Hotel in Greensburg, which has since been torn down and is now a landmark. The Lefevre house was his summer estate where he grew flowers and vegetables for the hotel. He also kept hotel carriages at the house. In 1941, Thelma and Ernest Lefevre bought the house. Prior to her death, Thelma arranged for the house to be donated to Historic Hanna’s Town along with the funds to transport and reconstruct it on site.A lot of work had to be done before construction could begin. Student workers from Indiana University of Pennsylvania as well as members of the Archeological Society had to conduct a study to make sure any important landmarks were not being covered up with the building of the Lefevre House. After the study was conducted and cleared the construction could begin. The edges of the exterior wood were trimmed before reconstruction. The Society sent the pieces of wood away for age analysis to help tell a clearer and more accurate story.Today, the Lefevre House tells the story of how settlers in Hanna’s Town may have lived and what their houses would have looked like. When settlers first came to Hanna’s Town, their cabins would have been temporary and would only plan to live there for a year or two. Their temporary cabins would have been an 18 x 18 one floor log cabins with dirt floors. Cabins needed to be built quickly to provide adequate shelter from weather and other outside dangers.Since Robert Hanna owned the land, he would rent out three acres for residents to farm and build cabins on. These first year homes would be one room, have dirt floors, low ceilings, and an oil paper that was used for windows. As Hanna’s Town grew, more settlers came and at the height of the town, there were around 30 cabins and houses. Families may have had small animals and a small garden that was kept near the house. When the settlement grew and people decided to stay in Hanna’s Town, their cabins became more permanent and families would add more rooms onto their houses, changed their log fireplaces to stone fireplaces, and replacing the oil paper with glass window panes.

The Lefevre House is the newest reconstruction on site. The previous owners, Thelma, and Earnest Lefevre, donated the house to Hanna’s Town. This structure is a prime example of what houses and cabins would have looked like in the 18th-century. Unlike places similar to Colonial Williamsburg, Hanna’s Town had no businesses other than taverns and a blacksmith. The town was mainly made up of log homes with a fort in the middle of town. These log buildings came to the Americas by German and Swedish immigrants who came from heavily wooded areas. However, the styles were quickly adopted by the Scots-Irish, English, and African immigrants.

Lefevre House

The Memorial Plaque located at Historic Hanna's Town reads:"Early Efforts by the British Colonists in American to establish Fort Pitt at the Point where the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers joined were foiled by the French. After unsuccessful efforts by Washington in 1754 and Braddock in 1755 to regain the Fort during the French &amp; Indian War, General Forbes built a new road over the mountains in 1758. His army succeeded in ousting the French late that year.When the Treaty at Fort Stanwix, NY, was signed with the Iroquois Indians in late 1768, it finally paved the way for land ownership by Southwestern PA settlers. This encouraged pioneers to venture westward over Forbes Road. The largest village that developed along that road in Western Pennsylvania was Hanna's Town in 1769. It was named for pioneer Robert Hanna, who operated a tavern at his home. He served as a justice for Bedford County when it was formed in 1771 to include all of Southwestern Pennsylvania.Westmoreland County was formed from Bedford County, February 26, 1773, and Hanna's Town was chosen as its county seat. First Court Sessions were held at Hanna's House and Tavern, April 6, 1773, for what was the last county in the state formed under British rule and the first west of the mountains in Pennsylvania.Robert Hanna, born in Northern Ireland in 1736, came to this locale from York County. He secured his tract of land in 1769 and sold off lots in his town plan, Hanna also served as one of the trustees for Westmoreland County Government site selection.Signed at Hanna's Town, May 16, 1775, were the Hanna's Town Resolves, one of the earliest firm expressions of resistance to English tyranny. After the Revolutionary War erupted, Hanna's Town was the site of area militia musters, usually for defense against recurring Indian raids that plagued the frontier. Robert Hanna served as a Lieutenant of Lochry's Light Horse Militia Company in 1777-78.In one of the last acts of the Revolutionary War, a group of Indians abetted by British soldiers burned much of Hanna's Town, July 13, 1782, capturing several residents including Hanna's wife and daughter. The devastated village continued to serve as the Westmoreland County Seat until a new commission appointed by the State Government chose Newtown (Greensburg) in 1785.In poor health, Hanna died in 1786. The community he founded, no longer along a rerouted Forbes Road, faded into oblivion until about 200 years after it was started, when archaeologists and historians began the process of unearthing remains and reconstructing the village."The Memorial Plaque located at Historic Hanna's Town serves as a reminder of the history of not only Hanna's Town, but Southwestern Pennsylvania as well.

Located at Historic Hanna's Town, the Memorial Plaque is typically not shown on tours. The plaque is located on the hill above the Hanna's Town Fort and is easily accessible. There is little known about the origins of the plaque, but it pays tribute to the founding of Historic Hanna's Town and the early settlements of Westmoreland County.

Historic Hanna's Town Memorial Plaque

The first Conestoga Wagon crossed the Allegheny Mountains in the 1790s. There were some used in the French and Indian War (1754-1763). These wagons were used to haul freight over the winding Allegheny Mountains. Six Conestoga horses or oxen were needed to pull a loaded wagon. These wagons are often confused with a Prairie Schooner, but they both served different purposes. While Prairie Schooners were able to travel longer distances on subpar roads while carrying people, the Conestoga Wagons required adequate roads to move supplies, or they risked losing a wheel and crashing. On the frontier, the main roads were nothing more than a dirt path and often impossible to pass. The first Conestoga Wagons transported goods to the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains where pack-trains of animals were waiting to continue the journey west. The first group of wagons to successfully cross the mountains contained 6 Wagons in 1790.The Byers family immigrated from Germany in 1773 and settled 10-15 miles south of Historic Hanna’s Town. The history began when Conrad Byers built a log house on his farm for the safety of his family and neighbors during Native American raids. He built a grist mill for a distillery but it was eventually turned into a flour mill. The Conestoga Wagon at Hanna’s Town is from the estate of Frank T. Byers of Westmoreland County. The Wagon was built for John Byers, Sr. sometime before his death in 1835. The Wagon was used for transportation of whiskey from the Byers farm to Philadelphia and other eastern cities. It is said that the Wagon was used during the Whiskey Rebellion and remained in the family until the death of the last owner. Since then, the Conestoga Wagon was donated to the Westmoreland Historical Society and placed at Historic Hanna's TownThe Conestoga Wagon at Historic Hanna’s Town is made out of hickory, and Black/sour gum trees. The wagon was painted Prussian Blue on the body, and red on the running gear. The hoops were usually covered in white canvas. These hoops are not original and were replaced by a local carpenter, however the original hoops are in the shed. There is also a pack saddle on display inside the shed. It generally took around four men to do two months of continuous work to complete the wagon and its equipment. The Conestoga Wagon is a unique artifact at Historic Hanna’s Town, but they would not have been used in this region until after the American Revolution. Conestoga Wagons needed extensive care and established stops along the way where people could get help if needed. These types of shops were few and far between making it difficult to transport goods. It was not until the population grew and communities were established that these types of wagons became popular in this region. The establishment of Forbes Trail, National Road, and other major highways largely impacted the development of towns. It also created more roads and turnpikes which made Conestoga Wagons more popular and feasible to the region. The Conestoga Wagon reached its peak between the 1790's and late 19th century. Today, the Conestoga Wagon can be compared to a modern day shipping truck.The Conestoga Wagon display at Historic Hanna’s Town is an impressive display that depicts the westward advancement in Westmoreland County over hundreds of years.

The Conestoga Wagon is often confused with the Prairie Schooner. Unlike the Schooner, the Conestoga Wagon was designed to carry freight, not people. This Conestoga Wagon is a donated artifact, not original to the site, however, it was constructed between 1790 and 1830. Conestoga Wagons served a major role in trade and transportation after the American Revolution. In Westmoreland County, Conestoga Wagons helped develop roads, grow small outpost towns, and made travel and westward expansion feasible.

Conestoga Wagon

The Klingensmith House belonged to the Klingensmith family who emigrated from Germany. The family were bell makers and farmers until they immigrated in 1670 to Pennsylvania where most of the family remained in the Philadelphia area. Philip Klingensmith came to Southwest Pennsylvania through military duty where he served as a scout and courier under Forbes, Washington, and Bouquet in the French &amp; Indian War. He established Fort Klingensmith near Jeannette in 1769 and stayed there until nearly all of his family members were massacred in 1781.   In 1802, the Klingensmith's purchased a large farm in the Gilpin (Leechburg) area after receiving a land grant from the Pennsylvania Land Grant Commission. The origins of this Land Grant Commission can be traced back to 1682, when William Penn appointed Thomas Holme as Surveyor General. This office had many functions, and was responsible for accepting applications, issuing warrants, surveying tracts, verifying returns of surveys and granting patents for land in Pennsylvania. The Klingensmiths’ would have gone through this office to get their land grant. According to family tradition, Philip built the structure and then started his own farm. This house now stands at Historic Hanna’s Town after being moved and deconstructed in 1983.  The log house that is now at Historic Hanna’s Town shows typical German construction. The structure is 28’ by 19’. The logs are made out of chestnut and cut to be 18 inches square. The house has inverted V notching, contains a central chimney and numerous fireplaces. The house originally sat directly on the ground and has no type of foundation. The house is also unique because it has two front doors, not a front door and a back door. These amenities are typical to a German house. Restorations had to be made on the house to replace rotted wood and make the structure safer. The Klingensmith House shows the differences of architecture in Historic Hanna’s Town that would have been prominent at the time.The Klingensmith House shows the influence that German culture had on the area during the colonial period. It also shows the German culture and how it affected relationships in the family. During the 18th century, many settlers were kidnapped by Native Americans. These kidnappings helped them survive, as well as shift identities and allegiances. During the massacre that took the lives of the majority of the Klingensmith family in 1781, one child, Peter, was captured and raised by Native Americans. After 30 years, Peter returned to the Klingensmith Farm to claim his inheritance, however, when he arrived he received harsh treatment, and the family refused to recognize Peter as their own. Peter refused to give up his Native American ties, and he completely abandoned the German language. This shows that the German heritage ran deep in their family, and they were willing to give up one of their own to preserve this heritage and culture.The Klingensmith House is not original to Historic Hanna’s Town, but it serves as a reminder of the influence German culture had and still has on this area. The Klingensmith House is typically used for tours, programs, and special events.

Built in 1802, the Klingensmith House was donated to the Westmoreland County Historical Society and was later moved to Historic Hanna’s Town. The Klingensmith House reflects the influence German culture had on Southwestern PA, as well as shows the difference between typical German and American architecture. The house also shows the lasting effects German immigrants had and still have on our country today. In 1983, the Klingensmith House was deconstructed and has stood at Historic Hanna's Town since. The house has gone under little reconstruction to make it safer for use, and is now used for special events and programs.

Historic Hanna's Town

Historic Hanna's Town Blacksmith Shop

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information