Even the casual follower of history has read or heard of the exploits of frontiersman Daniel Boone. His homestead is located in Berks County Pennsylvania. But his cousin, Hawkins Boone, who settled in the Susquehanna Valley, is a lesser-known name. As a defender of the local frontier, Hawkins gave his life at the Battle of Fort Freeland in Northumberland County.
Read More
As early as 1731 traders had left written records of the Shawnee Indian village of Ohesson, ruled over by Chief Kishacoquillas in an area that is now Lewistown, Mifflin County. The Scotch-Irish, who first settled in the area, were undaunted by the burning of Fort Granville in August of 1754, and returned to establish new communities.
In 1771, the Susquehanna River was declared a public highway by the provincial assembly, and a sum of money appropriated to render it navigable. But a fateful steamboat explosion near Berwick in May of 1826, ended efforts to navigate its shallow currents and rapids.
