At the age of 18, William Edward Charles of Snyder County, near Port Trevorton, was hired to tend four mules towing two canal boats from Port Trevorton to New York City and back in 1888. His diary entries in June and July provide insightful content on canal life as seen through his eyes.
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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.
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.
