Washington Summit takes journey through forts
PENN TWP — Though the attendees remained seated in the Butler Country Club, the Washington's Trail 1753 annual summit group trekked across Western Pennsylvania’s forts through the presentations of experts Thursday, April 20.
The group, which is responsible for the red, white and blue Washington’s Trail circular signs along Routes 8 and 19, held its sixth summit featuring speakers, booths, food and camaraderie.
This year’s gathering was titled “George Washington’s Travel Guide to Frontier Forts,” and included talks about the first president’s visits to forts on his journey from Williamsburg, Va., to Fort LeBoeuf in Erie.
According to Joey Hamilton, chairman of the summit, this journey Washington took was prior to the start of the French and Indian War.
“The French and English had claimed the area,” she said. “Washington was tasked to ask the French to leave.”
Speakers covered Forts Cumberland, Necessity, Ligonier, Pitt, Machault and LeBoeuf.
Matt Gault, Fort Ligonier’s director of education, gave a talk on a friendly fire incident that occurred Nov. 12, 1758, when Washington nearly lost his life.
The story goes that English soldiers went out in a foggy, dusky evening to drive off a group of French soldiers near the fort. Washington’s men followed shortly after to provide relief for the English. The first group mistook the second group for the enemy, and the two fired on each other.
The mistake cost them dozens of men, but they took three enemy prisoners, Gault said.
He added that many accounts give contradicting details, and it’s difficult to discern the truth.
“So what actually happened on Nov. 12? I’m not sure we can answer all of (the) questions,” he said. “A different outcome could have sent our history into a different direction.”
Andy Masich, president and CEO of the Senator John Heinz History Center, also provided a rousing talk with interesting facts about Washington that kept the crowd laughing and engaged before the lunch hour.
The afternoon would proceed with more presentations and opportunities to converse with representatives from local historical organizations.
People like Debra Topinka and Gilla Leach, of the Bedford County Historical Society, drove two hours for the event.
“It’s important to what we’re presenting. It’s nice to hear something different ... brighten our horizons,” Topinka said. “When you just study local history, you’re limited in your knowledge of the big event.”
Walter Harriet and Joseph Urish, of Slippery Rock and Butler respectively, said they attended because they find history interesting.
“I’ve probably read 20 books in the past two years about George Washington traveling here,” Urish said.
Kevin Lutz, a volunteer for Historic Harmony, said he was particularly interested in the talk about Fort Necessity.
“It’s nice to get someone’s view you don’t know and small details,” he said.
He added that events like this are important for anyone to attend.
“If you forget your history, it’s all over. It’s to know where you came from,” he said.
For more information on Washington’s Trail 1953, visit washingtonstrail.org.
