The Old Stone House Museum

The Old Stone House, in conjunction with Historic Harmony museum, has recently reprinted an edition of The Journals of George Washington & Christopher Gist: Mission to Fort Le Boeuf, written during their historic journey through western Pennsylvania in the winter of 1753-1754.

The young Washington’s mission was to deliver a message demanding French withdrawal from territory claimed by the British; Gist was his guide.  This rivalry between France and Britain soon erupted into the conflict we know as the French and Indian War.  The journals shows a different side of George Washington; compared to the resolute commander of the American Revolution, this younger Washington is often unsure, overeager, and sometimes foolish – this makes for fascinating reading!

The journals were first published by Slippery Rock University in 2003 to mark the 250^th anniversary of Washington’s mission.  They are edited and annotated by former Slippery Rock University graduate student Kevin Kopper (Ph.D., Kent State University, 2005). The book includes a full bibliography of additional sources, as well as a foreword by the late Dr. David Dixon, a SRU history professor and scholar of the French and Indian War.

These journals are a record of a time when Western Pennsylvania was a major imperial battleground. Washington and Gist took care to describe the landscape and native peoples in great detail, making it an invaluable historical record.  Local history enthusiasts may also enjoy descriptions of  communities like Ambridge, Connoquenessing, West Liberty, Harrisville, and many others, long before their settlement by white Americans.

This historic journal is available for $7.95, with all proceeds from the sale going to support the Old Stone House museum.  Journals can be purchased by mailing check or money order to:

Please make checks payable to “SRU Foundation,” and indicate “Friends of the Old Stone House” in the item line.