Pitcairn High School - Retrospect Yearbook (Pitcairn, PA)

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As a rule these early traders and trappers built no cabins and left nothing of perman- ence, but it chanced that one of the earliest hunters and traders in the valley left much that remains permanent even to this day. This early trader of two hundred years ago made the first clearing in the wilderness, built the first log cabin, and with his wife and fam- ily established the first white man 's home in the valley. This rude log home was built on the north bank of the Monongahela River west of its junction with Turtle Creek, a short distance below East Pittsburgh. The exact time of the coming of John Fra- zier to our valley is unknown, but we do know that when visited by George Washington in 1753 a well-established cabin, built doubtless several years before, was occupied by the Frazier family. The name Turtle Creek is the oldest his- toric name in Pitcairn, or in the Valley, the name being first recorded by George Washing- ton in his journal entry of November 22, 1753 when he wrote, The excessive rains and vast quantities of snow which had fallen prevented our reaching Mr. l razier's, an Indian trader, at the mouth of Turtle Creek on Monongahela River, till Thursday the 22nd. Knowledge of the name of the Creek by the side of the cabin could only have been impart- ed to the illustrious guest of November 22, 1753, by John Frazier, for he was the first white man to know anything about the creek. The second oldest name in Pitcairn is The Dirty Camp. The story back of this uncouth name is of real interest to all who would know the earliest days of our town. The Indians in 1763 became alarmed because the coming tides of white men, ever surging westward over the mountain trails, were driving them slowly but surely away from their hunting grounds west of the Alleghenies. For the first time in the history of the various tribes of the victimized Indians they banded together under the leadership of Chief Pontiac, a natural born leader. Fort Pitt, being one of the outposts of the white man, was marked for destruction. In the early summer of 1763 the Fort was besieged and cut off from all outside aid by the greatest army of Indians ever assembled. News of the plight of the Fort having reach- ed Philadelphia, an army of relief was hastily recruited and sent westward over the old Forbes Road under command of Colonel Bou- quet. The Indians, through spies, learning of the coming of the army of relief, planned to way- lay and destroy the advancing white men, as they had done at Braddock's field just nine years before. In carrying out this plan, the Indians sud- denly abandoned their siege of Fort Pitt and hurrying a day's journey towards the East. intended to trap Colonel Bouquet before his arrival at the Fort. At the end of the day's march, the Indian Army pitched their camp along the north bank of Turtle Creek at the junction of an- other small creek Howing from the north. In this great meadow the Indians built a city of wigwams, while their scouts hurried towards the east to watch for the approach of Colonel Bouquet. While the spies were out on this mission, the main Indian Army remained in their camp, during the last part of July and the early days of August, 1763. During the night of August 4, 1763, Indian spies hurried into the camp bringing news that Colonel Bouquet and his army had moved out of Fort Ligonier and were on their march to Fort Pitt. At daybreak, August 5, 1763, the whole In- dian camp was astir with preparation to am-I bush and destroy the army of Colonel Bou- quet. About one o'clock in the afternoon, the white men marching west from Ligonier, and the red men moving east from their camp along Turtle Creek, met in savage combat about one mile east of Harrison City. The details of this famous battle of Bushy Run may be found in many histories, but for our purpose it is sufficient to note that the In- dians were totally defeated and fled in wild haste down the valley to their camp on Turtle Creek where they hurriedly gathered such belongings as would not impede their Hight. Next day Colonel Bouquet marched his army down the Indian trail, until they came to the abandoned camp on Turtle Creek. Conditions in and about the camp on that hot August day in 1763 were so disgustingly filthy, that Bouquet, in identifying its loca- tion, marked the site The Dirty Camp, and the smaller creek flowing down from the north Dirty Camp Run. The probable site of The Dirty Camp was the land now cover- ed by the P.R.R. Yards, between the Passen- ger Station and Wall Boro. When six years later in 1769, the land on Turtle Creek at the mouth of Dirty Camp Run was transferred by the Commander of CContinued on page 135 el efven

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Fort Pitt to Aneas McKay the 300 acre tract so conveyed was marked on the warrant, The Dirty Camp Tract. When John Frazier built and occupied his cabin on the banks of Turtle Creek. he was a resident of Lancaster County. Later, Cum- berland County was formed and included all land westward to the Ohio Country. Bedford County was created out of Cumberland County and the new County included our Val- ley and all west to Ohio. ln 1773 a new County called 1Vestmoreland was carved out ot' Bedford County. lts first County seat was the log village of Hannas- town, which became the first organized seat of justice west ol' the Allegheny Mountains. Ilannastown, having been burned in 1782 and most of its inhabitants massacred by the lndians, a new county seat was established in Greensburg. ln 1788 we became a part of Allegheny County. Thus the site of our town. during the first fifty years of its history, was in turn a part of five different Counties. The roughness and dangers of the wilder- ness being somewhat softened by the coming of the trappers and traders and subdued by the marching soldiers, the next important event was the coming of the first settlers. The records in our Court House disclose that prior to 1769 one Aneas McKay then a resident of Fort Pitt, in riding up the Turtle Creek Val- ley, a few miles up from Frazier's cabin, came to a rich valley known as the Dirty Camp. Staking out a large sized plantation. which included the old Dirty Camp, he returned to Fort Pitt and in 1769, persuaded the Com- mander, lit. Colonel .lohn Reid. to make for him a warrant for the staked out claim. From the yellow pages of a century-old his- tory of 1Vestern Pennsylvania. we quote: Prior to 1769. Aneas McKay, by permission of the lit. Colonel John Reid made improve- ments at Dirty Camp on Turtle Creek on the road from Fort Ligonier to Fort Pitt. This 300 acre tract was laid out triangular in form, with the Southern point of the tri- angle in the eastern end of 1Vall Borough known as Moss Side. The western boundary extended from that point in a north westerly direction through the present R.R. Yards through the Brick Yards, along the alley be- tween Kenney and 1Vall Avenues crossing the Run near St. Michael 's Church, and contin- uing along the hillside to Creighton Avenue and Ninth Street. The northern boundary extended from Creighton Avenue eastwardly along Ninth Street and across the valley east of Ninth Street to the Fairview Cemetery. The third and eastern boundary was a long line extending from the Fairview Cemetery. south westwardly, somewhat east of the house of Charles Yocum and across the creek through the R. R. Yards to the place of begin- ning in Moss Side in 1Vall. Thus, this early grant to Aneas McKay included a large part of the R.R. Yards. as well the greater por- tion of our borough. Since Aneas McKay was the first owner of the ground upon which Pitcairn was built. we should know something about his life. Arriving in Fort Pitt, then a small village of a few log cabins built around the Fort, he soon became one of its prominent citizens. Later. he doubtless intended to build for himself and his family a home on this newly acquired land. the Dirty Camp tract. However, before he had completed his plans. the Revolutionary War broke out, and McKay, being a man of military experience, organized tl1e Sth Regi- ment of Pennsylvania Volunteers, largely from men of the then Westmoreland County. Being chosen Colonel of the Regiment. he mobilized his men at Kittanning, then a small settlement on the Allegheny River. After a brief period of training, Colonel McKay marched his regiment over the mountain trails eastward to Philadelphia. ln crossing the mountain wilderness in January, 1777. his men poorly clad and without shelter under- went untold suffering to such an extent that a large number of the men died from ex- posure on the wayg among them being the gallant Colonel McKay. After two months of struggling over moun- tains through ice and snow, the now depleted band of soldiers reached Philadelphia. Here the Regiment was re-organized. Dan- iel Broadhead became Colonel and Stephen Bayard was chosen Major. The name of Step- hen Bayard enters the story of Pitcairn be- cause he became the husband of Colonel Mc- Kay's daughter, Elizabeth, who after the death of her father inherited his estate. In following the 8th Pennsylvania Regi- ment from Philadelphia, we find them first a part of the army of Mad Anthony VVayne and later under command of General Gates, when they helped defeat the British at Saratoga. After Saratoga they spent tl1e winter of 1777 and 1778 with Wasliiiigton at Valley Forge. From Valley Forge they were sent into the 1Vyoming Valley of Pennsylvania to protect the settlers from the ravages of the Indians. CContinued on page 155 thirtz-en