Making Local History Come Alive

As a Humanities Liaison Librarian, I have tried to make students more aware of resources in our area.   With students here from all over the world, I hope that they will use their time on our campus not only to make use of on-campus learning opportunities, but also to get a taste of the local culture.

For example, the eastern part of our state is well-known for its importance during the American Revolution, but growing up in Western Pennsylvania, I was much more aware of the historical sites from the French and Indian War.   Also known as the Seven Year’s War or the War For Empire, it is hard to imagine how different the history of our country might have been if the British had lost this war.

Within driving distance of our campus are Fort Ligonier, Fort Necessity, Fort Bedford, Fort Pitt, Bushy Run Battlefield, Forbes Road, and Braddock’s Road (which was fascinating to me as a child because General Braddock had been buried in the middle of it).

History students could visit all of these sites in a long weekend or learn more about them at the following websites:

French and Indian War in Pennsylvania – http://explorepahistory.com/story.php?storyId=1-9-6

Braddock’s Road – http://www.braddockroadpa.org/

Bushy Run Battlefield – http://bushyrunbattlefield.com/

Forbes Road – http://www.warforempire.org/visit/forbes_trail.aspx

Fort Bedford – http://www.fortbedfordmuseum.org/

Fort Ligonier – http://fortligonier.org/

Fort Necessity – http://www.nps.gov/fone/index.htm

Fort Pitt – http://www.heinzhistorycenter.org/fort-pitt/

For anyone who might be interested, the 252^nd Anniversary of the Battle of Bushy run will be commemorated this weekend, August 1 and 2 2015.