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Archiver > PAARMSTR > 1998-06 > 0897120052


From: Ed Book <>
Subject: [PAARMSTR-L] American Indians
Date: Sat, 6 Jun 98 04:00:52 EDT


Connie M. wrote:
>By the early 1800's most of the American Indians were gone from this area
>and on their way westward. John Armstrong destroyed the Deleware Village
>of Kittanning in 1752 and from then until 1780's & 90's they were moving to
>Ohio and further West.
>Connie M.

Correct. After the French and Indian war, many of the Delaware and Shawnee
moved further west to the Muskingum in Ohio. There were some groups that
remained on the Allegheny until about the time of the Revolutionary War.
During it and the Indian Wars of the 1790's the usual attitude among
settlers in this area seems to have been that 'the only good Indian is a
dead Indian.' Southwestern PA was not a healthy place for Indians during
this period, and those who remained left. The history of the Revolutionary
War sadly includes several massacres of friendly and allied Indians by
various groups of settlers, just as the French and Indian War included the
massacre of the friendly Conestoga Indians of Lancaster Co. by the Paxton
boys (of Paxtang Twp., Dauphin Co.). A good reference book on this subject
is 'The Indian Wars of Pennsylvania' by Sipes.

I haven't been able to find any good evidence of any Indian settlements in
southwestern PA after the Rev. War period. (Anybody know of any?)

Indians mentioned as being in this area in the mid 19th century are most
likely Seneca Indians from the upper Allegheny Valley in New York who
frequently rafted lumber down the Allegheny River to Pittsburgh, and then
proceeded north by land. I suppose it's possible there might also have been
visits by the Delaware and Shawnees to gravesites, but since they had been
pushed, I believe, to Missouri and Oklahoma by this time, I suspect these
would have been somewhat rare.

Ed Book

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