History Of The West Branch Valley Of The Susquehanna

Along the wild West Branch of the Susquehanna, survival was never guaranteed. The river remembers it all. In this sweeping chronicle of the colonial Susquehanna River valley, local historian John Franklin Meginness traces the first settlements, the harsh privations of the early pioneers, and the eruptions of Pennsylvania Indian wars that shaped the 18th century Pennsylvania frontier. From pioneer settlements and massacres to American frontier Indian conflicts, abductions and early American captivity stories, he records the making of a community at the very edge of empire, with particular attention to the unique Fair Play system and the desperate exodus remembered as the Big Runaway.First published in the late nineteenth century, History of the West Branch Valley of the Susquehanna stands as a foundational work of Pennsylvania local and early American frontier history, valued by readers and classic-literature collectors alike. It serves as a detailed regional history reference book of the Susquehanna West Branch Valley and a valuable resource for local historians and for genealogy research Pennsylvania wide, preserving names, places and traditions that might otherwise be lost. Out of print for decades and now republished by Alpha Editions. Restored for today’s and future generations. More than a reprint - a collector’s item and a cultural treasure. Carefully reproduced from historical sources, this enduring narrative of the colonial Susquehanna River valley invites readers to walk the ground of forts, cabins and clearings where danger was constant, loyalties were tested, and a distinctive frontier society took shape along the West Branch.