Historical Timeline

Brief outline of the events shaping Somerset County.

Date Event
1749 Christopher GIST was first white man to enter county
1753 George WASHINGTON passes through Somerset county
1754, May 9-18 George WASHINGTON'S men cut a road through the southern portion of the county
1754, July 6 Treaty made between the Iroquois and the English ceding a large area of land including the eastern portion of the county to England.
1755, June General BRADDOCK'S army cuts a road through the southern portion of the county - en route to the famous battle, Braddock's defeat.
1758, August General FORBES forces cut a road through the northern portion of the county - the reknowned FORBES road.
1762, March The first record of permanent settlers living in the county
1768, March The Fort Stanwix treaty is signed by the Iroquois which sold vast areas of land to Thomas and Richard Penn for 10,000 English pounds. This area included Somerset County and ended all claims to Indian lands.
1769, April 3 Public land west of the Alleghenies is opened to settlers - including in this county.
1771, April 16 Brothers Valley township was formed.
1773 First taxes collected in Somerset county
1775, August 14 The Turkeyfoot Baptist church is founded.
1794 The Whiskey Rebellion begins in Berlin
1795, April 17 Somerset county was formed from Bedford county - Brunerstown is selected as county seat - name is changed to Somerset
1804, March 5 Somerset Borough is incorporated and the German Farmer is published, the first newspaper in the county.
1807 Shade Furnace erected - the first iron ore smelting furnace in the county
1848 Southampton Mills begins operation - the first commercial lumber mill in the county
1872 Keystone Coal and Manufacturing opened the first commercial coal mine in the county
1887 First high school in the county is established in Somerset Borough

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