Venango Path

Venango was the name of an Indian village located in Western Pennsylvania where French Creek empties into the Allegheny River. The city of Franklin is presenly at the same location. Venango (Indian word for “A mink”) is also the name of an Indian Path (or Trail) that ran between Lake Erie and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

It is often stated, erroneously, that in 1763 George Washington and his guide Christopher Gist used the Venango Path during one of Washington’s trips into the area.

Washington, Gist and a party of three other men and four friendly Indians used the Logstown Path (Not the Venango Path) to travel from the Indian village of Logstown (near Ambridge, PA) to Fort LeBoeuf (Waterford, PA) with a message to the French commander there from the Governor of Virginia..

On their way back Washington and Gist left the Logstown Path at Murthering Town (or Murdering Town) located at or near Harmony, PA. on what Gist called the Great Beaver Creek (Today called Connoquenessing Creek) From there the two men traveled “across country” through the forest with the use of a compass to Etna, PA and then down-river a very short distance to the Indian village of Shannopin”s Town – their destination on that lap of their trip back to the governor’s Mansion in Williamsburg, Virginia. (Information obtained from George Washington’s Journal and also Christopher Gist’s Journal reporting the trip)

According to Paul Wallace in his “Indian Paths of Pennsylvania” Washington and Gist traveled on no trail from Murthering Town to Shannopin’s Town.

Thus, Washington and Gist did not travel – either way – on what is known as the Venango Trail – unless you take into consideration a relatively short distance on the upper, or northern-most part, of the two trails that follow the same course from present day Crolls Mills, through Harrisonville to Franklin.

From Pittsburgh the Venango Trail ran north through West View and Perrysville, passes just west of Wexford to Warrendale. From there it closely followed the present Franklin Road through Evans City to Franklin, and then on to Presque Isle.

During the early French and Indian War years, when the French occupied Western Pennsylvania, the trail became a military road connecting together a string of French Forts from Lake Erie to Pittsburgh —--- Fort de la Presque Isle located on Lake Erie, Fort Le Boeuf at Waterford, Fort Machault at Venango and Fort Duquesne at Pittsburgh.

When the British drove the French from Western Pennsylvania (1758) the French burned and abandoned all four forts. The British promptly rebuilt all four again in 1759, changing the name Fort Machault to Fort Venango, and Fort Duquesne to Fort Pitt. Thus the British continued to use the Venango Trail as a military road.

During Chief Pontiac’s War four years later (1763) hostile Indians burned Forts Presque Isle, Le Boeuf and Venango. Following the Battle of Bushy Run, where a British army defeated several hostile tribes, the Indians moved into Ohio and westward. The Venango Trail was no longer used as an Indian trail. All hostilities ceased in Western Pennsylvania so there was no further major military use of the trail.

The Franklin Road remains today a narrow, winding, asphalt ribbon carrying little or no traffic. As one travels the scenic tree-lined curves and rises of the old Venango Path one can almost sense the ghosts of Indians walking along silently in single file, or hear the rattle and rumble of soldiers struggling by.

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