Historic Hanna's Town

I can't believe it's been six months since my last post.  So much for posting something each week!  But, as some of you know, we've discovered ancestors from another branch of the family tree who were passengers on the Mayflower and researching them has kept me from keeping up with the posts regarding the research on our Klingensmith ancestors.  Well, with any luck, I'll be able to post more frequently in the coming months.

So why, after 6 months, have I decided to add to my blog?  Well, just yesterday (July 6, 2013), my Mom, my niece Samantha and I visited Historic Hanna's Town in Greensburg, PA, to watch a re-enactment of actual court cases that were tried at the court in Hanna's Town during colonial and Revolutionary War times.  One of our cousins, a member of the I.B.W.C.P. Proctors Militia Re-enactment Group, portrayed one of the accused, so we didn't want to miss it!

Hanna's Town was the first English Court west of the Allegheny Mountains and many cases were tried there between 1773 and 1786.

In addition to the court cases, the great thing about visiting Hanna's Town is that it is a place where our ancestors would've walked.  Did they live in Hanna's Town?  No, but as they lived in Westmoreland County and Hanna's Town, at the time, was the county seat of Westmoreland County, they would have visited from time to time.

Our ancestors, John "Blockhouse" Philip & Catherine (Walthour) Klingensmith, built their blockhouse in Jeannette, Westmoreland County, PA*.  Our Caldwell ancestors, Samuel and Elizabeth (Grimes) Caldwell, lived in Salem Twp, Westmoreland County, PA.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, "Blockhouse" Philip was believed to be among the signers of the Hanna's Town Resolves (document directly challenging British authority), which were signed in Hanna's Town in May 1775.

Regarding our visit yesterday, in addition to watching the reenactment of the court sessions, and touring the buildings at Hanna's Town, we had a great time visiting with our cousins Tom and Wade and Wade's son, Wade, and meeting three additional Klingensmith cousins!  So in all, there were 9 Klingensmith decendants present yesterday!

Tom, Wade and Wade are all a part of the Militia re-enactment group, which gave several demonstrations throughout the day, teaching visitors about life in the Militia, weapons they used, etc.

Pictures of the day have been posted to the Caldwell Oswald Family Reunion Group on Facebook, if you'd like to check them out.  If you're not a part of the Group, please let me know.

Before I finish this post, I wanted to share this link, which is one account of how Philip & Christina Klingensmith died.  July 2, 2013, marked the 232nd anniversary of their death.

During the raid, one of their children, John Peter, was captured and was raised by his captors.  The link below tells his amazing story.

http://noel.mcn.org/Westmoreland/WhitePeter.htm

Thanks for reading!  As always, please feel free to ask questions, post comments, etc.

Angie

*I wanted to correct a mistake in one of my earlier posts.  The blockhouse built by Philip was built in the area now know as Jeannette, not Hempfield Twp., as I had originally posted.

As a matter of fact, it's thought to have been built near where the Elliott Company now stands.