Aaron Goes West and So Do We

Leaving Prince George's County Maryland we headed out the Beltway west to I270 then north to Frederick in Washington County where Aaron and Mary Prather Moore made their way with wagons and mules or horses. We didn't make any better time with the traffic than they but once we left I495 we made good time. Frederick is where Hosea was born on Christmas Day in 1763 as his family headed toward Springhill Township, Fayette County Pennsylvania. Actually we traveled on I70 & I68 through Northwest Maryland and West Virginia, up and down the Appalachians to Morgantown were we made camp by noon at Sand Springs Camping Area, a rustic campground in the mountains and trees northeast of the city. That gave us the afternoon to detach our trailer and take the Jeep north into Pennsylvania on 857 (same CR in WV & PA). Crossing the state line in just a few miles we were greeted by a sign stating "Springhill Township, Fayette County" and behind it "Welcome to Pennsylvania." Now we had to find "George's Creek," the only identification I had of Aaron's farm. Then crossing over to US119 at Smithfield and taking the road to Ruble Mill we continued to find a bridge over a good fresh running creek and next to it a municipal plant sign declaring it as "George's Creek." After taking our pictures we crossed the bridged and followed the gravel road along the creek for several miles, viewed an old abandoned house (Aaron's??), then back to the 857 and our traveling home. It felt good having been at least in the area of Aaron's property where he raise his family and called home as he fought in the Revolutionary war for the new republic of America that his father George had given to his decendants.

We had a quiet evening with no TV to interupt the sounds of night in the Appalacian mountains before heading west again next morning.