Historical Markers
Marker Details
Name: Forbes Road (Fort Juniata)
Region: Laurel Highlands/Southern Alleghenies
County Location: Bedford
Marker Location: US 30, 6.2 miles E of Everett
Dedication Date: January 09, 1952
Region: Laurel Highlands/Southern Alleghenies
County Location: Bedford
Marker Location: US 30, 6.2 miles E of Everett
Dedication Date: January 09, 1952
Marker Text
At the Juniata Crossings, half a mile north of here, General Forbes erected a small stockade in 1758 to protect the communications of his army moving west to attack Fort Duquesne.
At the Juniata Crossings, half a mile north of here, General Forbes erected a small stockade in 1758 to protect the communications of his army moving west to attack Fort Duquesne.
Behind the Marker
The Juniata River was the only major water crossing that Forbes faced in his 1758 expedition. It came between
Fort Lyttelton and Fort Bedford, a segment of the Forbes Road that featured some very difficult terrain, including Sideling Hill (elevation 2,000 feet). Engineers cut switchbacks, or zigzagging paths with sharp turns, into the sides of such hills to make them passable for wagons and artillery.
Forbes's army forded the Raystown branch of the Juniata River near modern East Providence Township in Bedford County. In June and July, Forbes built storehouses on each side of the river at this point and a stockade on the west side, which was known as Fort Juniata.
Like many of the smaller fortifications along Forbes's route, Fort Juniata served little use after the completion of his campaign. In 1763, it was reported to be in an advanced state of decay and was abandoned.
The Juniata River was the only major water crossing that Forbes faced in his 1758 expedition. It came between
Fort Lyttelton and Fort Bedford, a segment of the Forbes Road that featured some very difficult terrain, including Sideling Hill (elevation 2,000 feet). Engineers cut switchbacks, or zigzagging paths with sharp turns, into the sides of such hills to make them passable for wagons and artillery.Forbes's army forded the Raystown branch of the Juniata River near modern East Providence Township in Bedford County. In June and July, Forbes built storehouses on each side of the river at this point and a stockade on the west side, which was known as Fort Juniata.
A diagram of the Juniata Crossing, created by Charles Stotz, shows the extensive...
Credit: Courtesy of Viginia Stotz, by permission of the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania
Credit: Courtesy of Viginia Stotz, by permission of the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania
Like many of the smaller fortifications along Forbes's route, Fort Juniata served little use after the completion of his campaign. In 1763, it was reported to be in an advanced state of decay and was abandoned.
Beyond the Marker
Charles M. Stotz, Outposts of the War for Empire: The French and English in Western
Louis M. Waddell and Bruce D. Bomberger, The French and Indian War in Pennsylvania:
Charles M. Stotz, Outposts of the War for Empire: The French and English in Western
Pennsylvania: Their Armies, Their Forts, Their People, 1749-1764 (Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1985).
Louis M. Waddell and Bruce D. Bomberger, The French and Indian War in Pennsylvania:
Fortification and Struggle During the War for Empire (Harrisburg, PA: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, 1996).
