Credit: Library of Congress Geography and Map Division
Almost from the moment Europeans began settling in Pennsylvania they looked longingly to the west. In a way, this is the story of America, as each successive generation has looked to the west. Reasons were usually to gain free land, a new start, less governmental control, or simply the wanderlust of wondering what's over the next mountain. Yet, almost without fail, there was always someone else who laid claim to that same land. And very often, the issue was decided in blood.
