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402:, Shawnee Indians raided the farms of William White and William Anderson, killing all but one of the inhabitants, a 15-year-old boy. Because of the war, many local settlers had taken refuge in Fort Robinson, but some had decided to return to their farms to harvest their fields. A dozen men from the fort, including three of George Robinson's sons, volunteered to try to reach those settlers who were harvesting in order to warn them. They also hoped to encounter the Shawnee war party and drive them off. The Shawnees discovered that they were being followed and ambushed the Robinson party at
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365:. In his first-person account published in 1811, he states that he was living at the time outside Robinson's Fort. Due to recent attacks by Indians, most of the local population had taken refuge inside the fort. Nearly all the adult males were either working in the fields and only two men remained at the fort as guards. Gibson, his mother, and Elizabeth Henry, a neighbor, were outside the fort looking for lost cattle when they were attacked by
282:. It occupied a site...located on a tableland with a good view of the surrounding country...The lowlands below were heavily wooded with large oak and maple, which also afforded protection in going to the fort. A spring was located at the foot of the bluff where water was secured with the least exposure, the distance from the stockade being only the steep bank — probably twenty feet...The fort was evidently in the nature of a
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338:. The fort was built with private funds by local settlers and most likely consisted of a stockade surrounding a two-storey blockhouse, typical of non-military forts of that period. As of July, 1756 the fort was capable of housing 40 men and their families, although no militia were posted there. It was not occupied unless settlers needed to move there for security.
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were dug near the 1922 historical marker. Dozens of unproductive pits were dug in 2006, 2007 and 2008. In 2009, the dig was moved to the former location of the Fort
Robinson Railroad Station, but no evidence of the fort was uncovered. Archaeologists are now investigating another site, along an old
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In late 1756, men at the fort were alerted when a boy arrived reporting that his parents and siblings were killed by
Indians. This event is referred to as the Woolcomber Massacre. Forty men were sent out from the fort to the Woolcomber homestead to bury the deceased. On 10 January 1758 James
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406:, killing five of them before the settlers fled. Two of George Robinson's sons, William and Thomas, were killed, but Robert Robinson escaped. He and the other survivors took several days to return to the fort. This encounter is known as the Battle of Buffalo Creek.
373:." Elizabeth Henry was also captured, but the two were separated and Gibson never saw her again. Indians attacked the fort at the same time, killing a woman and a guard before the men in the fields returned to drive them off.
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The fort was located centrally in
Shearman's Valley, on high ground with visibility in all directions. It stood close to a well-traveled trade route from Shearman's Valley to Harris' Ford, later the site of
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Timothy Alden, "An
Account of the Captivity of Hugh Gibson among the Delaware Indians of the Big Beaver and the Muskingum, from the latter part of July 1756, to the beginning of April, 1759,"
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The fort was most likely abandoned after hostilities in
Pontiac's War ended in late 1764. Traces of the fort were still visible in 1896, in an orchard planted after the fort was torn down.
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390:: "I took with (me) 19 men & ranged from this Fort as far as Robinson's Fort, where I lodged, keeping a guard of six men & one Corporal on Centry that night."
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Map of
Fortifications on the Pennsylvania frontier in 1756, showing "Robinson's Blockhouse" to the right of the center of the first page.
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A Selection of Some of the Most
Interesting Narratives, of Outrages, Committed by the Indians, in Their Wars with the White People,
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Heard, Joseph Norman, "The
Assimilation of Captives on the American Frontier in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries." (1977).
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History of Perry County, Pennsylvania, including descriptions of
Indians and pioneer life from the time of earliest settlement,
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This article is about a historic fort in
Pennsylvania, U.S.. For the historic fort located in Nebraska, see
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D. A. Kline, Luke Baker, "Account of Fort Robinson," Historical Society of Perry County, Pennsylvania, 1924
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and two other sons, William and Thomas, were killed defending Fort Robinson in 1763. His grandson,
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and was the only source of protection for the traveler along the Allegheny Path between the
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History of Perry County, in Pennsylvania, from the Earliest Settlement to the Present Time.
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A stone monument dedicated in 1922 by the Perry County Historical Society can be seen on
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Three Bloody Days in July: The Battle of Buffalo Creek in Perry and Juniata Counties,
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Three Bloody Days in July: The Battle of Buffalo Creek in Perry and Juniata Counties,
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Joe G. Darlington, "Addresses on Historic Places and Eminent Men: Fort Robinson,"
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Report of the Commission to Locate the Site of the Frontier Forts of Pennsylvania,
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Lancaster, PA: Wylle & Griest, Printers, Book-binders and Stereotyping, 1873
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Reconstructed stockade and blockhouse similar to the original Fort Robinson.
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warriors. Gibson's mother was killed and he was taken captive by "a son of
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672:"Fort Robinson: Pennsylvania Historical Marker," Waymarking.com, June 2012
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National Historical Association, The Telegraph Press, Harrisburg, PA, 1936
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Indian trail known as the "New Path" or the "New Trail" where it crosses
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Don Morfe, "Fort Robinson," Historical Marker Database, February 7, 2023
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The fort was built on a bluff overlooking Bixler's Run, a tributary of
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Wade Fowler, "Researcher digs to find location of historic site,"
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Book 1 of Perry Heritage Collection. Genesis Capital Group, 2011
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Book 1 of Perry Heritage Collection. Genesis Capital Group, 2011
246:. The fort was constructed in "Shearman's Valley," now known as
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for the security of settlers moving into the area following the
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The earliest reference to the fort comes from the narrative of
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Pete Payette, "Pennsylvania Forts: Southern Pennsylvania II,"
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Attempts to locate and excavate the fort began in 2006, when
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Approximate location of Fort Robinson in Pennsylvania
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Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society,
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Bloomfield, Pennsylvania, Wed, Sep 14, 1932; Page 1
614:A history of the Juniata Valley in three volumes,
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230:(often referred to in contemporary documents as
16:18th century fort in Pennsylvania, United States
447:. A historical marker, erected in 1947 by the
270:Harry Harrison Hain describes the fort in his
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631:A. Loudoun Press, Carlisle, 1811; pp. 181-186
449:Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
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543:Vol. 1, State Printer of Pennsylvania, 1896
443:(Fort Robinson Road) on Bixler's Run, near
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601:LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses.
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445:Northeast Madison Township, Pennsylvania
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252:Northeast Madison Township, Pennsylvania
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192:up to 40 men, local settlers
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1455:French and Indian War forts
760:Battle of the Great Meadows
248:Shermans Dale, Pennsylvania
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272:History of Perry County
102:40.367133°N 77.390183°W
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441:Pennsylvania Route 850
347:Capture of Hugh Gibson
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232:George Robinson's Fort
1450:Forts in Pennsylvania
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1071:Heinrich Zeller House
961:Fort Juniata Crossing
831:Kittanning Expedition
810:Gnadenhütten massacre
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685:North American Forts,
521:Harry Harrison Hain,
451:, is visible nearby.
398:In July 1763, during
324:James Fisher Robinson
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164:French and Indian War
107:40.367133; -77.390183
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847:Hochstetler massacre
328:governor of Kentucky
312:justice of the peace
174:Garrison information
134:Privately owned land
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800:Great Cove massacre
785:Braddock Expedition
659:Perry County Times,
627:Archibald Loudoun,
539:Clarence M. Busch,
382:Patterson wrote to
377:Woolcomber Massacre
250:, near present-day
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642:Dennis J. Hocker,
461:Dennis J. Hocker,
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271:
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227:
226:
160:Battles/wars
139:Site history
36:Perry County
1359:communities
1190:New Buffalo
1180:Millerstown
1130:County seat
1006:Fort McCord
1001:Fort Manada
951:Fort Hunter
916:Fort Bigham
739:during the
418:Archaeology
388:Fort Hunter
371:King Beaver
359:Hugh Gibson
284:block house
152:In use
105: /
93:77°23.411′W
90:40°22.028′N
81:Coordinates
1429:Categories
1377:Green Park
1324:Wheatfield
1185:Bloomfield
1175:Marysville
1165:Landisburg
1137:Bloomfield
946:Fort Henry
921:Fort Depuy
901:Fort Allen
483:References
336:Harrisburg
292:Kittatinny
234:or simply
210:Designated
181:commanders
1372:Dellville
1347:Loysville
1342:Ickesburg
1309:Tuscarora
1259:Liverpool
1239:Greenwood
1216:Townships
1170:Liverpool
1160:Duncannon
1026:Fort Pitt
424:test pits
300:Tuscarora
155:1755-1764
1147:Boroughs
892:Frontier
298:and the
280:stockade
189:Garrison
1304:Toboyne
1289:Saville
1254:Juniata
1249:Jackson
1229:Carroll
1224:Buffalo
1195:Newport
342:History
1382:Perdix
1314:Tyrone
1299:Spring
1274:Oliver
1264:Miller
1234:Centre
435:Legacy
367:Lenape
326:, was
1319:Watts
1155:Blain
894:Forts
386:from
144:Built
1367:Cove
1334:CDPs
1279:Penn
1244:Howe
861:1758
840:1757
819:1756
778:1755
748:1754
588:1837
213:1947
179:Past
147:1755
121:Fort
118:Type
1284:Rye
294:or
1431::
1133::
1118:,
531:^
513:^
491:^
431:.
330:.
302:."
274::
254:.
166:,
38:,
1105:e
1098:t
1091:v
729:e
722:t
715:v
23:.
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