Settlement in Washington County Pennsylvania
Jacob MULLER (Miller) and his brothers,
Christopher and Francis arrived in Philadelphia by ship in
September of 1753. Court records show that Jacob spent some
time in Maryland before going on to western Pennsylvania.
(Another brother, Frederick, probably accompanied them, but
was too young to be listed in the ship's passengers by name.)
The brothers settled on a fork of the Buffalo Creek in what is now Washington Co, PA,with six other German families. In 1776 this area was Ohio County, Virginia and not until 1781 did it become Washington Co, Pennsylvania. If you would like to visit this area today it is north of US40 at Washington, PA. There is a man-made lake on the Miller land today, called Dutch Fork Lake. The Miller cemetery is on the narrow road leading to the lake, on the right, with the lake a short way ahead.
The cemetery is well-kept with a wrought iron fence surrounding it, a large granite monument dedicated to the pioneers who lie there, modern tombstones marking their graves, as well as time worn monuments.
In the quiet beauty of the heavily wooded area, no hint is given of the terrors of one spring day in 1782 --- until the markers are read.
Jacob Miller killed by Indians March 31, 1782
John Hupp killed by Indians March 31, 1782
The story is told in "History of Washington Co,
PA" (Creigh 1870) by John C.Hupp, grandson of the above John
Hupp. Jacob Miller and John Hupp
unaware of the impending Indian attack went to look for a
stray colt and were overcome by the Indians, who then attacked
the Miller fort. John Hupp's widow undertook the lead in
defending the group within the fort. Later in the day,
three men from a nearby fort arrived to help, and by nightfall
the Indians withdrew.
A number of books have been written about the
families who lived on the Dutch Fork of the Buffalo River, in
particular several on Jacob Miller. Most of the historical
information on these pages is from a booklet by Dr. Raymond M.
Bell of Washington, PA,
"The DUTCH FORK SETTLEMENT OF
DONEGAL TOWNSHIP, WASHINGTON CO, PA" 1978
The Rice Colony - L R Smith
The History of the Jacob Miller Family of Donegal Township,
Washington Co, PA - Elizabeth Jane Miller Hack (64 pages)
Also see back issues of "The KEYHOLE" magazine of the
Genealogical Society of Southwestern PA.