Program to focus on life, times of soldiers
FARMINGTON – The National Park Service will present a program on the life and times of the 1750s French soldier in western Pennsylvania on Saturday and Sunday. The public is invited to come and learn about the people who considered this region part of New France. The programs will be at the Jumonville Glen unit of the park.
Three cultures clashed in the Ohio River Valley in the 1750s, sparking the French and Indian War.
Trade with American Indians was important to colonists from European countries. Pennsylvania and Virginia traders were threatening the rich fur trade and communication routes of the French. The French sought a means to protect their interests. The French invasion of western Pennsylvania 250 years ago opened an exciting but little known chapter in American history.
Park staff and volunteers will demonstrate the clothing and equipment of the French soldier through formal programs at 11 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m. and will be on site both days from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Visitors are encouraged to stop at the Visitor Center at Fort Necessity National Battlefield before going to Jumonville Glen.
There they can gain background information on the events surrounding the skirmish. The Jumonville Glen unit of the park is located six miles west of Fort Necessity.
In case of inclement weather, park service announced that the event will be at the Fort Necessity National Battlefield visitor center.
This weekend event commemorates the opening engagement of the French and Indian War, which occurred at Jumonville Glen on May 28, 1754.