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Author: keithnuttle
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Classification: queries
Message Board URL:
http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.indiana.counties...
Message Board Post:
I have been working on the Millers buried in the Clark's Chapel Cemetery. For many
years one of the little mysteries of the Miller family has been the inscription on Alva
Miller's tombstone "Born in Mahoning Co. Pa." While there is a Mahoning Twp
in Lawrence Co Pa, It is an obvious fact there is no Mahoning County in Pennsylvania
If you Google on "Mahoning Path" you will find that it is an ancient Indian
Trail. The Mahoning Path started at confluence of the Beaver and Ohio river and extended
north along the Beaver and then a long the Mahoning to what is now Youngstown and points
west. It was a "shortcut" from Fort Pitt /Fort Duquesne (Pittsburg) to Fort
Pontchartrain du d'Etroit (Detriot)
Following the Beaver River north, It had to pass with in a couple of miles or less of
the Miller farm which was in the southeastern corner of North Beaver Twp Lawrence Co. PA..
(About 3 miles northwest from the town of Wampum Pa.) There are many references to the
Mahoning Path, in books and article of all ages.
While it may not be correct, this is the most probably explanation for the inscription on
Alva Miller's tombstone. "Alva L. Miller Born in Mahoning Co. Pa." Or
translated "ALva L. Miller born on the Mahoning Path in the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania." To someone living in the area in the second quarter of the
1800's this would be an exact location in Pennsylvania, It would be as specific as
saying today they were in Lawrence Co Pa.
In some ways this was more specific than saying Lawrence Co, Two years before Alva's
Grandfather John Miller bought the farm in 1801, it was Allegany Co. It became Beaver Co
in 1800, and then Lawrence Co in 1849. Note: Alva was born on this farm in 1826
If you are interested in my reference on the Mahoning Path or on the Miller family please
feel free to contact me
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