The French Creek Council is pleased to announce the issue of a limited edition set of Council Shoulder strips designed in recognition of the 250th Anniversary of George Washington’s remarkable journey from Ft. Machault (Franklin, PA) to Ft. LeBoeuf (Waterford, PA), in the fall of 1753. Two hundred fifty years ago, in November 1753, 21 year-old George Washington was called upon by Virginia's Governor to make an arduous journey to the French in northwestern Pennsylvania. He was sent on a mission to gather strategic information about the French for the British, and to warn the French that they were encroaching on British territory At that time, French Creek was not known by this name. The early French name for the waterway was "Rivière au Boeuf" or "The Buffalo River" due to the number of bison in our region at that time. The natives called the it Venango, or "Otter River". Upon his arrival at the French Fort Machault (present-day Franklin, PA), George Washington wrote in his journal that the party had finally reached "the French Creek." Although it was called "Venango River" on many maps even up through the late 1800's, the river is now definitely known as French Creek as named in Washington's 1753 journal entry. So, in effect, George Washington named our Council when he journeyed through it! When Washington arrived at Fort Machault, the French sent him north to Fort LeBoeuf (present-day Waterford, PA) along the Venango Trail, which followed French Creek. He arrived at Fort LeBoeuf in mid-December 1753. Washington accepted the French Commander's written response to the British-- a refusal to leave the region which the French asserted was their rightful territory. If the British wanted to claim the area for themselves, in other words, they would have to fight the French to get it. So Washington and his party headed south on French Creek and returned to Virginia by January of 1754. The British had been made well aware of French plans for the Ohio and Mississippi Basin. Washington's trip to the French Creek region in 1753 uncovered the degree of French military preparedness. The French and Indian War began soon after, in part precipitated by the French Commander's refusal of the British request to leave the French Creek region. As for our Council strips, there are four new designs (as pictured): 

1) The first shoulder strip has a likeness of Washington’s signature with the British flag in the background, noting that Washington took this journey as a British subject. 

2) The second features Washington’s signature with the old French flag in the background, commemorating the fact that he was sent to visit the French.

3) The third features the signature over a wampum belt that symbolizes the Iroquois Confederacy – the natives who inhabited the French Creek valley at that time. The pattern, known as "Hiawatha's Belt". was composed of five figures. In the center was a great tree under which the Iroquois met in council. On either side of the central device were two differently sized squares. The squares were connected to each other, and to the central device by a narrow band. The five devices represent the five original tribes, the Seneca, the Cayugas, the Onondaga, the Oneida, and the Mohawk.

4) The fourth patch is a facsimile map of the area, showing the approximate locations of the French Forts at that time and the route Washington took along French Creek to Ft. Le Boeuf. 

The pictures here don’t do the patches justice. We invite you to stop in to the Council office to see them for yourself – in color. As these are a special commemorative issue and the patches are larger than standard shoulder patches (3" X 5"), the patches will be sold for $6 each or the set of 4 for $20. They will be available for purchase starting February 22 (Washington’s birthday!) and, to guarantee their value over time, after these are gone, no more will be made. No advance orders will be accepted.