The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-12-01
The Indian Walk.

Ahe Nhlks
Mr.. VIM. j. Buck, of Jenkintown,
Montgomery county, Pa, a well-known
and popular local historian, has just is
sued a small volume giving an account of
the noted "Indian Walk" with incidents
preceding and following it. William
Penn lad died, and his son Thomas was
now proprietor aud governor of Pennsyl-
vania. Settlements had extended up the
Delaware, and back into the interior
therefrom. There had been no definite
recorded treaty conveying land from the
Delaware Indians to the Proprietary, far
Their north than line commencing on the
Delaware near the mouth of Hough's
Creek extending across by the way of
Wrightstown to the Neshaniiny. 1t was
agreed that the Indians would cede and
convey all land north of that cross line,
extending above that line as far as a man
could walk in a day and half, and from
The end of that walk across 10 the Della
ware river. Previous to this Penn had
sold land lying along the river and back
thereform, as far up as Durham, and
even up the Lehgh. To this the Indians
objected and there was considerable dis
satisfaction. Finally, some two years be-
fore the final walk, Penn secretly had
persons to walk over the route TO see how
far it would extend, and what land it
would enclose. The history of the final
walk is pretty we'll. known TO the people
OF Bucks county. II started from chest
nut tree on the land of John Chapman, at
Wrightstown, at point near where the
70 arlx ha nup
ham road. The walkers aad their at
tendants proceeded up the Durham road
| to a point near Gallows Hill or Stony
Point, and then diverged to the left by
an Indian trail, crossing the Lehigh neal
what is now Bethlehem, then through
the Lehigh Gap to point near what is
now Mauch Chunk. The Indians were
dissatisfied, saying the men ran, etc, and
| refused to continue on the second day
| From the point where the walk stopped
line was run to the Delaware river.
| The Indians contested that this cross line
| should be run to the nearest point on the
river. The employees of Penn contended
that this cross line should extend at right
angles from the termination of the walk
This line was accordingly surveyed, and
| 1t did not strike the river until some
where above where Port Jervis now
stands, including what is now all Of
Northampton county, and part OF Lehigh,
Carbon, Monroe and Pike. This led tc
an enlargement with the Indians, whe
! had hitherto been friends of the Penns,
and finally to their joining the French
against the English, and iniiicting great
injury 10 the infant settlements, will
much loss Of life aud property.
The course and conduct of Thomas
Penn in the matter, as we'll as others. lee
to difficulty between him and the AS
sembly. The Society of Friends took NJ
the matter, and, with others, appealed t
the crown. There was a controversy fol
years, bat Penn, being almost an auto
crat in the government of the Colony OF
State, had the advantage over his oppo
nents, and the wrongs of the Indians ant
the honest were never redressed. Finally,
the War of the Revolution came, which
wrested the government of the State from
the hands of dissolute son of an honoret
sire. MIR. Buck says it is only Of lat,
that many records relative to the subject
have been found in England, aud are nov
in the possession of the Historical Societ,
of Pennsylvania, and that papers relativ,
to the walk were destroyed or suppressed
at the time by Penn aud his adherents.
The book is very interesting one tt
Bucks county readers. 1t also contains
biography of Marshall, who was the lead
er In the great walk, which shows how
meanly he was treated by Penn, ant
brings forth some facts in his history no
generally known. His home was in TIM
cum township, on an island in the Della
ware below Frenchtown, and his grave Il
in the Marshall grave yard, about tw
miles from the river in that township. 4
copy of this book has been presented T.
the Newtown Library by the author, ant
we presume he has them for sale.-Neu
| fo7on EnferDrise