The Big Spring near Luthersburg, Brady Township, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, was an important camp site and trail hub for the Great Shamokin Path and the Goschgoschink Path. The

Great Shamokin Path The Great Shamokin Path (also known as the "Shamokin Path") was a major Native American trail in the U.S. State of Pennsylvania that ran from the native village of Shamokin (modern-day Sunbury) along the left bank of the West Branch Susqueha ...

connected the

Susquehanna River The Susquehanna River ( ; Unami language, Lenape: ) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, crossing three lower Northeastern United States, Northeast states (New York, Pennsylvani ...

with the

Allegheny River The Allegheny River ( ; ; ) is a tributary of the Ohio River that is located in western Pennsylvania and New York (state), New York in the United States. It runs from its headwaters just below the middle of Pennsylvania's northern border, nor ...

, and extended across Pennsylvania from the native village Shamokin, on the

, to

Kittanning, Pennsylvania Kittanning ( ) is a borough in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is situated northeast of Pittsburgh, along the east bank of the Allegheny River. The population was 3,921 at the 2020 census. The name is ...

, on the

. The location of the Big Spring Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission Marker, dedicated December 29, 1950, is near US Route 322, on Pennsylvania Route 410, southwest of Luthersburg. The Big Spring was accessed by travelers after ascending the steep Anderson Creek Gorge for several miles, then turning west at what is now known as Chestnut Grove, Bloom Township, Pennsylvania. The Goschgoschink Path, later known as Mead's Path, begins at The Big Spring and proceeds to Thunderbird Spring (Old State Road), Sandy Valley Station, north of Reynoldsville, Jefferson County, thence through the Horme Settlement and slightly north of Emerickville to Brookville; north of

Clarion Clarion may refer to: Music * Clarion (instrument), a type of trumpet used in the Middle Ages * The Register (music), register of a clarinet that ranges from B4 to C6 * A Trumpet (organ stop), trumpet organ stop that usually plays an octave abov ...

, to West Hickory, Pennsylvania, in Forest County and the

. From here, travelers could journey to

Fort Le Boeuf Fort Le Bœuf (often referred to as Fort de la Rivière au Bœuf) was a fort established by the French during 1753 on a fork of French Creek (in the drainage area of the River Ohio), in present-day Waterford, in northwest Pennsylvania. The fort ...

and

Lake Erie Lake Erie ( ) is the fourth-largest lake by surface area of the five Great Lakes in North America and the eleventh-largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and also has the shortest avera ...

. In his report to Governor Robert Dinwiddie,

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

made reference to a beautiful rolling country, suitable for settlement, that he had found along the waters of French Creek. In 1788, brothers John and David Mead were ready to investigate Washington's story, and left

Fort Augusta Fort Augusta was a stronghold in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, in the upper Susquehanna Valley from the time of the French and Indian War to the close of the American Revolution. At the time, it was the largest British fort in Pennsylvan ...

, now

Sunbury, Pennsylvania Sunbury ( ) is a city and the county seat of Northumberland County in Pennsylvania, United States. Located in the Susquehanna Valley, Sunbury is positioned on the east bank of the Susquehanna River. Sunbury's roots stretch back to the early ...

, to explore the far west. They journeyed up mouth of Anderson Creek and turned at Coal Hill towards camp site and crossroads at The Big Spring. From there, they continued northwest on the Goschgoschink Path to the

Venango Path Venango Path was a Native American trail between the Forks of the Ohio (present day Pittsburgh) and Presque Isle, Pennsylvania, United States of America. The latter was located at Lake Erie. The trail, a portage between these important water rou ...

and the waters of French Creek. On May 12, 1788, the Mead brothers founded

Meadville, Pennsylvania Meadville is a city in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. The population was 13,050 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. The first permanent settlement in Northwestern Pennsylvania, Meadville is withi ...

, at the confluence of

Cussewago Creek Cussewago Creek is a long tributary to French Creek that is classed as a 4th order stream on the EPA waters geoviewer site. Variant names According to the Geographic Names Information System, it has also been known historically as: *Cassewag ...

and French Creek. During the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

, Major William McCelland departed Fort Loudoun, near

Chambersburg, Pennsylvania Chambersburg is a borough in and the county seat of Franklin County, Pennsylvania, Franklin County, in the South Central Pennsylvania, South Central region of Pennsylvania, United States. It is in the Cumberland Valley, which is part of the Gre ...

, on March 4, 1814, and marched a division of troops numbering 221 privates, three captains. five lieutenants and two ensigns along Anderson Creek to meet the Goschgoschink Path at the Big Spring. McClelland's division relieved American forces at

and later gave a good account of themselves at the

Battle of Chippewa The Battle of Chippawa, also known as the Battle of Chippewa, was a victory for the United States Army in the War of 1812, during its invasion on July 5, 1814, of the British Empire's colony of Upper Canada along the Niagara River. This battle ...

and

Battle of Lundy's Lane The Battle of Lundy's Lane, also known as the Battle of Niagara or contemporarily as the Battle of Bridgewater, was fought on 25 July 1814, during the War of 1812, between an invading American army and a British and Canadian army near present-d ...

References

{{coord, 41.05056, -78.72498, display=title, type:landmark_region:US Native American trails in the United States Historic trails and roads in Pennsylvania Geography of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania Native American history of Pennsylvania