Welcome to the First Residents' Path

Along the 2.7 mile First Residents' Path at Forty Fort and the Susquehanna River, the history of the area stretches from thousands of years ago, when Native Americans lived along the banks, gathered food and materials, and passed cultural traditions from generation to generation, through the 18th century, when the area became a center of conflict between Native Americans and colonial settlers and between Pennsylvanians and Connecticut Yankees claiming rights to the land, and included one of the bloodiest days of the American Revolution in this vicinity. In peacetime, a 19th-century agricultural community flourished here, building the Forty Fort Meeting House and family homesteads that still stand today. The river and its surroundings also hold rich natural history in ecology, plant and animal life, river islands, riverbanks, and geology, and the area's story also includes the 1972 Flood, its destruction at the Forty Fort Cemetery and nearby homes and businesses, and efforts to restore and protect Wyoming Valley communities from future devastation.

Forty Fort, Pennsylvania · United States