1737, known as the "Walking Purchase" deed, wherein the land conveyed was described to be "as far as a man can go in one day and an half." This purchase did not relate to the Susquehanna river or lands upon its shores, but applied to the Delaware river in its vicinity.

In July, 1742, two hundred and thirty Indians of the Six Nations made a visit to Philadelphia and held a conference with Governor Thomas, complaining that the white men were not honestly dealing with them, but were settling on their hunting grounds which had been reserved. Canassatego implored the governor to make the white men remove therefrom, particularly those "who have settled on the Juniata, a branch of the Susquehanna." The chief said: "We have given the river Juniata for a hunting place to our cousins, the Delaware Indians, and our brethren the Shawnese. We therefore desire you will immediately by force remove all those that live on the river Juniata."

The governor interrupted the chief by saying "that some magistrates were sent expressly to remove them, and he thought no person would presume to stay after that." The chief replied: "These persons who were sent do not do their duty; so far from removing the people they made surveys for themselves, and they are in league with the trespassers.

About August 14th, 1749, two hundred and eighty Indians, including Senecas, Mohicans, Tutelas, Delawares and Nanticokes again went to Philadelphia, against the advice of Conrad Weiser, whom they regarded and who really was their friend. They renewed their complaints and insisted on the white man being removed from their hunting grounds. They did not complain of any trespassing east of the Susquehanna river, but as to the grounds of their cousins the Nanticokes and other Indians living on the waters of the Juniata, the white man must use more vigorous measures and formally remove them. At the Carlisle conference of 1753 the Indians did not make any threats, but continued to press their complaints that the white man should forbear settling on the Indian lands over the "Allegheny hills," and on the Juniata river.

The friendly relations heretofore existing between the provincial people and the Indians were being strained and the former deemed it wise to have another conference with the Six Nations, which comprised the Mohawks, Oneidas, Senecas, Tuscaroras, Onondagas and Cayugas, and have a new treaty

to cover all the lands then in dispute. In this view the parties met at Albany, in July, 1754, and after a conference the Six Nations gave a deed to Thomas and Richard Penn for the consideration of four hundred pounds, lawful money of New York, for "all the lands lying within the said province of Pennsylvania, bounded and limited as follows: namely, Beginning at the Kittochtinny or Blue hills on the west branch of the Susquehanna river, and thence by the same, a mile above the mouth of a certain creek called Kayarondinhagh (Penn's creek), thence northwest and by west as far as the said province of Pennsylvania extends to its western lines or boundaries; thence along the said western line or boundary of the province; thence by the said south line to the south side of the Kittochtinny hills; thence by the south side of said hills to the place of beginning."

When the Indians returned to their homes and meditated upon the fact that they had sold all their lands west of the Allegheny hills, dissatisfaction and discontent were supreme. They became exasperated, and sought an alliance with the French, who were endeavoring to hold all the lands west of the Allegheny mountains, and were then in and around Fort Duquesne, now Pittsburg. The French promised to redeem the lands which were claimed by the English under these several deeds. The intense feeling broke out the following year when the Indians and French attacked and defeated General Braddock, who was mortally wounded and died within a few days.

This was the beginning of the Indian wars in western Pennsylvania. The Indians told Conrad Weiser that they did not understand the points of the compass, and if the line was so run as to include the West Branch of the Susquehanna, they would never agree to it.

In 1744 contention began between Louis XV of France and George II of England as to the territory west of the Allegheny mountains. France claimed it on the explorations made by La Salle in the lower Mississippi valley as early as 1679, wherein he had included a part of Ohio and of the Ohio river, and by that fact, sought to take possession of all the land to the headwaters of the Ohio river, which would have included the territory in Cambria county. George II denied the claim, so in 1753 the French came to Pittsburg and, constructing Fort Duquesne, prepared to take possession. During this period

(1755-63) the French took advantage of the discontent among the Indians, and most of them joined issue against the provincial authorities. The territory west of the Allegheny mountains was now defenseless and made desolate by the Indian

war.

On July 9, 1755, the army sent out by George II, under General Braddock, was defeated at Braddock's field, and the commander, mortally wounded, died four days later. This regiment had been considered of sufficient strength to overcome the French, but it remained for General Forbes in 1758 to capture Fort Duquesne and name it Fort Pitt.

Notwithstanding the treaty and the delivery of the deed of 1754 for the land west of the Susquehanna river, the Indians of the Six Nations continued to complain that they had not been treated properly, and barbaric acts of cruelty were being committed by them throughout Western Pennsylvania and elsewhere. The Penns desired to have peace, and therefore invited the Indians to Easton to consider the contentions. As a result of that conference (October 23, 1758) Thomas and Richard Penn appointed Richard Peters and Conrad Weiser their attorneys-in-fact, and directed them to release all their claim to the land "lying to the northward and westward of the Allegheny hill," providing that the Six Nations or their deputies would affirm the sale of all the other land mentioned in the deed of 1754, which included territory east of the Allegheny mountains.

But the situation in Western Pennsylvania remained intolerable, notwithstanding the effort of the Penns to conciliate the several tribes of Indians. It was in 1771 that Samuel Adams was killed by them at Sandy Run, a few miles from Johnstown, and other depredations being committed on the pioneers and their families, many of them took their departure for the eastern part of the province.

A general conference with the Indians of the Six Nations was called to meet at Fort Stanwix, New York, and there another treaty was made, of which the deed bears the date of November 5, 1768. The Indians who represented the Six Nations were: Tyanbasare, alias Abraham, sachem or chief of the Mohawks; Senughsis, for the Oneidas; Chenungbiata, for the Onondagas; Gaustarax, for the Senecas; Sequarisera, for the Tuscaroras; and Tagaaia, for the Cayugas. In consideration of ten thousand dollars they sold all their interest in the

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land "beginning at Owegy, in New York, and running southwest along the easterly side of the Susquehanna river till it comes opposite the mouth of a creek called by the Indians Awandac (Towanda) thence to the head of a creek which runs into the west branch of the Susquehanna, which creek is called by the Indians Tiadaghton, and down the said creek on the south side thereof to the said west branch of the Susquehanna; then crossing the said river and running up the same on the south side thereof, to the fork of the same river which lies nearest to a place on the river Ohio, called the Kittanning,

This deed includes all the land south of the Kittanning trail in Western Pennsylvania, and was one of the largest purchases made by the Penns. "Canoe Place," or Cherry Tree, is the northerly boundary line of this sale in this county. This is the purchase known in our county as the "Canoe," or the Cherry Tree sale. Tradition tells us that the land was measured by the Indians agreeing that Penn should have all on the west branch of the Susquehanna river and west of it from a point where there was not sufficient water to float a canoe. There is no good authority for this as it will appear in the Fort Stanwix deed that the Indians sold everything south of the Kittanning trail.

Prior to this purchase the provincial authorities endeavored to keep the white man from making a settlement on the land west of the Allegheny mountains, but now, having full title to it, the council of the province directed that on and after April 3, 1769, the territory mentioned should be open to persons desiring to settle upon it, or to purchase it. On that day, the very first day it could lawfully be acquired, Charles Campbell took out a warrant for two hundred and forty-nine acres on the Little Conemaugh and the Stoneycreek rivers, which includes the First, Second, Third, Fourth and parts of the Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh, Twelfth and Thirteenth wards of the city of Johnstown.