The Borough of Beaver, a National Registered Historical District, in what is today Beaver County, played a significant role in the Revolutionary War, owing to the location of Fort McIntosh, built there during the summer and fall of 1778. After the Continental Army had come out of its winter at Valley Forge, General George Washington appointed General Lachlan McIntosh to construct the fort and to defend settlers and the western frontier from Indian attacks instigated by the British.

Fort McIntosh was the first of a number of fortified bases between Ohio and Detroit and the place from which, in 1779, General McIntosh led a campaign of harassment on behalf of settlers in the Alleghenies who had asked for protection against Indian raids prompted by the British at Detroit. The construction of the fort north of the Ohio, in fact, abrogated a series of treaties that had established the Ohio River as the boundary between whites and the Indians.

In 1784, Colonel Josiah Harmar raised the 1st American Regiment and posted it at Fort McIntosh in preparation for a treaty meeting with the Indians. Owing to the regiment’s posting here, Fort McIntosh became the first home of the United States Army.

Today, the varied culture and demographics of Beaver Borough and Beaver County bear scant resemblance to its Revolutionary and later, its industrial past, when the county’s rivers provided the sole economic lifeblood to the region. Early on, the Ohio and Beaver Rivers carried traders with goods and trappers with fur pelts to their markets. Later, county residents turned to the rivers for water and transportation to and from the mighty steel mills that anchored towns like Aliquippa, Midland, Beaver Falls, and Ambridge.

Today, a river traveler can scarcely imagine Beaver County’s industrial past, until he or she rounds a bend where a plant once thrived. As in colonial days, the river banks are overgrown with trees, and wildlife thrives between the rivers and the hills above.

Beaver County is located less than 30 miles from downtown Pittsburgh and is only minutes from Pittsburgh International Airport. A drive of less than 15 minutes from the airport takes you to native woodlands. Conveniences like these make Beaver County a favorable commuter location.

The county continues to strengthen its economy and is also reclaiming its industrial sites. The Beaver County Corporation for Economic Development is constructing a new business park in Big Beaver near the Pennsylvania Turnpike. When completed, the new park is expected to house about 400 workers. The Beaver County Corp. for Economic Development is also at work on a potential $60-million project that may result in more than 100 residential units and high-end retail shops.

And let’s not forget current employers like Service Link and the BeveRun Motorsports Facility. Service Link now employs more than 700 nationwide, most of whom work at its headquarters location in the Hopewell Business Park. And The BeveRun Motorsports Facility continues to create new jobs each season.

Beaver County is nirvana for outdoor enthusiasts. The county features four parks, the largest of which is Raccoon Creek State Park, seven public golf courses, and some of the best fishing holes in all of Pennsylvania. Here, you can bike, hike, swim, ski, skate, fish, and hunt to your heart’s content. There’s even an annual snow-shovel riding championship event!

The ever-popular polo matches held at Darlington Polo Field generate excitement of a different sort. Every Friday, from May through August, people gather on the grounds for equine entertainment and tailgating Southwestern-Pennsylvania style. Beaver County also boasts historic attractions such as Old Economy Village, where visitors learn about the Harmonist Society, an association of German immigrants who emigrated from their homeland to seek religious and economic freedom and settled in the area in the 1800’s. And shopping is always in vogue, thanks to the 120-store Beaver Valley Mall and the antique-laden shops of Bridgewater and Beaver Borough.

The future economy of Beaver County will ride on its rivers, highways, and railroad. With a vision focused on tomorrow combined with an appreciation and respect for yesterday, Beaver County will continue to thrive and grow in popularity.mg