During the French-Indian War, the Forks of the Ohio emerged as a major theater of operations for the French and became a critical point in the struggle for North America. Here, at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers, the French established Fort Duquesne to trade with the Indians, to safeguard the area’s western border, and to dominate British newcomers. Today, the site is known as Point State Park.

By 1758, the British had thrust overwhelming numbers to the front lines and built a camp of their own at Loyalhanna, about 50 miles east of Pittsburgh, in what is now Westmoreland County. The camp served as a resting place for troops who replenished their supplies before making the final push to Fort Duquesne. On October 12, 1758, French and Indian forces attacked the British at Loyalhanna. After four hours of intense fighting, the beaten French retreated, set Fort Duquesne ablaze, and proceeded to safer ground. The victory opened the west to further British incursions. Later, Loyalhanna was named Fort Ligonier. The fort is open for all to visit and to appreciate with many other historical attractions.

Today, the non-profit organization, Westmoreland Heritage, promotes the history of the area to boost tourism. In fact, Westmoreland is a treasure for history buffs. The Compass Inn Museum in Laughlintown, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has been authentically restored as a stagecoach stop that dates back to 1799. At Bushy Run Battlefield in Penn Township, the British defeated Native Americans in 1763 and opened up Western Pennsylvania to settlers. And the elegant Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg examines the history of the area through the eyes of great American artists.

Westmoreland County’s history is also built on leisure. During the early part of the 20th century, the industrial barons of Pittsburgh built summer homes and weekend residences in Ligonier and the Laurel Highlands. Vestiges of that period remain in the antique shops and bed-and-breakfasts of the small towns in eastern Westmoreland County.

But Westmoreland County is more than a quaint community that honors its past. The county works toward the future through the Westmoreland County Industrial Development Corporation (WCIDC). Established in 1983 by the Westmoreland County Board of Commissioners as a non-profit corporation, WCIDC promotes economic development in the county. Since its founding, WCIDC has built an industrial park system, currently made up of 16, fully developed industrial parks that include the Westmoreland Logistics Park, a state-of-the-art, rail-freight intermodal terminal located near New Stanton.

In 2007, Westmoreland County launched an effort to fill a regional need for larger sites identified by Deloitte & Touche, Fantus and other site-selection consultants. The county geared up to offer a product to manufacturing and distribution companies seeking ready-to-go sites. By expanding two, existing industrial parks and developing two, new parks, the county added nine, pad-ready parcels to its inventory of sites. These parcels range in size from 6 to 31 acres, and are complete with available public utilities. Each parcel has a finished grade of 3 percent or less. Since the completion of this expansion, Westmoreland County has marketed three pad-ready parcels to a local company that in 2008, plans to start construction on a new 165,000-square-foot manufacturing facility.

Westmoreland County continues to grow in popularity each year as more people seek the beauty of country life there in municipalities such as North Huntington, Murrysville, and Penn and Unity Townships.mg