By Jim Cheney for UncoveringPA.com
In the mid-1700s, old Native American trails that were turned into rough roads during the military expeditions of the French and Indian War were the catalyst for westward expansion. Unsurprisingly, it was along these roads that towns would often spring up to meet the needs of those traveling westward.
One of these communities was Hanna’s Town. Located north of present-day Greensburg, the town was situated along Forbes Road, which was an important road that stretched 300 miles from Fort Littleton (in present-day Fulton County) to Fort Duquesne (at The Point in Pittsburgh).
Just west of where Fort Ligonier had once stood, Robert Hanna built a tavern adjacent to the road on land he acquired in 1769. His tavern became an important stopping point along the road, and a small community soon sprang up around Hanna’s business.
