The Surveyor and The Silversmith: Land Speculation on the Frontier of Western Pennsylvania

Neither the Leni Lenape nor the Iroquois called the land their own; for thousands of years, it had been inhabited by a mysterious people for whom they had no name. And, yet, white men like Daniel Leet, William Crawford and George Washington surveyed dense forests with measuring chains, tomahawks at-the-ready, to claim hundreds of thousands of acres simply because they could, because it was all God's bounty, because, like silver or gold, it would provide wealth far greater than any civilization had known before. It was an ideal few would realize. But then, one day, two families laid roots in the wilds of western Pennsylvania. The Survevor and the Silversmith is a story of horrendous genocide, righteous faith, and brazen greed. It is the story of two men who saw that Americas fortunes were not to be created by the gentry, but by the farmer--not by the statesman, but by the settler--not by currency, but by sweat. It's a story of their children who marry and who, despite all odds, create a dynasty that became western Pennsylvania. It's the story of Washington, Beaver, Sewickley, and Edgeworth. And not until now has it ever been told.

About the Author :
C. Prentiss Orr is the principal author and editor of the popular illustrated referencebook, Pittsburgh Born, Pittsburgh Bred: 500 of the More Famous People WhoHave Called Pittsburgh Home, chosen by the Senator John Heinz HistoryCenter as the official publication to celebrate Pittsburgh's 250th anniversary.He has written dozens of Pittsburgh biographies as editor and publisher ofAllegheny Cemetery's Heritage newsletter, and published two local historybooks with the late C. Hax McCullough. Prentiss also was an editor of ThePower of Pittsburgh, published by Towery Books as the centerpiece of a largereconomic development campaign he directed for the Allegheny Conferenceon Community Development. A former theatre marketing professional andadvertising creative director for more than 30 years, in 2005, Prentiss also cofoundedPennsylvania Pure Distilleries, the first vodka distillery in Pennsylvaniaand makers of Boyd & Blair Potato Vodka.The Surveyor and The Silversmith is his first deep dive into writing anAmerican family's narrative history. He can be reached at info@explorditions.com.