Person:The Pioneer (1)

From Ethel Daly's notes:

John Lydick is known as The Pioneer. Information on John "The Pioneer"

Lydick and his descendants has been supplied by Ann Marie Lydick and by A lice Caldwell Forney, who spent years finding sources for their informa tion. Connie Mayo's site also provides obituaries with useful and inter esting information, which she has assembled at great effort.

John Lydick, Sr ., The Pioneer, and his wife Meary (Mary May) moved to Westmoreland County from Adams County in Pennsylvania. He bought land o n March 4, 1788 and settled on a farm of 328 acres, about 4 miles from I ndiana, Pennsylvania (in the area that became Indiana county in 1803).

John fought in the Revolution. In 1778 John enlisted in Lieutenant Tho mas Fletcher's company of Frontier Rangers in Westmoreland County and s erved until 1783. The function of the Rangers was not to battle with t he English forces along the ocean front, but to protect the settlements o n the western frontier from the ravages of the Indians, often led by re negade Englishmen who were more brutal and dangerous than their Indian a llies.

From Stewart's History of Indiana County (under William Hamilton Lydic) :

...John Lydic, who came to this country from Holland. He settled at th e stone fort in Indians county and though he was driven off his land by t he Indians twice, came the third time and remained. He cleared up a fa rm out of the wilderness, and made a permanent home for his family, and h is sons settled in the vicinity.

Colonial & Revolutionary Families, Vol II (under Henry S Lydick), claim s that John Lydick settled in Westmoreland before 1768. "He was much In dian trouble, constantly joined with his neighbors in defending themsel ves against the Indians and had many "blockhouse" experiences. In 1774, d uring an Indian war, he and his neighbors took refuge in Fort Shippen, a t Captain John Proctor's. From there, they sent the following petition t o Governor John Penn:

"That there was great reason to apprehend that the country would again b e immediately involved in all the horror of Indian war, that their circ umstances at that critical time were truly alarming, deserted by the fa r greater part of our neighbors and fellow subjects, unprotected with p laces of strength to resort to with ammunition, provisions and with alm ost every other necessary store. Our houses abandoned to pillage, labor a nd industry entirely at a stand, our crops destroyed by cattle, our flo cks dispersed, the minds of our people distracted with the terrors of f alling along with the helpless and unprotected families, the immediate v ictims of savage barbarity. In the midst of these scenes of desolation a nd ruin, next the Almighty, we look to your Honor, hoping, from your kn own benevolence and humanity, such protection and relief as your Honor s hall see meet." page 259, Rupp's 'History of Western Pennsylvania'.

John Lydick and more than 70 others signed the petition.

It was customary, when Indians were on the war path, to hide or bury th eir furniture and utensils, and flee to the forts or block houses until t he Indians were induced to become quiet again. The settlers would retur n home, dig up their possessions, rebuild their cabins and continue far ming. Lydick and his neighbors were driven from home three times betwee n 1768 and 1783.

During the latter part of August each year, the Lydick descendants trad itionally held a family reunion in the northern part of Indiana county, g enerally attended by upwards of 3,000 people. John Lydick's unique hand -powered mill, that grinds any kind of grain very nicely, is a central p art of each event; this mill was buried during the Revolution to hide i t from the Indians while its owner was in the army.

Recorded in the Will Book 1, p. 183, Greensburg, County Seat of Westmor eland County, PA

"In the name of God amen. I, John Lidick, Sr., of the County of Westmo reland and the State of Pe

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