Friday, July 8, 2016

Day 4 Washington PA

Day 4 Washington PA. The threat of severe thunderstorms north of here around Pittsburgh kept us in the region today.  We spent an hour or so in the old historic section of Washington watching crews set up for the Whiskey Rebellion Festival events that become more numerous this evening and on Saturday.  Crews were erecting tents, running power, setting up booths.  The handful of tourists that were out in late morning didn't have much to see except an information booth that was un-staffed.


However, the lack of attractions did give us a chance to tour the town by car and on foot without battling crowds or traffic. Here I am at a festival notice adjacent to one of the historic sites on South Main Street (which doesn't exist according to my GPS).  Behind me is the David Branford House. Branford is credited as one of the leaders of the opposition to the Whiskey Tax of 1791 that led to armed conflict in 1794.  The government position (Treasury Department web page ) is that some local thugs shot up the home of a tax collector before being driven off.  Later a tax collector was captured, beaten, tarred and feathered and  humiliated for days by local farmers.  When President George Washington showed up with nearly 12,000 troups the protesters returned home and their leaders, including Branford, fled.

Here is a little of what the locals have to say about David Branford house on a sign on South Main in front of the original home. We also talked to a couple of locals to get their take on the festival.  Neither had much of an idea of the history behind the event or had attended recently. 

We spent the day driving around the community for several hours. We had a couple of decent meals and spent a couple hours in a modern cinema.  Washington is a much larger community than I expected.  The old town center where David Branford house is located is a mixture of new streets, sidewalks, lights. newer buildings, restored older ones and lots that are in poor repair. The overall effect is rundown.  Outside of the old town center the community is a mixture of hundred year old buildings that quickly are replaced by new construction.  We are staying in a fairly new hotel, one of a dozen or more structures adjacent to a modern casino.  Washington may be an old community but it appears to be in he midst of quite a bit of new growth and modernization.   

While we were walking around the old town section an apparently white guy in a pickup stuck his head out while making a turn and shouted "Black Lives Matter." True, we all matter and injustice to one of us is injustice to all of us. Thanks for the reminder whoever you are.

I am less appreciative for the obscene gesture from a motorcyclist who was unhappy that I was driving the speed limit.  I don't set the limits, I just follow them.

Tomorrow is the big Whiskey Rebellion Festival Parade and dozens of other events which we plan to attend. I'll let you know what happened along the way. 


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