Urie Family Cemetery

For northbounders, approximately 0.1 mile north of Old Stone House Road in Pennsylvania's Cumberland Valley, and after crossing some open farm land and entering a wooded area, the Urie family cemetery with gravestones dated back to the 1700s can be seen just to the east of the trail. At one time the cemetery was well maintained as it is surrounded by a stone wall and wrought iron fencing, but it is now overgrown and sections of the fencing have fallen. Historical records indicate that Urie family members were among the first settlers in the Cumberland Valley. At least two members of the extended family (a mother and infant son) were murdered during an Indian raid in 1756. Two or three children were carried off by the Indians, although one son was later returned to the settlement by his adopted Indian father, while at least one daughter chose to return to the Indian tribe even after being rescued. Other family members moved further west into the wilderness and helped to establish a settlement in what is now Washington County, Pennsylvania. A lot of American history lies in this cemetery, forgotten by many, except for an occasional hiker.