Christopher Gist

In American colonial history, no individual did more to bring about the early expansion west of the Appalachian Mountains into the Ohio Country than did Christopher Gist. In his fifty-four years, Christopher Gist was first a merchant and businessman in Baltimore, Maryland. He then became a Maryland Ranger, a surveyor, trapper, and trader. In 1750, Gist made two trans-Appalachian explorations for the Ohio Company of Virginia. In 1753 he accompanied George Washington to the French Fort, LeBoeuf (Waterford, PA), with a message demanding the French to leave the area claimed by the King of England. Shortly thereafter, he ser-ved as scout for General Edward Braddock and was present at Braddock's defeat. In his last years, Gist served as a De-puty Agent to the Superintendent of Indian Affairs of the Southern Department. As pointed out by author Christian Wig, the "frontiersman [Christopher Gist] resembled Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett and all our frontier heroes rolled into one" (Wig, 2004).


Contents

Christopher Gist

Appendix I: Extracts from the History of Cincinnati and the Territory of Ohio by Adolphus E. Jones

Appendix II: Extracts from Chapter 3, The of Ohio by
Richard Elwell Banta

Appendix III: Christopher Gist Timeline