The Conservancy has blazed numerous trails in the Kane Woods

This year the Scott Conservancy is happy to announce it will dedicate our system of trails in the Kane Woods, 44 acres of forested land that the Conservancy purchased in 2003, shown in the satellite photo, below: 

The land is situated along the wooded hillsides bordering the new Providence Point development, site of the old Kane Hospital,  and is ideal for hiking bird watching, and other forms of outdoor recreation.  The main trails have color markings on the trees while newer side trails have ribbons to follow.  The Kane Woods is also near Scott Park, and the Conservancy is studying ways with the township to link the park and nature preserve so residents can easily enjoy both in a single outing. 

One of the unique features of the Kane Woods is its historical significance. Most of the land was once owned by General John Neville, who was a Revolutionary War veteran. He served at Valley Forge, and fought alongside his close personal friend General George Washington at the Battle of Yorktown. Before the war, he served as the commander at Fort Pitt, and his son, Presley Neville, was aide-de-camp to the Marquis de Lafayette, the French political and military leader, who supported the cause of American independence. 

After the war, General Neville's role in our nation's history continued. Saddled with enormous debts from the Revolutionary War, our new nation under the leadership of President George Washington instituted an excise tax on whiskey to raise money to pay off the war loans. 

President Washington appointed his trusted friend General Neville, Inspector of the Revenue for Western Pennsylvania, and charged him with collecting the tax.  Local farmers, however, violently opposed the new tax.  Whiskey distilled by the farmers and sold throughout the country and even as far away as New Orleans was their main source of income.  With barely enough cash to make ends meet, the farmers believed the tax would ruin them.  They organized protests against the tax, some of which turned violent. 

The hostilities culminated in fighting that broke out on July 16 and 17, 1794, between local farmers, federal troops, and supporters of General Neville at his estate on Bower Hill.  His Bower Mansion and other buildings on the estate were burned to the ground by local farmers during the fighting. 

An angry President Washington responded by dispatching 13,000 troops, a force larger than any he commanded during the Revolutionary War, to put down what became known as the Whiskey Rebellion. 

A keen student of American History, President Harry S. Truman, called it one of the ten most important events in American History, and President Abraham Lincoln citied Washington's action as a precedent in using force to oppose the secession of the Southern states in 1860. 

  Kane Woods Trails named for leading Whiskey Rebellion figures

Hundreds of books, articles, and essays have been written about the Whiskey Rebellion and many of its key events took place right here in Scott Township.  The Scott Conservancy has been working to honor that legacy by naming the trails in the Scott nature preserve after leading figures and events in the Whiskey Rebellion. One is named after Tom the Tinker, one of the leaders of the Rebellion, and another is named for General Neville. A Liberty Pole, a symbol around which the rebels gathered, will also be erected, and the Conservancy will place story boards at key sites along the trails explaining the Rebellion. Brochures will also be available for visitors who want to learn more about the Rebellion. 

The Conservancy is planning a trail opening event for July 20 this year in conjunction with activities being planned by Old St. Luke's Church and the Presley Neville House, site of General John Neville's first house in our area, still preserved today in Collier Township.  All Scott residents are welcome to attend the ceremony and participate in the activities.

The Kane Woods, Old St. Luke's Church, the Neville House and the Neville mansion on Bower Hill all have historical significance dating back to Revolutionary times.  In 1996, the Conservancy, with the support of the Scott Township Commissioners, received approval from the Pennsylvania State Historical and Museum Commission to erect a state historical Marker on Bower Hill, the site of General Neville's mansion, which was burned to the ground during the Whiskey Rebellion.  Another state historical maker was erected two years later at Old St. Luke's Church, also in Scott Township, to honor the role Old St. Luke's Church, the oldest church established west of the Allegheny Mountains, played in American History, and which is still preserved today as a house of worship.  Reverend Richard Davies led the effort to secure approval for the St. Luke's Historical Marker.  General Neville worshipped at Old St. Luke's Church and the Church's cemetery is the resting place of many of our region's earliest settlers including a number of Revolutionary War veterans.