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Before it was settled by Europeans, the county was mostly wilderness and uninhabited except for wandering Indians such as the Iroquois, who were the largest tribe in the area. The Allegheny River, Mountains, and County get their name from the Allegwi Indians who were also in the area.
The first Europeans to enter the area were the French in 1749. Captain Pierre Joseph de Celeron, sieur de Blainville claimed the Ohio Valley and all of Western Pennsylvania for Louis XV of France. The captain travelled along the Ohio and Allegheny Rivers inserting lead plates in the ground to mark the land for France.
Since most of the towns in that time were developed along waterways, both the French and the British desired control over the rivers in the area. So the British sent Major George Washington to try to compel the French to leave their posts, with no success. Having failed in his mission he returned, crossing the ice-filled Allegheny River where he almost drowned. In 1754 the English tried again to enter the area. This time, they sent 41 Virginians to build Fort Prince George. The French got news of the fort and sent an army to take over the fort. The French resumed building on the incomplete fort and fortified it. They renamed the fort to Fort Duquesne.
The loss of the fort cost the English dearly because Fort Duquesne became one of the focal points of the French and Indian WarThe French and Indian War was a nine-year conflict ( 1754- 1763) in North America and was one of the conflict theatres of the Seven Years' War. The conflict was between Britain and its colonies on one side and France, with indian allies, on the other.. The first attempt to retake the fort, by General Edward BraddockGeneral Edward Braddock ( 1695? July 13, 1755) was a British soldier and commander in chief for North America during the actions at the start of the French and Indian War. He was born in Perthshire, Scotland, about 1695, the son of Major-General Edward Br, failed miserably. It was not until General John ForbesThere has been more than one person named John Forbes John Forbes (1710-1759), British General in the French and Indian War John Forbes (1740-1783), Scottish clergyman John Forbes (1950-1998), Australian Poet. attacked in 1758Events June 12 French and Indian War: Siege of Louisbourg James Wolfe's attack at Louisbourg, Nova Scotia commences. June 23 Seven Years War: Battle of Krefeld British forces defeat French troops at Krefeld in Germany. July 8 French and Indian War: French, four years after they had lost the fort, that they recaptured and destroyed the fort. They built a new fort with a moat and named it Fort PittFort Pitt was a fort in what is now Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. It was named Fort Pitt for William Pitt the Elder after the British under General John Forbes captured the French-held Fort Duquesne in 1758. They destroyed the old fort and rebuilt it wi.
Allegheny County was officially created in 1788Events January 1 First edition of The Times previously The Daily Universal Register was published. January 2 Georgia ratifies the United States Constitution and becomes the 4th U. January 9 Connecticut ratifies the United States Constitution and becomes t due to pressure from settlers living in the area around Pittsburgh, which became the county seat in 1791. Shortly afterwards a whiskey excise tax was imposed by the United States Federal Government. This started the so-called Whiskey Rebellion when the farmers who depended on whiskey income refused to pay and drove off a local town's marshal. After many demonstrations by farmers, President George Washington arrived with troops to stop the rebellion.
The area developed rapidly throughout the 19th to become the center of steel production in the nation. Pittsburgh would later be labelled as the "Steel Capital of the World."