The history of Somerset County dates to the French and Indian War, when military expeditions carved roads through the wooded hills of what would become western Pennsylvania, opening the area for settlement.
In 1755, General Braddock and his English troops, accompanied by George Washington, crossed the southwestern corner of the county in an unsuccessful attempt to conquer Fort Duquesne. The trail, now known as U.S. Route 40, was the first step in settling and developing Somerset County.
