''The Cabin Faced West'' is an

historical History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

children's novel Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. Modern children's literature is classified in two different ways: genre or the intended age of the reader. Children's ...

by the American writer

Jean Fritz Jean Guttery Fritz (November 16, 1915 – May 14, 2017) was an American children's writer best known for American biography and history. She won the Children's Legacy Literature Award for her career contribution to American children's literature ...

Plot

Set in 1784 on Hamilton Hill,

Washington County, Pennsylvania Washington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 209,349. Its county seat is Washington. Washington County is part of the Pittsburgh, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county i ...

, near the

Monongahela River The Monongahela River ( , )—often referred to locally as the Mon ()—is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed August 15, 2011 river on the Allegheny Plateau in North Cen ...

some 20 miles south of

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

, this historical novel for children features ten-year-old Ann Hamilton. The Hamilton family has settled in " The Western Country" from the other side of the

Allegheny Mountains The Allegheny Mountain Range (; also spelled Alleghany or Allegany), informally the Alleghenies, is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the Eastern United States and Canada and posed a significant barrier to land travel in less devel ...

from Gettysburg, and Ann is homesick for her friends and the comforts of civilization. Ann's only friend on Hamilton Hill is Andy McPhale, the son of squatter, and she takes on the project of teaching Andy to read and write. The story concludes with a visit by

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

himself, who is inspecting his properties in the region and looking for a place to sup.

A True Story

In a postscript to her readers author Jean Fritz says that the story of Ann Hamilton is a true family story, Fritz being her great-great-granddaughter. She reprints George Washington's diary entry of September 18, 1784 recording the visit. Hamilton Hill is known as Ginger Hill today and is near the borough of New Eagle.

References

1958 American novels American children's novels American historical novels Novels set in Pennsylvania Fiction set in 1784 Novels set in the 1780s Washington County, Pennsylvania Children's historical novels 1958 children's books Children's books set in Pennsylvania Children's books set in the 1780s {{1950s-child-hist-novel-stub