during the mid-1750s, the mountainous ridges and valleys of south central pennsylvania were an important theater for colliding european and native american cultures. the "no man's land" of the time, these unsettled forests were located between colonial philadelphia to the east and the ohio country to the west the area that is located in the southeastern part of modern-day huntingdon county lay along new trade routes through the mountains. before the construction of fort shirley, a small trading post built by george croghan was located along one of the routes. croghan, an irish immigrant referred to as the "king of the traders," made his home in the fertile fields along aughwick creek, just north of the modern-day shirleysburg (volwiler 1926). it was here that a well-populated settlement, aughwick old town, sprang up adjacent to george croghan's homestead and trading post. because of croghan's presence, the location became an important council place between natives and the provincial government of pennsylvania. (donehoo, "indian villages and place names in pennsylvania", 1928, p. 8) aughwick was chosen as a prime location to keep a safe distance from the french at fort duquesne, who put a price on his head, as well as the authorities back east, that would arrest him for bankruptcy since his trading activity was interrupted by the start of the seven years' war.