The forward edge of the frontier in mid 1600’s was what became Perry County, Pa. Settlers came here to acquire what they thought would be free land. Some fiction is involved writing these books because the facts are scarce. Historians know that the Iraquois Confederation, also known as the 6 Nations controlled all the land in North Eastern part of what we call New England. The whites were intruders and basically Not welcome. So the Robinson clan built a fort. This is a fictionalized story with all facts known thrown in for reality sake. An early diary kept by one of the Robinson girls still exists in the University of Pa library. Only scholars are allowed to suit up and go in to a special room to study what was written in the 1600’s. My brother was allowed in and he took copious notes and included most into his writing of what became the IBA Frontier series. Living or better stated, existing on the frontier required folks to readily adapt to a tough way of life and all men became experts with a rifle if they had one. There were some early gunsmiths in the area who had a thriving trade for new rifles. Some early settlers like Rob Shatto befriended the Nations and were accepted into their realm. That’s the first book in the Series called Arrowmaker. Maybe my favorite story of very early times. Probably because I was born in these exact places and frequently visited my Indian friends on the Reservations as I grew up. We ate , fished and roamed the forest together. A charmed boyhood.
Historians couldn’t find the exact location of Fort Robinson but one summer my brother and I located all 4 corners and informed the University historians who were excited and thankful. We knew the owners of the land and secured rights to dig for the University who wondered how we found the Fort? But I couldn’t tell them.
If you really want to know about the early frontier life as it really was—-read these books.
