Boots rather than sneakers are the recommended footwear for a post-Thanksgiving hike that will trace part of George Washington's journey through Butler County.

The Nov. 27 walk in Connoquenessing Township will closely follow an Indian path that Washington likely took in 1753, while on a diplomatic mission for the governor of Colonial Virginia.

"There are a lot of wet spots, even in dry weather," warned John Ruch, president of Historic Harmony. His organization, which maintains a museum and other 19th-century buildings in Butler County, is one of the sponsors of the hike and "history party."

Activities will be centered at Stewart Hall, which is adjacent to the Harmony Museum, 218 Mercer St., Harmony. The event will include a cider-and-cookies reception and a tour of the museum.

Groups of walkers will be transported by shuttle bus to the start of the hiking path. History students from Slippery Rock University will serve as guides. The route through the woods is about one mile, and it will involve walking down a sometimes steep, woodland path.

Much of the trail is on private property, which is not ordinarily open to the public. "I find it exciting that an important bit of history took place here," landowner Rodney Gasch said. "We want to let more people know about the Indian trail and Washington's journey."

A shuttle will return walkers to Stewart Hall after the trek.

Since 2003, different organizations have been sponsoring winter hikes along portions of what is believed to have been Washington's route.

This year's event is offered by Historic Harmony, Slippery Rock University's Old Stone House and Washington's Trail 1753. Aaron Cowan, an assistant history professor at Slippery Rock, is the curator of the Old Stone House, a former stagecoach stop and inn in Brady. Retired Butler County Judge Martin J. O'Brien heads Washington's Trail 1753, an organization seeking to promote awareness of Western Pennsylvania history.

This year marks the 256th anniversary of Washington's journey from Virginia into the Pennsylvania wilderness. The 21-year-old diplomat's mission was to inform the French, who had been constructing forts throughout the area, that the land had been claimed by Great Britain.

The battle between the French and the British for control of the Ohio Valley, including the Forks of the Ohio where Pittsburgh now stands, was one of the root causes of the French and Indian War.

Displays will be set up all day in Stewart Hall by artists and historians.

Carl Robertson, president of the Providence Plantation Foundation in Jackson, will discuss his research on the route of Washington's journey and the likely location of an Indian village he visited with the ominous name of "Murthering Town" or "Murdering Town."

Artist Deac Mong will have signed prints of his 2008 painting, "The First Shot," for sale.

The original painting, which shows George Washington under fire from an American Indian, is on display at the Harmony Museum. It was commissioned by Judge O'Brien.

Hikes tracing parts of Washington's route have been held most winters since 2003, the 250th anniversary of Washington's journey.

The hike and history party will be held rain, snow or shine, Mr. Ruch said.

Walkers have been fortunate most years with sunnier skies and milder temperatures than those Washington and his guide, Christopher Gist, faced more than two centuries earlier.

"If it is a really snowy day this year, walkers will get the feeling of what it was like for George Washington in 1753," Mr. Ruch said.

Events at Stewart Hall will run 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 27, with hikes scheduled to begin at 11 a.m., 11:45 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. Cost is $5 per person or $12 per family, which includes the reception, museum tour and transportation. While walk-ins will be welcome, participants are urged to make a reservations for hiking times. Call 724-452-7341.

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