Editing Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania (section)

==History==

===Guyasuta and the Seneca People===
The Borough of Sharpsburg is located along the Allegheny River just over {{convert|5|mi|0}} outside of downtown [[Pittsburgh]]. Sharpsburg has a rich history dating back to the 18th century when the [[Seneca people]] settled into the area. One Seneca in particular, [[Guyasuta]], has a special connection to the community.

Guyasuta was a strong warrior and skilled hunter. He accompanied [[George Washington]] as a hunter guide with his party in 1753. When the two met again in [[Ohio]] 17 years later, General Washington greeted him with warmth and affection. In 1758, Guyasuta was involved in a [[Battle of Fort Duquesne|bitter battle at Grant's Hill]], where the [[Allegheny County Courthouse]] stands today. In the early 1760s, Guyasuta sought peace with the British Army. Guyasuta's peace efforts culminated in a peace treaty, in which the government received a tract of land in what is now [[western Pennsylvania]]. [[James O'Hara (quartermaster)|General James O'Hara]], who had purchased a portion of the river land, donated a small portion of it, where Sharpsburg is today, to Guyasuta.<ref name = "Sipe">[https://archive.org/stream/indianchiefsofpe00sipe/indianchiefsofpe00sipe_djvu.txt C. Hale Sipe, ''The Indian chiefs of Pennsylvania, or, A story of the part played by the American Indian in the history of Pennsylvania: based primarily on the Pennsylvania archives and colonial records, and built around the outstanding chiefs.'' Ziegler Printing Co., Inc. Butler, PA, 1927; pp 371-408]</ref>

===James Sharp and the initial settlement===
In 1826, a man named James Sharp rode into this area and purchased over {{convert|257|acre|km2}} of land for $1,337.37 in what was then Indiana Township, building a log cabin for his wife, Isabella L. Sharp. The original deed, recorded on October 10, 1826, can be found in the Allegheny County Department of Real Estate at deed book volume 35(K2), page 156. Opening the land to settlers, Sharp built a school and church while continuing to donate his land for the growing needs of the community. On December 14, 1841, the borough applied for incorporation, and received its charter March 14, 1842. The charter was recorded on March 26, 1842.

James Sharp was born near Chambersburg, Franklin County, Pennsylvania on February 10, 1784, of Scottish descent. His colonial ancestor and grandfather was Captain James Sharp (Third Battalion, Pennsylvania Regiment), a veteran of the Forbes Campaign. Captain Sharp was present in 1758 at the capture of Fort Duquesne and served under Gen. Hugh Mercer and Col. William Clapham. His father, Matthew Sharp, was a veteran of the Revolutionary War, having served as a private in the Eighth Battalion, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania Militia. In 1780 he married Elizabeth (Lindsay) Culbertson and together they had three children: Rosana, James, and Mary.<ref>Colonial and Revolutionary Families of Pennsylvania, John W. Jordan (1911).</ref>

With his family, young Sharp moved to Pittsburgh in 1797 and remained in Pittsburgh until 1826 when he purchased land at Sheriff's Sale, formerly owned by Gen. John Wilkins, "being number Thirteen in Cunninghams district containing two hundred and fifty seven acres and eighty seven perches on which are a square log dwelling, a good orchard and about fifty acres of cleared land, with fine meadows, a coal bank, and one of the best springs in the County." Sharp moved permanently to the land, part of which would later become the Borough of Sharpsburg. Sharp's first marriage to Sarah Thompson ended with the death of Thompson a few years after their nuptials. He later married Isabella Stockman, with whom he had six children. During his lifetime, Sharp was described as a gentleman: courteous in manners, affable in disposition, and generous in hospitality. Sharp was an abolitionist, a zealous advocate for universal education, a member of the temperance movement, and a member of the Presbyterian Church. Sharp died on March 12, 1861.<ref>History of Allegheny County Pennsylvania, L.H. Everts & Co. (1876).</ref>

===Industry===
Since its incorporation, Sharpsburg became an industrial town, manufacturing iron, brick and glass while goods were transported through the canal that bisected the borough, along with the Allegheny River. When railroads became the preferred mode of transportation for that time, Sharpsburg continued to thrive as thousands came for the plethora of job opportunities available.

===H. J. Heinz Company===
One of the most well-known industries that had its beginnings in Sharpsburg was the [[H. J. Heinz Company]]. The Heinz glass works in Sharpsburg once manufactured all of the glassware for Heinz products. In 1869, [[Henry J. Heinz|Heinz]] began creating and bottling his first [[horseradish]] in the kitchen of his Sharpsburg residence. This house is the place where it all began. Shortly thereafter, the house became Heinz’s first factory. Although he moved his company down the Allegheny along the North Shore of Pittsburgh, he was very gracious to the people of Sharpsburg until his death, donating gifts to the community that was his family home for many years. One of these included the life-sized statue of Guyasuta that was installed at the intersection of Main and North Canal streets. The statue has twice been hit by automobiles—the first occurrence in 1930 and the second occurrence in 1988. Each incident resulted in the destruction and subsequent replacement of the statue.

===A town divided===
Less than a century ago, Sharpsburg was divided into two sections because of a railroad track that went through the location where Kennedy Park currently sits. There were two fire departments, one on each side of the tracks. There were two schools on each side of the track as well, one "up street" and one "down street". Once the railroad tracks weren’t used anymore, the railcars sat vacant on the tracks. The Junior Chamber of Commerce in Sharpsburg went to the railroad company as well as the Heinz family to try to change something about this. The Heinz family said they would help build a park if it was used for recreation purposes only. The park was built around the time when President [[John F. Kennedy]] was assassinated, and that is why the area was named Kennedy Park.

Today, Sharpsburg continues to boast pride of its industrial past while looking forward to the opportunities of economic growth within the business district, and its residents enjoy being a part of this unique riverfront community.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sharpsburgborough.com/history/history.html |title=Sharpsburg News |website=www.sharpsburgborough.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080615124204/http://www.sharpsburgborough.com/history/history.html |archive-date=June 15, 2008}}</ref>