In American colonial history, no individual did more to bring about the early expansion west of the Appalachian Mountains into the Ohio Country than did Christopher Gist. In his fifty-four years, Christopher Gist was first a merchant and businessman in Baltimore, Maryland. He then became a Maryland Ranger, a surveyor, trapper, and trader. In 1750, Gist made two trans-Appalachian explorations for the Ohio Company of Virginia. In 1753 he accompanied George Washington to the French Fort, LeBoeuf (Waterford, PA), with a message demanding the French to leave the area claimed by the King of England. Shortly thereafter, he ser-ved as scout for General Edward Braddock and was present at Braddock's defeat. In his last years, Gist served as a De-puty Agent to the Superintendent of Indian Affairs of the Southern Department. As pointed out by author Christian Wig, the "frontiersman [Christopher Gist] resembled Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett and all our frontier heroes rolled into one" (Wig, 2004). Contents Christopher Gist Appendix I: Extracts from the History of Cincinnati and the Territory of Ohio by Adolphus E. Jones Appendix II: Extracts from Chapter 3, The of Ohio by
Richard Elwell Banta Appendix III: Christopher Gist Timeline