In 1792, Philip Benner purchased 1,000 acres along Spring Creek for its rich iron ore deposits. In spring 1793, Benner and 92 intrepid tradesmen, laborers, and adventure seekers trekked here on foot with pack horses some 200 miles, from Chester County, Pennsylvania.
Benner served in the Revolutionary War and rose to the rank of general. Some of the men were Benner's Revolutionary War cohorts. They endured great hardships, fording streams swollen by spring flooding and even cutting their own path through unbroken forest toward the end of their journey. The men were handpicked for their skills, resourcefulness, and perseverance, which would be required to erect a village and an iron works out of raw forest and stream.
They arrived and camped near the rock face in front of you on the banks of Spring Creek until shelters were built. Then they began construction of Rock Iron Works, which would become the largest industrial complex in Central Pennsylvania at the time.
At the posted coordinates, you will find a sign that you will use to find the final coordinates:
N 40° 51.ABC W 077° 49.DEF
- A = Substract the 2nd year that appears in the text of the sign to the year of the citation
- B = Number of horses and dogs on the picture
- C = Number of early inhabitants of Rock
- D = Number of fish on the sign
- E = Number of waves in the logo on the top left of the sign
- F = Number of early inhabitants of Rock with the same lastname
Checksum: A + B + C + D + E + F = 21