History of Uniontown, Pennsylvania

Uniontown was settled in 1768 and laid out on July 4, 1776 by Henry Beeson, a Quaker who had established himself in the area. The settlement was known at various points as Beeson's Town, Beesontown, or the Town of Union, and it grew slowly through the years following the Revolution. In 1783, the Pennsylvania General Assembly created Fayette County from the southern portion of Westmoreland County and named it for the Marquis de Lafayette, and Uniontown became the county seat soon after, in 1784. The community was officially incorporated as a borough in 1796. Uniontown's growth accelerated when the National Road, now U.S. Route 40, was extended through town between 1811 and 1818, bringing a steady stream of westbound travelers, freight, and commerce. The early twentieth century brought a coal and coke boom that transformed Uniontown into one of the most prosperous small cities in the country. Today, Uniontown remains the largest city in Fayette County and a hub for the surrounding Laurel Highlands region.

Fun Facts About Uniontown

• Uniontown was founded on Independence Day, July 4, 1776, when Henry Beeson posted notice of the lottery for the village's original lots.
• The Big Mac, one of the most recognizable sandwiches in the world, was first sold in Uniontown in 1967 by McDonald's franchisee Jim Delligatti.
• General George C. Marshall, the World War II Army Chief of Staff, U.S. Secretary of State, and Nobel Peace Prize winning architect of the Marshall Plan, was born in Uniontown in 1880.
• During the coal and coke boom of the early 1900s, Uniontown was reported to have more millionaires per capita than any other city in the United States.