History of Rices Landing, Greene County
Rices Landing
Greene County, PA.
Located 35 miles due south of the point of Pittsburgh, as the crow
flies, and nestled on the West Bank of the Monongahela River and away from
the beaten path, lies a town that time forgot. In the early years according
to legend, George Washington of the British army in 1755, passed through
this area on his way to Duquesne to assist Gen. Braddock. He forged the
river at the lower part of what is now Rice's Landing and camped there. The
few that were with him was Christopher Gist, John Swan, Thomas Hughes and
Henry VanMeter. Swan and VanMeter returned in 1765 and purchased land from
Abraham Teagarden of Maryland who obtained it from an Indian trader. Thomas
Hughes returned with his brother and tomahawked land above Rice's Landing.
The Swan's built a blockhouse or strong house as a fort from the invasion
of Indians. The creek that runs through the middle of Rice's Landing was
called Enoch's Run, later called Swans Run, and now called Pumpkin Run.
Pumpkin Run got its name from a flash flood that came down the hollow and
swept the farmers pumpkin crop away.
Abijah McClain bought a tract of land on the west side of Enochs run and
named Newport, about the same time in 1786 John Rice bought the east side of
Enochs run and named it Rice's Landing. This place was the ideal
location for a riverport and a town to spring up. Due to the river traffic
and packet boats Rice's Landing became a center hub and sometimes called a
gateway to Western Pennsylvania. With its abundant natural resources and
fertile fields people flocked to the area. In its heyday Rice's Landing had
many different businesses, hotels, factories and shops. With the decline
the river traffic and increase of trains and automobiles the bustling town
of Rice's Landing has become a quaint residential community that holds much
history.
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