George Washington made monumental contributions to both the Allegany County area and the United States of America. Our nation's first president, commander in chief of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, and one of the founding fathers of the United States, George Washington has been called the "father of our country" and maintains a prolific image and reputation in American history. Washington's arrival in Allegany County, specifically the Cumberland area, came after his appointment by Virginia Governor Robert Dinwiddie to command Virginia troops as general of the Virginia militia during the French and Indian War. Before the war began in 1753, Washington was sent by the governor to deliver a letter to the French urging them to leave the Ohio Valley immediately. After the French refused, Washington returned to Virginia before arriving in the Cumberland a year later in the spring of 1754. From the Cumberland, Washington and a small army of men pushed north into the Ohio River valley in hopes of regaining control of the area. . After ...