Even though the land office for Westmoreland County did not open until 1769, there were already settlers who came here after the French and Indian War.
As early as 1765, Christian Soxman (Saxman) was living east of Latrobe near what is now Machesneytown.
John Proctor had a farm to the west, between the St. Xavier property and Unity Cemetery.
Among the first land titles granted by the Commonwealth for the Latrobe area were those made to George Clark (who acquired the application rights of David and Samuel Sloan) and to Samuel Sloan, who built the first house in what is now the city of Latrobe.
Archibald Lochry settled here with his brother William and their restored blockhouse still stands on the Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve near the intersection of Routes 30 and 981.
William Findley served as the first Congressman from the area and his grist mill along the Loyalhanna in west Latrobe was the first industry within the present city.
Henry Kuhn's land later became the site of St. Xavier.
George Ruffner led five German families from Berks County to settle on the site of St. Vincent College.
Joseph Baldridge built a grist mill about 1789 south of Latrobe.
Peter Tittle and Benjamin Beatty, veterans of the American Revolution, established their homesteads near Unity Cemetery.
The map below shows the early land patents for our area.
