History

*Back in the 1760s, the Wagner family was doing quite well in Tilden Township.

They'd built a new stone home, an upgrade from the wooden cabin the family had occupied, and they built a small fort on their property.

Building the fort, a six-sided structure of native fieldstone, made sense considering the threat of Indian raids on nearby settlements.

The building was not part of a string of forts built along Blue Mountain to protect settlers but rather a safe house for the family.

A rifle slit on one side of the fort was its only means of defense.

"It was where everyone went when there was trouble. "It was the panic room."

Despite its age, the small fort still stands, featured prominently on the property of the Indian Fort Inn along Hex Highway. The Indian Fort Inn is a restaurant and tavern converted from the Wagner family home.

In 2010 Stephanie Shaner, purchased the Indian Fort Inn and restored "The Fort" to maintain it's historical value.

*Courtesy of the Reading Eagle