A monument to the near-shooting of George Washington and his traveling companion, Christopher Gist, in December 1753 in or near Forward Township is located near the Forward Township municipal building on Ash Stop Road. William Pitts/Butler Eagle

Nearly everyone in Butler County knows the story by now — in December 1753, a young George Washington was passing through the area on a diplomatic mission when he was fired on by a Native American.

The shot missed, but if it hadn’t, the entire history of the United States would be different.

That momentous near miss has been commemorated in Forward Township for a century now, with a stone monument on Ash Stop Road that was put up by the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1925.

To celebrate 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Forward Township announced it will relocate and rededicate the monument on May 17, 2026.

The marker will be moved closer to the municipal building, with the goal of creating a small historic park, according to township Supervisor Susan Oliver-Stough.

Because the monument is starting to show its age, the township is taking precautions.

“We have to figure out what’s the best way to preserve the structure before we even try to move it,” Oliver-Stough said. “We’ll have to have a big crane come, but we’ve got to figure out what’s the safest way to move it. So a preservationist is going to be working with us to help do that.”

Washington’s close call isn’t well known outside of Butler County, but it’s an important moment in history, one that raises the question of what might have been different if he hadn’t been the person to lead the Continental Army during the American Revolution.

We’re glad Forward Township is planning to honor that moment, and we hope even more people learn about this amazing “what if?” moment.

— JK