In 1786, three Moravian missionaries -- along with about 100 Indian converts -- built a temporary village somewhere in this general vicinity. Called Pilgerruh, or Pilgrim's Rest, this mission village was the first settlement built by Europeans in the Cuyahoga Valley.

While traveling west in June 1786, the missionaries stopped to plant crops before winter. In the spring of 1787, the missionaries abandoned Pilgerruh -- less than one year after they arrived. Only vague records of the missionaries tell us of the settlement's existence.

The illustration on the right is an artist's rendering of Pilgerruh as it may have looked.

An exhibit at the location described below includes a map of Pilgerruh drawn by John Heckewelder, one of the three missionaries, in 1786.

Location: While we know of the existence of this settlement within the Cuyahoga Valley, its exact location is not known.  A wayside exhibit relating to Pilgerruh can be found on the Towpath Trail about 7/10 of a mile south of the Lock 39 Trailhead (53K) and 9/10 of a mile north of the Canal Visitor Center Trailhead (53K).

Last Updated: Wednesday, 22-Dec-2004 09:50:43 Eastern Standard Time
http://www.nps.gov /archive/cuva/visitonline/towpathtour/pilgerru.htm
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