Following the footsteps of heroes

WYOMING – More than 30 lovers of history reserved a spot for the annual Battle of Wyoming guided walking tour sponsored by the Luzerne County Historical Society this weekend.

The two-hour tour has been guided for the last 10 years by local attorney and history buff Steve Killian, a member of the society.

"This is my second year on the tour," said 16-year-old Jesse Holzman of Jermyn. "The thing that particularly interests me is the local history involved with this walk."

Holzman, a member of a Civil War re-enactment group, said he's a history lover and attends a number of history-based functions throughout the year to augment his formal education at Lakeland High School.

"My goal with the tour is to explain what actually happened during the Battle of Wyoming and its aftermath in an accurate fashion," said tour guide Steve Killian. "This area is rich in history and this battle in particular."

Killian explained that the Battle of Wyoming occurred in 1778 along the banks of the Susquehanna River during the American Revolution and pitted patriot forces against a group of British Loyalists and their Iroquois allies. About 340 patriots were killed in the battle and a number of patriot survivors were ultimately tortured and killed by the Iroquois in the aftermath of the battle.

For more information on upcoming historical events, visit the Luzerne County Historical Society's website at www.luzernehistory.org.