LEWISTOWN — The remarkable story of Lewistown’s founding mother will take center stage at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 22 during a special presentation, The Life and Times of Dorcas Buchanan, at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 21 S. Main St., Lewistown.

The program will be presented by Cate Barron, a Lewistown native and retired newspaper editor who has conducted what may be the first extensive historical research into Dorcas Buchanan’s life. Her findings shed new light on a woman whose story has long lived at the intersection of documented history and local legend.

Was Dorcas really kidnapped from Northern Ireland and forced onto a ship bound for the New World? Did Dorcas meet George Washington? What is fact, and what is folklore? Barron will explore these questions and more, separating myth from history while celebrating the extraordinary life of a frontier woman whose influence still echoes today.

Born Dorcas Armstrong, she was a spirited teenager from Northern Ireland who sailed to America in the early 1700s. Dorcas went on to build a life on the Pennsylvania frontier, earning a reputation as a strong and respected woman. She is believed to be the first European woman to own property in what is now Mifflin County, making her a foundational figure in the region’s early history.

Following the presentation, attendees are invited to stroll to the Old Town Cemetery to view Dorcas Buchanan’s gravestone, which remains legible more than 300 years later.

This event is part of Mifflin County’s America250PA celebration, honoring the people and stories that shaped the community in the years leading up to America’s founding.

The program is free and open to the public. History enthusiasts, lifelong residents and curious newcomers alike are encouraged to attend.

For more information, call the Juniata River Valley Visitors Bureau office at (717) 248-6713.