Following Gen. Lafayette to Western Pennsylvania
French historian Julien Icher is a modern-day pioneer who is retracing the footsteps of Gen. Marquis de Lafayette on a Farewell Tour that he took through the nation nearly two centuries ago, and Western Pennsylvania is part of it.
Mr. Icher, who recently was in Pittsburgh to gather information in preparation for the trail’s bicentennial celebrations in 2024-25, is manager of the Lafayette Trail in this American-French endeavor aimed at raising awareness of this part of history.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in history and geography, as well as master’s degrees in geography and geographic information systems. He has always had an interest in American history, and it led him to focus on Gen. Lafayette in his cultural exchange program, which aims at increasing mutual understanding between the U.S. and France.
“I have always been attracted to the United States,” says Mr. Icher. “I wanted to explore Western democracy, and when I was in school I studied American history. For my master’s [degree] I had to do a field study, and I got acquainted with the American view of Lafayette — his name is on many different streets and towns.”
Lafayette was a French general who fought alongside George Washington and other Americans in the Revolutionary War. As the last surviving general of the war, Lafayette was invited by President James Monroe for what would be known as his Farewell Tour in America in 1824.
It began in New York and parts of New England, leading him eventually through the 24-state union. His tour through Western Pennsylvania included stops in West Alexander, Washington, Uniontown, Brownsville, Friendship Hill, Elizabeth, Pittsburgh, Butler and Erie.
In his visit to Pittsburgh on May
30, 1824, Lafayette visited the Allegheny Arsenal, the former manufacturing site for the Civil War located in Lawrenceville. Here, he received a warm welcome from Revolutionary officers, soldiers and many citizens. At the former Bakewell glass company (which closed in 1882 and was curated by the Frick Art and Historical Center in 2005), he was gifted a pair of vases cut and engraved with flint glass.
“Lafayette is almost like a founding father of this nation,” said Mr. Icher. “Sometimes when I travel some people know him, but they may just know that he [was] famous. We can help raise better awareness of who he [was], what he did and what he stands for.”
In 2016, Mr. Icher was invited to attend the annual Bastille Day garden party at the Residence of France in Boston, where he proposed The Lafayette Trail project. Mr. Icher began his journey in March 2017. The Lafayette Trail is sponsored by the French government and several American foundations. More than $101,000 has been raised so far for the project.
“I want to connect the dots of all the places with works that have connections to French and American history,” said Mr. Icher, who spent time at the Heinz History Center during his visit here in September.
In April, Mr. Icher was invited to be a part of the French delegation visiting the White House. It was there that he was endorsed by French President Emmanuel Macron at Blair House (the official White House guest residence) to extend his mapping to all 24 states.
Mr. Icher plans to document the historical markers with connections to Lafayette. All the mapped markers are plotted on a digital map that can be accessed online at www.thelafayettetrail.com/trail/.
“People can find out where Lafayette went [in America] and find the closest location with information on Lafayette,” he said.
The data collected also will contribute to providing more evidence on Lafayette’s Farewell Tour in local historical societies and public libraries.
“We have nurtured a relationship since 1778,” Mr. Icher said about FrenchAmerican relations. “Whenever there is a chance to claim this heritage, an effort is being made.”
The projected timeline for the end of Mr. Icher’s journey is July 2019.