Centuries ago, Beaver Grade Road was little more than a wide, dirt trail cutting through an ancient forest.

Allegheny County was decades away from formation, and western Pennsylvania existed as part of Virginia.

It was rough terrain and a hard-scrapple life meant only for those with enough fight to persevere. This was the Moon Township that frontiersman Joshua Meeks settled and helped create.

For this achievement, he deserves recognition, says Jack Davis of Moon.

And thanks to Davis' efforts, Meeks finally received acknowledgment for his contributions in the form of a blue and gold historical marker from the Pennsylvania Historical Museum Commission last Wednesday.

"To me, it's big. It's not only my heritage, it's my grandkids' heritage, too," Davis said. "Years later, they'll be able to point at the sign and say my granddad did that."

Situated at Forest Green Drive, the marker is one of two in Moon and one of more than 2,000 across the Commonwealth, said Doug MacGregor of the Fort Pitt Museum, a commission representative.

"They recognize the people, places and events that made this Commonwealth notable. Each marker establishes a link to the past."

Honoring Meeks did not include tearing down his home and turning part of his 416.5-acre homestead into low-income housing. But that was the plan in 1999, before Davis caught wind of the scheduled actions.

He and a number of township residents, including Charlie Cooper, Meeks' great-great-great grandson of Coraopolis, converged on a township supervisors' meeting in attempt to halt the demolition, which had already removed one side of the first frame house built in Moon.

"They were jamming everything at us," said Davis of the developer, who he says broke three historical structure-related laws in the destruction of the house's side.

"There were so many things they tried to pull."

Work stopped, but the house eventually was brought down in 2000 where Forest Green Apartments now stand.

In the eight years since, Davis has worked diligently to acquire the $1,800 marker to honor the man who farmed, but also served as a militia captain in the American Revolution and founded the area's first church -- Sharon Community Presbyterian.

Meeks, who died in 1818 at age 87, also petitioned to create Allegheny County in 1787.

Securing the marker was no easy task for Davis though, said Mark Scappe, Moon Area school directors' president.

"It's been a long and ongoing battle for Jack," Scappe said. "He had some roadblocks along the way, but he kept with it and kept fighting the fight." One holdup was finding a local non-profit sponsor required by the commission.

Without a sponsor, Davis' dream would have ended, as a $900 commission grant needs an organization to front the cash for half the marker before eventual repayment.

Davis had already pulled the other $900 from his own pocket.

After trying multiple groups, including the township, he asked school directors, who backed Davis's project. Months later, Scappe helped Davis pull a blue covering off the 10-foot- high marker. For a moment, Davis admired his work.

"I don't know what I'll do now, I've been fighting this for so long."

Within 30 minutes though, he's on to his next endeavor.

A unnamed tributary runs into Montour Run and for years local folks have referred to it as Meeks' Creek or Meeks' Run.

Davis hopes to get it officially named Joshua Meeks' Creek or Meeks' Creek.