The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) has overseen a program to recognize important historical sites throughout the Commonwealth since 1946. Prior to that, a program existed that identified historical sites with a plaque.
The building of the first Susquehanna River bridge from Harrisburg to Cumberland County brought about the beginning of the first west shore community, Wormleysburg. When Cumberland County was established in 1750, the west shore for "five or six miles back from the river" since 1736 had already been reserved by the Penn family for the use of the Shawnee Indians. However, the Indians moved on to the west.