Adam Zurn quickly needed to find a book to discuss during an upcoming presentation at a local library.

So he wrote and published a nonfiction children's paperback in three weeks.

"I think the saying is, 'Necessity is the mother of all invention,'" Adam said, paraphrasing a quote often attributed to Plato.

Adam will talk about his debut book, "Canassatego and His Six Arrows," on Thursday, July 24, at 10:30 a.m. at the Milanof-Schock Library, 1184 Anderson Ferry Road, Mount Joy.

"I've spoken there in the past for some adult events, and they asked me if I wanted to do a children's program," the Conestoga Township resident said. The title of the program series is "So You Want To Be A ..." Adam's answer is adventurer. "That sounded like a lot of fun and would be neat," he said.

Adam explained that the library program includes show-and-tell, an activity, and reading a story. He will show the kids patio pavers he engraved with carvings of petroglyphs, which will be an interactive experience for the attendees. "What I couldn't find was a book that kept it in this Native American theme, a book for children that deals with local Indigenous groups," said Adam. "So I was like, 'You know what? I'm going to make one.'"

Adam's 30-page book contains the true story of Canassatego, interspersed with what he calls "fun facts," as well as artwork he made by enhancing paintings with Photoshop and artificial intelligence (AI). The tale had already been told on Adam's website, https://unchartedlancaster.com, and he used Amazon's self-publishing platform. The book can be purchased on the website and on Amazon by searching for "Adam Zurn" or "Canassatego and His Six Arrows." He said the book is intended for kids ages 7 to 11 and has earned the endorsement of his wife, Maribeth, a first-grade teacher at Conestoga Elementary.

Adam's account of Canassatego takes place during the 1744 Treaty of Lancaster conference that started June 22 and ended on July 4. Adam said several hundred members of the Six Nations confederacy met in the courthouse located in Penn Square alongside representatives from Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. One goal was to get the Iroquois to relinquish some land claims in Virginia and Maryland and encourage the tribe to stay neutral or support the English colonists during the imminent conflict with France.

On the last day of the conference, Canassatego, a well-respected tribe leader, gave a speech in the courthouse. Without giving away the major plot point that is the focus of the book, Canassatego shows that the colonists need to come together like the Iroquois have done. His demonstration was so stirring, it impressed Ben Franklin, who included it in his newspaper. There is also a nod to Canassatego on the $1 bill, Adam said.

Originally from Susquehanna County, Adam came to the area to attend Millersville University and never left. He became intrigued by local history. "You just start asking questions," he said. "And I think we often take our own local history for granted, but, you know, we go places to and ask those questions. And so I think that's what happened to me. I came here and started asking questions."

Adam was drawn to Canassatego's story because it answered one of the questions he had been asking. "This happened in Lancaster and had an impact on the nation," he said. "Going to places as a kid, I would always wonder, 'Did anything happen in this town?'"

Adam began working on his second book eight months prior to beginning the first. It is a tale of ghosts and monsters in Lancaster County. "That's like a 200-page book," he said. "That's a lot of work, and I've been working on that for months. So this was a fun little side project to kind of take a break from that and put this together."

Adam recently completed his 23rd year as a teacher at Lampeter-Strasburg High School. He began his career as a woodshop instructor and now teaches computer science and video. Adam uses his free time over the summer to work on Uncharted Lancaster and give guided tours through what he calls "the tunnels of Enola" from Shenks Ferry to Safe Harbor.