History of Washington County

CHAPTER III.

ORIGINAL ACT ESTABLISHING WASHINGTON COUNTY.

Divisions by the formation of townships-Its original and present townships and boroughs-Its present boundaries with topographical and geographical description and its streams-Its early religious element and the religious agreement of 1782-Marriage custom and ceremony-School-houses.

HAVING in the preceding chapters confined myself to the primitive history of what is now known as Washington County, originally belonging to Virginia, and also a general outline history of Pennsylvania, and thereby laid the foundation stone upon which to erect the superstructure, I shall now proceed with the general history of Washington County.

On the 28th of March 1781, the legislature of Pennsylvania passed an act for erecting part of the county of Westmoreland into a separate county, and the reasons given in the preamble to said act are in these words: Whereas, the inhabitants of that part of Westmoreland County which lies west of the Monongahela River, have represented to the Assembly of this State the great hardships they lie under, from being so far remote from the present seat of judicature and the public offices; for to remedy these inconveniences they therefore passed the act of separation. The act is in eighteen sections (the preamble being numbered the first), which we will refer to, either at length or by giving a summary of the contents of each separately.

Section second gives the boundaries of Washington County as follows: all that part of the State of Pennsylvania west of the Monongahela River, and south of the Ohio, beginning at the junction of the said rivers, thence up the Monongahela River aforesaid, to the line run by Mason and Dixon; thence by the said line due west to the end thereof; and from thence the same course, to end of five degrees of west longitude, to be computed from the River Delathence by a meridian line, extended north, until the same shall intersect the Ohio River, and thence by the same to the place of beginning (the said lines from the end of Mason and Dixon's line to the Ohio River to be understood as to be hereafter ascertained by commissioners now appointed or to be appointed for that purpose), shall be and the same is hereby declared to be erected into a county, henceforth to be called Washington.

ware;

Section third gives the same rights and privileges to the inhabitants as enjoyed by other counties in the State.

Section fourth authorizes the trustees to take assurance of ground whereon to erect a court-house and prison, and divide the county into townships, before July 1st, 1781.

Section fifth empowers the inhabitants to elect Inspectors, two Representatives for the Assembly, one member of the Supreme Executive Council, two persons for Sheriff, two for Coroner, and three Commissioners. The election was ordered to be held at the house of David Hoge, at the place called CATFISH CAMP, now Washington. Section sixth. Justices of the Supreme Court to have like powers and authorities in Washington County.

Sections seventh and eighth provide for an election for justices of the peace, to be held on the 15th of July, 1781, for the various townships, after judges and inspectors have been elected.

Section ninth. Justices of the peace authorized to hold courts of General Quarter Sessions and Gaol Delivery.

Section tenth. James Edgar, Hugh Scott, Van Swearingen, Daniel Leet, and John Armstrong appointed commissioners to purchas ground for a court-house, as provided for in section four.

Sections eleventh and twelfth provide for the mode of defraying the expenses of the public buildings.

Section thirteenth. For the continuance of suits commenced in the original county.

Sections fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth provide for the appointment of a collector of the excise, his powers and fees.

Section seventeenth directs the Sheriff and Coroner of Westmoreland County to officiate until those officers could be chosen in the new county.

Section eighteenth directed the amount of the security to be given by the Sheriff and Treasurer.

DIVISION OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.

The inhabitants of Washington County, with those of Westmoreland, considering their counties were too extensive, and that they were subject to many inconveniences from their being situated at so great a distance from the seat of justice, conceived that their interests and happiness would be greatly promoted by being erected into a new and separate county; the legislature, on the 24th of September, 1788, gratified their requests, and erected Alleghany County. We shall give the original boundaries of this new county, so that we can trace on the map, the territory which was struck off from Washington County. Beginning at the mouth of Flagherty's Run, on the south side of the Ohio River, from thence, by a straight line, to the plantation on which Joseph Scott, Esquire, now lives, on Montour's Run, to include the same; from thence, by a straight line, to the mouth of Miller's Run, in Chartiers' Creek; thence by a straight line, to the mouth of Perry's Mill Run, on the east side of Monongahela River; thence up the said river to the mouth of Becket's

Run; thence by a straight line to the mouth of Sewickley Creek, on Youghiogheny River; thence down the said river to the mouth of Crawford's Run; thence by a straight line to the mouth of Bush Creek, on Turtle Creek; thence up Turtle Creek to the main fork thereof; thence by a northerly line until it strikes Puckety's Creek; thence down the said creek to the Allegheny River; thence up the Allegheny River to the northern boundary of the State; thence along the the same to the river Ohio, and thence up the same to the place of beginning. The above portion of the line italicized is the portion taken from Washington County.

But the inhabitants of Washington County still seemed desirous of having justice administered to them at their very doors, again petitioned the legislature to annex a certain part of this to Allegheny County; and on the 17th of September, 1789, the General Assembly believing their prayer to be just and reasonable, granted their request. The boundaries of that part of Washington, annexed to Allegheny County, began at the river Ohio, where the boundary line of the State crosses the said river; from thence in a straight line, to White's mill, on Racoon Creek; from thence by a straight line, to Armstrong's mill, on Miller's Run, and from thence by a straight line, to the Monongahela River, opposite the mouth of Perry's Run, where it strikes the present line of Allegheny County.

By this act of annexation, the whole of Dickinson and part of Cecil township became part of Allegheny County; according to a decision of the Supreme Executive Council. Peter Kidd and John Beaver were authorized to have the boundary lines marked, each being allowed twenty-five shillings per day, out of the treasury of Allegheny County.

The

On the 9th of FEBRUARY, 1796, another portion of the territory of Washington County was erected into GREENE County. boundary line began at the mouth of Tenmile Creek, on the Monongahela River; thence up Tenmile Creek to the junction of the north and south forks of said creek; thence up said north fork to Colonel William Wallace's mill; thence up a southwesterly direction to the nearest part of the dividing ridge between the north and south forks of Tenmile Creek; thence along the top of the said ridge to the ridge which divides the waters of Tenmile and Wheeling creeks; thence a straight line to the head of Enlow's branch of the Wheeling; thence down said branch to the western boundary of the State; thence south along the said line to the southern boundary line of the State; thence east along said line to the river Monongahela, and thence down the said river to the place of beginning.

The words italicized form the southern line separating Washington and Greene counties.

The officers of Washington County were authorized to exercise the duties of their office in the new county (except justices of peace) until similar officers were appointed. Washington and Greene were

to elect, jointly, four representatives; while Washington, Allegheny, and Greene were to compose the congressional district.

On the 22d of January, 1802, by authority of the legislature of Pennsylvania, the following alteration took place in the line between the counties of Washington and Greene; beginning at the present line, on the ridge that divides the waters of the Tenmile and Wheeling creeks, near Jacob Bobbett's; thence a straight line, to the head-waters of Hunter's fork of Wheeling Creek, and thence down the same, to the mouth thereof, where it meets the present county line.

The act of the same date declares that so much of the county of Greene, which, by the act, is reunited to the county of Washington, as lies west of the road called Ryerson's Road, is hereby annexed to Findley township, and shall hereafter be a part of the district called Stevenson's election district, and that part thereof, which lies east of said road is hereby annexed to Morris township, and shall hereafter be a part of the Washington elected district.

The Governor was authorized to appoint two commissioners to run and mark the aforesaid line; the expense to be borne equally out of the treasury of both counties.

By the erection of Greene County, Morgan, Cumberland, Franklin, Greene, and Rich Hill townships became component parts of Greene County.

On the 12th of March, 1800, an act was passed by the General Assembly, erecting parts of Washington and Alleghany counties into a new county, to be called BEAVER. The boundary line began at the mouth of the Sewickley Creek on the Ohio River; thence up the said creek to the west line of Alexander's district of depreciation lands; thence northerly along the said line, and continuing the same course to the north line of the first donation district; thence westerly along the said line to the western boundary of the State; thence southerly along the said boundary, across the Ohio River to a point in the said boundary, from which a line to be run at right angles easterly will strike White's mill on Racoon Creek, and from such point along the said easterly line to the said mill; thence on a straight line to the mouth of Big Sewickley Creek, the place of beginning. (The words italicized is the boundary line between Washington and Beaver counties). The expense of running the line was to be borne by Beaver County.

ORIGINAL TOWNSHIPS.

The organic act authorized the trustees to divide the county into a suitable number of townships. In accordance therewith, the trustees subdivided it into thirteen townships, in commemoration of the thirteen States which formed the United States. Their names in alphabetical order were: 1. Amwell; 2. Bethlehem; 3. Cecil; 4. Cumberland; 5. Donegal; 6. Fallowfield; 7. Hopewell; 8. Mor

gan; 9. Nottingham; 10. Peters; 11. Robison; 12. Straban; 13. Smith.

These townships went into operation on the 15th of July, 1781, by the provisions of the act of the legislature and the election of township officers.

As the county became more thickly settled, the people felt the necessity of forming new townships and boroughs. This power was confined to the legislature until the 24th of March, 1803, when it was transferred to the courts of Quarter Sessions, although it appears that in some few cases the courts had exercised it.

By the erection of new counties out of Washington, whole townships and parts of townships were cut off, and at the present time, May, 1870, we find that Washington County has eleven boroughs and thirty-one townships within her limits.

We shall now add this list with their respective organizations, from the formation of Washington County.

0. T.* 1.-Amwell township, formed July 15, 1781.

0. T. 2.-Bethlehem