so my relative living near Woodstock Va - in 1753 he could have been in Augusta Co, later in Frederick/Dunmore/Shenandoah. All the same land, just counties changed. >X-From_: [email protected] Sun Feb 14 11:10:26 1999 >X-Sender: [email protected] >Date: Sun, 14 Feb 1999 08:11:04 -0800 >To: Harold Miller <[email protected]> >From: Ron Moore <[email protected]> >Subject: Re: help with county lines > >Mary > >I agree that the early dividing lines between these various counties seemed >to be very confusing until I read the book "Massanutten" by Harry >Strickler. It really helps to read the entire chapter on "Location of the >Fairfax Line" on page 20-23. My ancestor, Rudolph Mauck lived in the area >that later became Page County, VA in 1831. I thought this area was a part >of Frederick County in 1750 when he died, but his probate records are >located in Augusta County, VA. The answer I finally located was in >Strickler's book and I will quote a portion of it here. > >"The dividing line between Augusta and Frederick when the counties were >first established was in the neighborhood of Woodstock, VA. The true >Fairfax line was run in 1746 and crossed the Shenandoah River several miles >south-west of Massanuten. Massanuten was first in Spotsylvania County, then >in Orange, then in Augusta, then in Frederick, then in Shenandoah and >lastly in Page, and incidentally a fifth, Rockingham, since Adam Miller of >this settlement laid the corner stone for Rockingham. George Washington did >not run the Fairfax line." > >"In 1753 the line between the Couties of Augusta and Frederick was made >identical to the Fairfax line. Prior to that date it was north of the >Fairfax line. In 1738 when the Counties of Augusta and Frederick were >established, the dividing line was designated as running from the >head-waters of the Hedgeman River to the head-waters of the Potomac. In >1744 an Act was passed. providing that Augusta should pay her share of the >cost of running the line between the Counties, and the Act recites the fact >that Frederick had employed a surveyor to do the work. It was probably run >that year." > >"It has always been supposed and so accepted by historians that the Fairfax >line and the line between Augusta and Frederick were identical. While this >was true after 1753, before that time the dividing line was evidently >further north but not actually run until 1744. This supposition proved >confusing until I discovered these facts." > >"The whole of the Massanutten patent was in Augusta County apparently, >until 1753, when it became a part of Frederick County and wholly in the >Northern Neck after that line was definitely established in 1746" > >Although your family may not have lived in Massanutten, which is on the >other side of the mountain from Woodstock, the same concept of the changing >Fairfax line may apply. One needs to read the entire chapter in Strickler's >book to get a better understanding of it. The book is available in many >libraries. Strickler also intimates that Dr Wayland may not have had a >clear concept of this issue. > ><<Ron Moore>> >[email protected] > ><<Ron Moore>> >Listowner and Moderator >MOCK-GEN-L >[email protected] > >