--part1_b9.6579846.26dd2e04_boundary Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit --part1_b9.6579846.26dd2e04_boundary Content-Type: message/rfc822 Content-Disposition: inline Return-path: <Cpzb4@aol.com> From: Cpzb4@aol.com Full-name: Cpzb4 Message-ID: <48.a40a2bf.26dd2c0f@aol.com> Date: Tue, 29 Aug 2000 11:09:03 EDT Subject: Re: Counties formerly in Virginia To: Blfrogge@aol.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: AOL 5.0 for Windows sub 118 Brenda, I hope this will answer some of your questions on counties formerly in Virginia. Prior to 1784 the commonwealth of Virginia consisted of a vast territory extending west from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River and north from the North Carolina line to the Great Lakes. Starting in 1784, however the size of the commonwealth decreased: in 1784 the US Congress accepted Virginia's cession of its northwestern lands; parts of three Virginia counties were added to the commonwealth of Pennsylvania between 1776 and 1785; and between 1784 and 1792 residents of the area known as the district of Kentucky held ten conventions on the question of statehood. On December 18, 1789, the General Assembly of Virginia passed an act to allow Kentucky to apply for statehood, and on June 1792 Kentucky's nine counties became a state. With the start of the Civil War in 1861, fifty of Virginia's western counties voted to remain in the Union, and on June 23, 1863, West Virginia became a state. Illinois County formerly in Virginia. Illinois County was named for the Illini, a confederacy of woodland tribes. The French changed the name, which means "the men," to Illinois. Illinois County was Created in Dec. 1778 after George Rogers Clark had captured several British posts on the Mississippi River within Virginia's boundaries. The county included all of that territory between the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers that now constitutes the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin, as well as a small part of Minnesota. The General Assembly continued the county's existence until January 5, 1782. On March 1, 1784, the Illinois territory was ceded to Congress and ceased to be part of the commonwealth of Virginia. YOHOGANIA COUNTY (extinct) meaning (stream flowing) Created in 1776 when the district of West Augusta was divided into three new counties: Monongalia, Ohio and Yohogania. Within nine years, almost all of Yohogania, and much of Ohio and Monongalia Counties, became part of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The remaining portions of Ohio and Monongalia Counties in 1863 became part of the new state of West Virginia. Yohogania remained a Virginia County until Oct. 1785 session of the General Assembly, at which time the assembly recognized that since the western boundary of Pennsylvania had been extended and had taken in most of Yohogania, the area left was too small to remain a separate county. So the rest of Yohogania was added to Ohio County. KENTUCKY COUNTIES FORMERLY I VIRGINIA: Bourbon Co. was formed in 1785 from Kentucky County. County seat established 1789 and named Hopewell; in 1790 its name was changed briefly to Bourbonton and then to its present name, Paris. Fayette Co. was created in 1780 and was on of the three original counties that made up the district of Kentucky. Fayette County consisted of the northern and eastern portions of the present state. The county seat is Lexington. Jefferson Co. was named for Thomas Jefferson from 1779 to 1781. Established in 1780. It was one of the three original counties that made up the district of Kentucky. Jefferson Co. consisted of the middle section of the present state. The county seat is Louisville. Kentucky Co. (extinct) was created in 1776 from Fincastle Co. Kentucky County became extinct in Nov. 1780 when it was divided into Fayette, Jefferson and Lincoln Counties. Lincoln Co. was named for Major Gen. Benjamin Lincoln. Formed in 1780. Lincoln County was the third of the original counties established in the district of Kentucky. It consisted of the western portion of the present state. Harrodsburg was the first county seat, until it became the center of government for Mercer County, which was created in 1785. Stanford then became the county seat of Lincoln. Madison County was created in 1785 out of part of Lincoln County/ named after James Madison. Milford was the original county seat, but the county's government was moved to Richmond, Kentucky, in 1798. Mason County named after George Mason, author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights. It was formed from Bourbon County in 1788. Washington was the county seat until 1848 when Maysville became the new center of county government. Mercer County was named for Gen. Hugh Mercer, of Fredericksburg, who died at the Battle of Princeton, New Jersey, during the American Revolution. The county seat was created in 1785. And the county seat is Harrodsburg. Nelson County was named for Thomas Nelson, Jr., of VA. in 1781. Created in 1784, and the county seat is Bardstown (formerly Bairdstown). WEST VIRGINIA COUNTIES FORMERLY IN VIRGINIA: Barbour County It was formed from parts of Harrison, Lewis, and Randolph Counties in 1843. County seat is Philippi. Berkeley County created from Frederick County in 1772. The county seat is Martinsburg. Boone County formed from Kanawha, Cabell, and Logan counties in 1847. County sear is Madison. Braxton County created in 1836 from Lewis and Nicholas Counties and part of Randolph County was added in 1849. County Seat is Sutton. Brooke County formed in 1796 from Ohio County. County seat is Wellsburg. Cabell County created in 1809 from Kanawha County. Barboursville was the county seat in 1887, when the county government was moved to Huntington. Calhoun County was formed from Gilmer County in 1856. County seat is Grantsville. Earlier county seats were located at Arnoldsburg, Brooksville, and the mouth of Pine Creek. Clay County created in 1858 from sections of Braxton and Nicholas Counties. County seat is Clay. Doddridge County formed from parts of Harrison, Tyler, Ritchie and Lewis Counties in 1845. County seat is West Union. Fayette County formed from Logan, Greenbrier, Nicholas and Kanawha Counties in 1831. Virginia's first Fayette Co. lay in the western area that became Kentucky. County seat is Fayetteville. Gilmer Co. created in 1845 from portions of Lewis and Kanawha Counties. Dekalb originally was chosen as the county seat, but in 1856 the seat moved to Glenville. Greenbrier County formed in 1778 from parts of Botetourt and Montgomery Counties, and portions of Monroe and Fayette Counties were added later. County seat is Lewisburg. Hampshire Co. oldest county in the state of West VA. Created by law in 1754 from sections of Augusta and Frederick Counties, border unrest during the French and Indian War delayed the formal organization of county government until 1757. Part of Augusta and Hardy Counties were added to Hampshire later. County seat is Romney. Hancock Co. created in 1848 from Brooke County. It is the smallest county in the state of W. VA. County seat is New Cumberland. Hardy Co. formed in 1786 from Hampshire Co. County seat is Moorefield. Harrison Co. created in 1784 from Monongalia County. Additional sections of Monongalia, Randolph and Ohio counties were added between 1800 and 1804. County seat is Clarksburg. Jackson County created in 1801 from Berkeley Co. County seat is Charles Town. Kanawha County was first named Kenhawa but later changed to Kanawha. Formed in 1788 from parts of Greenbrier and Montgomery Counties. County seat is Charleston which is also the state capital. Lewis County created in 1816 from Harrison County and in 1818 part of Randolph Co. was added to Lewis. County seat is Weston. Logan County created in 1824 from sections of Giles, Cabell, Tazewell and Kanawha Counties. In 1830 additional parts of Cabell and Kanawha were added. County seat is Logan. McDowell County formed from Tazewell County in 1858. The first county seat was Perryville, although a courthouse was not built there until 1872. In 1872, Welch was chosen by the voters as the new county seat. Marion County formed in 1842 from Monongalia and Harrison Counties. Count seat is Fairmont. Marshall County formed from Ohio County in 1835. Elizabethtown was named as the county seat in the act creating the county, but it was merged with Moundsville in 1866, and Moundsville is the present county seat. Mason Co. created from Kanawha in 1804. County seat is Point Pleasant. Mercer Co. created in 1837 from portions Giles and Tazewell Counties. County seat is Princeton. Monongalia County (Indian name meaning the river of crumbling or caving banks) created in 1776 from the district of West Augusta and parts of Augusta County were added in 1779 an 1780. County seat is Morgantown. Monroe Co. formed in 1799 from Greenbrier County and in 1802 part of Botetourt was added. County seat is Union. Morgan County formed in 1820 from parts of Berkely and Hampshire Counties. County seat is Berkeley Springs. Nicholas Co. created in 1818 from sections of Greenbrier, Kanawha and Randolph Counties. County seat is Summersville. Ohio Co. created in 1776 at the same time as Monongalia Co. from part of the district of West Augusta. In 1785, part of Yohogania Co. was added to Ohio. County seat is Wheeling (formerly known as Zanesville) Pendleton Co. formed in 1788 from parts of Augusta, Hardy, and Rockingham Counties. In 1790, an additional section of Augusta County was added to Pendleton and in 1796 part of Bath Co. as well. County sear is Franklin. Pleasants Co. created in 1851 from portions of Wood, Tyler and Richie Counties. County seat is Saint Marys. Pocahontas Co. formed in 1821 from parts of Bath, Pendleton and Randolph Counties, and in 1824 a section of Greenbrier County was added. County seat is Marlinton. Preston Co. created in 1818 from a portion of Monongalia Co. Parts of Randolph Co. were added in 1828 and 1838, and in 1841 another portion of Monongalia was added. County seat is Kingwood. Putnam Co. formed from sections of Kanawha, Calbell, and Mason Counties in 1848. County seat is Winfield Raleigh Co. formed from part of Fayette County in 1850. County seat is Beckley. Randolph Co. formed in 1786 from Harrison Co. the largest county in the state. Beverly was the original county seat, but it was moved to Elkins in 1898. Ritchie County created in 1843 from parts of Lewis, Harrison and Wood counties. County seat is Harrisville. Roane Co. formed in 1856 from portions of Kanawha, Jackson, and Gilmer Counties. County seat is Spencer. Taylor Co. formed in 1844 from portions of Harrison, Barbour, and Marion Counties, and another part of Marion County was added in 1856. Pruntytown was the first county seat, but in 1878 the town of Grafton became the county seat. Tucker Co. formed from part of Randolph County. County seat is Parsons. Tyler Co. formed in 1814 from part of Ohio County. County seat is Middlebourne. Upshur Co. was created in 1851 from sections of Randolph, Barbour, and Lewis Counties. County seat is Buckhannon. Wayne Co. created in 1842 from part of Cabell Co. County seat is Wayne. Webster Co. formed from parts of Nicholas and Randolph Counties. County seat is Webster Springs. Wetzel Co. formed in 1846 from part of Tyler County. County seat is New Martinsville. Wirt Co. created in 1848 from portions of Wood and Jackson Counties. County Seat is Elizabeth. Wood Co. formed from Harrison County in 1798, and in 1800 part of Kanawha County was added. County seat is Parkersburg. Wyoming Co. created in 1850 from part of Logan County. County seat is Pineville. THE END...... June --part1_b9.6579846.26dd2e04_boundary--