The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1875-04-15
Tie West Virginia Boundary.

The West Virginia Boundary.
The Preston (Wcst Virginia Her
aid says: Virginia, nearly half a cen
tury ago, issued patents for her land:
up to a then recognized line as the
western boundary of the State o.
Maryland. The patcntccs settled or
their respective grants, and have
claimed to be citizensof Virginiaand
West Virginia ever since. The line
above referred to ran from Lord Fair
fax's stone north to the Pennsylvania
line. About the year 1892 Maryland
set up a claim to all the territory
then occupiedby Virginia lying north
Of the south branch Of the Potomac
river and east of line from the north
western source of said river north tc
the Pennsylvania line. Virginia, tc
satisfy Maryland and to vindicate
her title to the territory she occupied
appointed the Hon. Chas. J. Faulk.
ner commissioner to go to England
and hunt up her munimcnts Of title
Mr.. Faulkner found documents show
ing that, at the instance Of Lord Bal
timorc and Lord Fairfax, the King
and Council had before the revolution
appointed commissioners to find anc
settle the true boundaries of the liant
in dispute, and that the commission
ers did run andsettle said boundaries
and that Fairfax's stone, at the heac
of the north branch of the Potomac
river, was placed there by said com
miSsioners. About this time large
mound was thrown up on the Penn
sylvania line, supposed to be in tht
same longitude. of Fairfax,s stone
After the revolution a line was rur
and marked under the direction of ;
gentleman and citizen of Maryland
By the name of Dcakins from Fair
fax's stone north to the Pcnnsylvani:
line, which intersccted said line {
little west of the said mound. Vir
ginia, in her liberality, adopted the
Deakins line and granted her land;
| up to that line, and Maryland made
her Immigrants conform to the same
Just before the late rebellion Virgin,
ia and Maryland appointed commits.
sioners to again run line from Fair,
fax's stone north to the Pennsylvania
line, and report to the Legislature Of
said States, which latter linewas run,
and its intersection with Pennsyl,
vania was still west of the DeakinS
line. Whether the commissioners
ever reported is not ertainlyknown,
but it is known that Virginia never
acted on or concurrcd in said last
! line. Citizens of Maryland have
been covering the old Virginia land,
grants, embracing the lands between
the Deakins line and the last-made
line with Maryland titles. and are
driving our people off their lands,
This conflict of title cannot be prop.
erly settled by the courts nor by fire
and Sword-at least, so think some
of our people who have had taste Of
the consuming element. 1t might
not injure the people of Preston il
the whole county was coded to Mary
land; still we do not like to separate
from our sister counties. If, how
ever, the threatened movement Of
the return Of the great Kanawlm
valley to the old State should be car
ricd out, had we not better all return
and restore our old mother to her
former greatness? Hard as this al
tentative might be, still it would be
better than to occupy weak and de-
fenccless position, subject to be invad-
ed and our rights trampled upon by
our stronger and more avaricious
ncighbor.