The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1884-12-27
rmELosr COUNTY.
sYohogania,s which once Join.
ed Monongalia on the North.
new almost FOrGOt item

"Yehexania,'' which once join
ed Monongalia on the North .
new almost Forge item
The site of Pittsburgh and sur
rounding part Of Pennsylvania was
at one time all comprised in the
county of "Y ohogania," known to the
antiquarian as "The Lost County
because it has been wiped from the
map.
1t was this county Of Yohogania
which led to the famous boundary
dispute between Pennsylvania and
Virginia. At the same time by a
singular anomaly it was in the coun-
ty Of Westmoreland the dispute arose
in 1852, when Thomas Penn asked
the governor of Pennsylvania to erect
fort at the Ohio. In February,
1854, Governor Dinwiddie, of Virgin
ia, issued proclamation to the effect
that he intended to build fort on
the Ohio at the forks of the "Monon-
gala" to prevent encroachments of
the French and Indians and to ''pro-
tect the rights of the colony" In
March, 1854, Governor Hamilton, of
Pennsylvania, notified Virginia that
this territory was in Pennsylvania.
Virginia claimed the forks of the
rivers were in Virginia. Governor
Dinwiddie sent q force to build a
fort here; they we're captured by the
Indians and French and Fort Du-
quesne was built. Until 1853 Vir-
ginian fought for the territory against
the Indians and French. In 1773
the Pennsylvania authorities put all
the disputed territory into the county
of Westmoreland, with Hannastown
as the county seat Virginia at once
sent Captain Connolly TO claim the
territory in the name of that state.
He was arrested by Pennsylvania au-
thorities here, but was afterwards re-
leased, and taking possession of Fort
Pitt he called it Fort Dunmore.
What the Penns at one time claimed
their boundary line to be, would have
taken fifty miles square Of northwes-
tern Virginia and would have shaped
the western end of Pennsylvania in
the same irregular manner as the
eastern part on the Delaware. Lord
Dunmore laughed at this, and said
the Pennsylvania line was fifty miles
east of Pittsburgh. This was based
on a belief that the Delaware river
continued to the forty-second degree
the northeastward bearing which
really changes to the northwest al
the eastern corner of Pike county
Then the Penns proposed to extend
Mason and Dixon's line to the Mo
nongahela, and then run down thai
river to the Ohio. Lord Dnnmore
said nothing short of the kings com
mand could make him relinquisl
Pittsburgh. In 1776 Virginia erect
ed the county of Ohio, now part o
Washington and Greene counties)
Monongalia county, (Which compris
ed part of Washington, Fayette anc
Greene counties), and Yohogani'
county. which took in all the nortl
of the Ohio and Msnongahela which
undermined northern boundaries
This included Allegheny, Westmore
land and parts Of Washington anC
Fayette. 1t was mot until 1779 tn
agreement was ratified, with the un
Outstanding that persons holding ii
ties to land in the disputed districts
which were granted by Virginia
should not be disturbed. This LANE
is held now in this section in som
cases by title from Pennsylvania an,
in some by title from Virginia. TIL
final line was run by Col. Alex. Nc
Clean, Of Fayette county, and Jcsep|
Neville, of Virginia. A new count
of Washington was organized b.
Pennsylvania. The residents object
ed and wanted to erect new state t
include western Pennsylvania, Obi
east of the Muskingum and northeas
of the Kanawha, with Pittsburgh a
the capital. Pennsylvania foun
this so formidable a scheme that sh
had to declare it an act Of treason /
1882. Mason and Dixon's line wa
finally established in 1884, by mean
of curious astronomical observation
made by the commissioners Of th
two states. Ohio and Monongali
counties still exist in West Virgini,
but Yohogania is nothing but an a
most forgotten county name.-U'
iontoscn Standard.