The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1886-07-01
Augusta County.

original county Of Augusta, which we find
in the last Kanawha Gazette, will prove
4 interesting to many of our readers who
may not be familiar with the ancient dig
nifty and proportions of this county. 1t
should be preserved for the benefit of the
coming generation and placed in a con-
venient place for their perusal
No part of our colonial history is more
interesting than that relating to the county
Of Augusta, its formation. its great area,
the splendid tract of country which it COW
cred, and the successive stages by which
it's territory passed into other counties,
and finally into many great States, COM
prising more than one-tlird of the area of
all the States in the Union, and nearly one
third Of The population east of the Rocky
mountains, and covering a territory equal
in fertility and other resources to any part
of the globe of equal area. When popula-
tion advanced from the eastern shores Of
Virginia to the Blue Ridge on the west,
they soon found their way across what TO
them then seemed an impossible barrier,
into the great valley beyond, the valley of
the Cohongoruta (noW Systematically. Hay
ing passed this mountain successfully,
they still pressed their settlements farther
west, until the colony of Virginia deemed
it proper to organize it's territory beyond
the mountains into some form of govern
ment. With this view the county of
/ Orange was extended over the Blue Ridge,
bounded "northerly by the grant of the
Lord Fairfax, and westerly by the utmost
limits of Virginia. At this time the
western limit of the Virginia colony was
the Mississippi river from point where
Kentucky now strikes that river to its
| source.
III 1888, only four years after the forma-
| tion of Orange county, Augusta county
was formed out of 'sall that territory or
tract of land lying on the northwest side of
| the top of the Blue Ridge mountains, ex-
tending from thence norJherly and south
erly beyond said mountains to the utmost
| limits of Virginia. By the same act,
however. part of the territory known as
the Fairfax grant was organized into the
l
culed in Frederick county was northeast
| of line from the corner of Mary land at
| the head branch of the Potomac, running
o IT,, top of the Blue Rid &c. This
line is probably the same VIII ieh now runs
between he counties of Rockingham and
Shenandoah in Virginia. All the balance
of the territory of Virginia lying west and
northwest Of lie Blue ridge was included
in Augusta county. For thirty years
Augusta county continued to cover this
great territory, till in 1869 Botetourt
county WAS formed out of part of it, "be-
ginning d, lie Blue ridge and running
thence north fifty-fve degrees west to the
confluence of Mary's creek with the north
branch of James river, and up the same to
the mouth of Carr's creek, and up said
creek to the mountain, (Alleghany,)
thence north fifty-ive degrees west,"
across to the Mississippi river. This line
crosses the Allegheny mountain about
where the road leading from Huntersville
to the Warm Spring crosses it, crossing
| the Ohio river at the mouth of Pond
| creek on the line between Jackson and
Wood counties. The act creating this
county. provided that it should extend
as far west as the. County Court should
organize their jurisdiction by the appoint
ment of Justices of the Peace. 1t is not
believed that this was ever done west of
the Ohio river. The territory north of
this line still remained In Augusta county,
/ and that south Of it was the new county
of Botetourt.
In l772 the county of Botetourt was
/ divided into two counties by a line to
run mp New river to the mouth of Gull
bertson's creek, thence direct line to the
Catawbl road where it crosses the divid-
ing ridge between North Fork of Roanoke
and the waters of New river, thence with
the top of the ridge to the bent where it
crossing little river to the top of the Blue
bridge mountains. shall be established as
one distinct county, and called and known
by the name of FincaStle. And all that
other part thereof which lies to the east
and northeast of the said line, shall be one
| other distinct county and retain the name
of Botetourt. Fincastle county seems to
have included all the branches of New
river putting in from the north side head
| ing with the Roanoke above the mouth of
i Culberton's Creek and from the ridge
dividing those waters, a south course to
the top of the Blue ridge, and with that
ridge to the North Carolina line and with
that and the Tennessee line las it now isl
to the Ohio river, and up that river to the
mouth of the great Kanawha river and up
that to the beginning.
In October 1776, the county of Fincas-
tie was divided into three counties. Ken
lucky, Washington and Montgomery, and
Fincastle county became extinct. Ken
lucky county included all the territory
lying between the Cumberland mountain
on the east, the Ohio river on the west,
and the Tennessee line on the south, being
the present boundary of the State of Ken
lucky. Montgomery county included the
territory between the Big Sandy river and
the great KanaWha and New rivers, and
between the Fincastle lines on the north
| sue dUUN0 utoCl1UCui di1u UliC olsAoID
, ridges between the waters of New River
and Tennessee river back to the Blue
, ridge, and Washington county covered the
} territory between the North Carolina line
on the south, the divide between New
river and Tennessee river on the north
the Blue ridge on the east, and the Cum
!; bsrland mountain on the west.
In October, 1776, the boundary lines be.
: tween the county of Augusta and the dis
t trict of West Augusta were defined. B.
the same act the district Of West Augusta
: was divided into three counties, Ohio
$ Monongala and Yohogania. This district
l included the waters Of Cheat river, Yoho
gania river, Monongahela river and part
of the west fork thereof, and up Binger
y man S creek to the head of Middle Islan(
a creek, and all the waters of Middle IslaI(
e creek, thence up the Ohio river and cas-
and northeast to the western boundaries Of
] Maryland and Pennsylvania.
i In TIT Greenbrier county was formed
: out of Botetourt county, beginning on the
: top of the Allegheny mountain ''whert