Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-02-26


cient, which probably will happen
in short time; BE it therefore
enacted, by the authority aforesaid,
that the inhabitants of that part
of the said county Of Botetourt,
which lies on the said waters, shall
be exempted from the payment OF
any levies to be laid by the said
county court" Thus it appears that
Virginia, at that period, claimed
the jurisdiction and territory Of
that vast region Of country west
ward to the Mississippi.
In 1772 the county Of Fin
castle was taken from BOtetOurt;
and in 177G Fincastle was divided
into the counties Of Kentucky,
Washington and Montgomery, and
the name Of Fincastle became eX.
tinct.
In the year III Rockbridge
county was taken from augusta
and Botetourt. Rockingham coun-
ty, the same year, was taken from
Augusta, and Greenbrier from
Augusta and Botetourt. The years
1876 and l711 were remarkable for
the many divisions of the western
counties. West Augusta, in the
wear 40, by the convention as
scmblcd for thepurp0Se Of devislng
a plan for resisting The expressions
Of the mother country, among other
proceedings determined, that "the
landholdcrs of the district of West
Augusta shall be considered as a
distinct, county, and have the
liberty of sending two delegates to
represent them in general cOnyen-
tion as aforesaid
This is the first account which
the author has been able TO find in
our ancient statutes in relation to
Vest Augusta as a separate dis.
tuct or county. In fact, it does
not appear that we ever had a
county legally established by this
name. It is prcsumablc that it ac-
quircd the name by general usage,
from its remote and western local
itv from the seat Of Justice. BE
this as it may, it appears that the
district Of West Augusta never
had its bounds laid OH and defined
until the month of October 171G,
when it was divided into three dis
tlnct counties, viz: Ohio, Yohoga-
MIA, and Monongalia. BY the ex-
tension of the western boundary
between Pennsylvania ard Nir-
ginia, the greater part Of the coun-
ty lohogauia falling within the
limits Of Pennsylvania, the resi-
due was, by an act of assembly of
17S5, added TO Ohio, aad Yohoga.
MIA became extinct.
Harrison county was established
in 1874, taken from Monongalia.-
In 17Sj Hardy county was laid of,
taken from Hampshire. In l7SG
Randolph county was laid l,takcn
from Harrison. In l7Sj Russell
county was taken from Washing
ton. In l1S1 Pcudleton county
was taken from Augusta, Hardy
and Rockingham. In l7SS kanawha
was taken from Grccnbricr and
Montgomery. IN 1859 Wytho
coanty was taken from Monteom
cry, and a part Of Boieiourt added
to Montgomery. In 1890 Bath
county was taken from Augusta
BotctourtAnd Grccnbrer. In 49,
Lee county was taken from Rus
sell and in the same year, ,Graysou
county was taken from Wythe.
The author has deemed it an in
tcresting part Of his work to give
a particular history of the eSttb-
lisbment Of our counties, because
it goes TO shew the rapid increase
Of our population, and improve
mcnt OF our country, since the
termination Of Tie war OF the icvO
luton. TO an individual born and
raised in the Valley, aud who is
old enough to rccolcct the passing
events for the last half century
who WAS acquainted with the state
Of our country fifty years ago, it,
sparse population, rude log build
ipps. and uncultiValed manners
and customs of our anceStOrs-thC
great Improvement Oi every thing
calculated to better the condition
of human llc-the astonishing
change in the appearance Of Oul
country-lts elegant buildings
finely cultivated farms, improved
state Of society, &c.-are calculat
ed almost TO raise doubts in his
mind whether these vast changes
could possibly have taken place
within his little span Of existence
The authors des siny, when youth
thew him into a business which
gave BIN an opportunity of ex
ploring a considerable part Of The
lower counties of the Valley, anC
he has lately made it his business
again to explore the same coun
ties; and if be had been for tb'
last forty years shut up in dun
geon, aud recently set at liberty
he would almost doubt his owl
senses and believe himself in an
other country. a great part 0
our Valley may be said to elegant
? L., ;,,,roVoI fal