The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1896-07-04
Mason and Dixon's Line.

french were making sucn encroacn-
ments on the country of the Allie
gheny and Ohio valleys that the gov
ernors of Virginia and Pennsylvania
decided to take some steps TO protect
their western frontiers. Accordingly
the governor of Virginia planned
fort to be built at the junction of the
Mohongahela with the Ohio. Thorn
as Penn, of the Pennsylvania colo
mics, did not care to acknowledge
any claim of Virginia to country so
far north as the mouth of the Mon
ongahela, so he caused the governor
of Virginia to be notified that no OBJ
lection would be raised to fort
built by the colony of Virginia at
the junction of the rivers, but that
it must not be regarded as grant
of any territory to Virginia. Din
widdie, governor of Virginia looked
at it differently. He proceeded to
build the fort, which the French de-
stroyed and replaced with Fort Du-
quesne, which in turn was destroyed
by Gen. Forbes in 1T5S, to be re
placed by Fort Pitt.
During this time a controversy
had been going on between Gov.
Hamilton, of Pennsylvania, and Gov.
Dinwiddie, of Virginia, over the own.
ership of the country in which Fort
Pitt was located. The Virginian
claimed the whole of Pennsylvania
from Laurel Hills west, and from the
Kiskiminetas south. In this claim
is the entire region of Greene, Fay
cite, Westmoreland, Washington,
and all of Beaver and Allegheny
counties south of the Ohio and Allie
gheny rivers. The Penns would not
accede to any such claim, while Vir-
ginia would release no right she
thought she possessed. The result
was confusion, with the representa-
tiyes of two governments over the
people, each discrediting the other,
and each warning the Inhabitants of
the region to pay no heed to the
commands or jurisdiction of the
other.
In 1776 the Virginia Legislature
proposed to accept the boundary line
from the Maryland corner due north
to the 10th degree of latitude, and
thence westward until five degrees of
longitude from the Delaware had
been reached. This would have al
lowed Virginia still all of Greene
and part of Fayette and Washing
ton. But as PENIS colony had been
made to include in the grant all the
territory for five degrees west from
the Delaware, and Mason and Dixon,
two distinguished mathematicians
had run the line between Pennsylva-
mia and Maryland, and from it sur
veyed Pittsburg's location, Penn
refused to yield, declaring the line
some miles west of Pittsburg 1t is
probable that if strict interpreta-
ton of five degrees from the Della
ware had been insisted on and the
crooked line of the Delaware follow
ed that Pittsburg would have been
in Virginia. Therefore Virginia was
not making bad proposition. In
l77S Virginia made another PROPOSE
tion and it was followed by joint
commission. james Madison, of Vir-
ginia, and David Rittenhouse and
John Ewing, of Pennsylvania, were
on the commission which decided to
continue the Mason and Dixon line
from the Maryland corner until it
should be five degrees from the Del
aware, at which point line should
be run due north to constitute the
western boundary of Pennsylvania
forever. This was finally doue in
1884 to 1856, and Pittsburg was saw
ed to the State of Pennsylvania, and
the Virginia Panhandle made along
the Ohio river.
During the disputes over the boun-
Diary, while both colonies had claim
ed the territory, Virginia as well as
Pennsylvania had set up land Of
fee and issued titles and grants to
settlers and purchasers. In conse-
quence when the boundary was fin
ally decided, and the Mason and Dix
on line continued, the lands in the
disputed area were found to be grant
ed by both States. This was RENE
died by act of Congress and by
agreement between the States, Penn.
sylvania accepting the Virginia titles
where they showed priority of grant
or settlement. The right of the bona
fide settler was respected. Where
the question of contest arose from ii
ties to the same land coming from
both States, the one which showed
precedence of grant was accepted az
the legal instrument. Thus it hap
pens that in Westmoreland, Wash
ington aud Fayette counties titles
occasionally go back to grants from
Virginia. Neville island is included
in the grants from Virginia, it hav
ing been given to Maj Douglas fol
service in the French and Indiar
war. The title was contested by
Gen. Irvine, who later held Penn
sylvania grant to the same property
but the Douglas title from Virgins
held good, and Irvine was given 9th
er land to indemnify him.
A NEW York man while kissing
his sweetheart was struck by light
ming and instantly killed. There Ii
no use, however, of warning othel
young men Of the dangers of kissing
their best girls.