The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-05-28
Formation Of Counties
from naymOnd's History Of Harrison County.

shall be authorized to collect any
public dues for officers fees which
shall remain unpaid by the inhabitants
at the time OF the passage OF this act.
This would indicate that Augusta
had exercised some Jurisdiction over
its territory lying west OF the noun
tains.
To substantiate this claim the fol-
lowing order is found in the Harrison
county court order book entered Feb
ruary 81, 1885:
Ordered that bride road be
opened from Conoly's Lick, agreeable
to former order of Augusta court,
from said lick TO the top OF the Allie
gheny mountains. and the petitioners
are to aid and assist John Warwick,
who IS appointed overseer to open
said way"
Joseph A. Waddell, the historian of
Augusta county, in response to an in
quiry writes as follows:
II have never encountered in the
records Of Augusta county court any
thing relating to taxes, roads, mills,
etc, in the trans-Allegheny region re-
ferred to-" ..
In May, 1884, general assembly pass
ed an act entitled IAN Act for dividing
the county of Nfonongalia."
l. Be it enacted by the general as
sembly that from and after the twen-
tieth day Of July next. the county of
Monongalia shall be divided into two
distinct counties, by line to begin on
the Maryland line. at the Fork ford on
the land OF John Goff, thence direct
course to the headwaters Of Big Sandy
creek, thence down the said creek to
Tygarts Valley fork of Monongahela
river, thence down the same to the
mouth of West Fork river thence up
the same to the mouth of Bingamon's
creek. thence up the said creek to the
line of Ohio county; and that part OF
the said county lying south OF the said,
line shall be called and known by the
name of Harrison, and all the residue
Of the said county shall retain the
name Of Monongalia; that a court for
the said county OF Harrison shall be
held by the justices thereof on the
third Tuesday in every month after
such division take place. in such man
ner as is provided by law for other
counties, and shall be by their COM
missions directed; that the justices to
be named in the commission of the
peace for the said county of Harrison
shall meet at the house OF George
Jackson, at Bush's old fort, on Buck
harmon river, in said county, upon
the first court day after the said di-
vision shall take place. and having ta-
ken the cath prescribed by law and adj
ministered the oath of office to, and
taken bond of the sheriff, according
to law, proceed to appoint and qualify
a clerk, and fix upon place for hold
ing courts in the said county, at or
as near the center thereof as the sit
uation and convenience will admit Of;
and thenceforth the said court shall
proceed to erect the necessary public
buildings at such place, and until such
buildings be completed, to appoint any
place for holding courts as they shall
think proper, provided always, that
the appointment of a place for hold
ing courts. and Of clerk shall not
be made unless majority of the JUS
tees of the said county be present;
the ridge between the waters of Mid
die Island and Fishing creek until it
gets opposite the mouth of Arnold's
creek, and thence running a direct line
to the mouth of said creek; thence up
the channel Of said creek to the mouth
Of the first large run on the west side
thereof above where the state road
crosses; thence up the said run to the
top of the ridge. and thence to the
most easterly corner of the Wood
county line.
A good portion of this territory was
afterwards included in Doddridge
county.
Thus 1t will be seen that the pres
ent territory of Harrison has at vari-
GUS times been included in Orange.
Augusta, district of West Augusta and
Monongalia counties.
During the four years that Harrison
county was included in Monongalia,
courts we're held at Morgantown, taxes
collected. roads and mills established,
suits brought and all legal jurisdlc-
ton exercised over it.
In the year 1896 the Monongalia
court house was destroyed by fire with
all the county records except those OF
the surveyors office. and all proceed
ings Of the county courts referring TO
the territory OF Harrison were de-
stroyed. which is much to be regretted.