District of West Augusta
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The District of West Augusta was a short lived historical region of the state of Virginia that encompassed much of what is now northern West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania.
Before Virginia and Pennsylvania agreed to extend the Mason-Dixon line westward from the western boundary line of Maryland, both states claimed what is now southwestern Pennsylvania.
The area was sparsely populated in the years following the French and Indian War and neither colony made any serious attempts at forming a local government until the early 1770s. Virginia administered the region as a part of Augusta County, Virginia. Pennsylvania later established Westmoreland County with its seat at Hannastown, overlapping Virginia's claims.
Virginia's governor Lord Dunmore traveled to Pittsburgh, which was considered to be a Virginia settlement, to appoint government officials under the Virginia charter. In 1774, the Virginia assembly separated the western portion of Augusta County's territory and formed the District of West Augusta.
The preamble to a later act defined the boundaries of West Augusta as follows:
- Whereas, it is expedient to ascertain the boundary between the county of Augusta and the district of West Augusta-Be it therefore enact ed by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia, that the boundary between the said district and county shall be as follows:
- Beginning on the Alleghany Mountains, between the heads of the Potomac, Cheat and Green Briar Rivers (Haystack Knob, or north end of Pocahontas County);
- thence along the ridge of mountains which divides the waters of Cheat River from those of Green Briar, and that branch of the Monongahela River called Tyger's Valley River, to the Monongahela River;
- thence up the said river, and the west fork thereof, to Bingerman's Creek, on the northwest side of the said west fork;
- thence up the said creek to the head thereof,
- thence in a direct course to the head of Middle Island Creek, a branch of the Ohio,
- and thence to the Ohio, including all the waters of said creek in the aforesaid District of West Augusta, all that territory lying to the northward of the aforesaid boundary, and to the westward of the States of Pennsylvania and Maryland, shall be deemed, and is hereby declared to be, within the District of West Augusta.
The following several years were contentious. Local officials from Virginia arrested their counterparts from Pennsylvania and vice versa. Both side made movements to stem settlers coming in from the other state.
The government of the West Augusta was administered from Fort Dunmore (Fort Pitt) in what is now Pittsburgh. The seat of government was later moved to Augusta Town in what is now Washington County, Pennsylvania.
In 1776, the District of West Augusta was divided into three counties, Ohio County, Monongalia County, and Yohogania County. Ohio County encompassed most of the western region of the district bordering the Ohio River. Monongalia County encompassed much of what is now north central West Virginia. Yohogania County consisted of much of what is now southwestern Pennsylvania including parts of the present counties of Greene, Washington, Fayette, Allegheny, and Beaver.
In 1780, the boundary dispute between Virginia and Pennsylvania was finally settled when both sides agreed to extend the Mason-Dixon line westward from Maryland to 80° 31' west, the current western border of Pennsylvania.
Most of Yohogania County became part of Pennsylvania and the remainder was divided between Ohio and Monongalia Counties. Yohogania County ceased to exist and its lands were divided between Westmoreland County and the newly formed Washington County in Pennsylvania. Ohio County and Monongalia County continue today as Ohio County, West Virginia and Monongalia County, West Virginia.
