was Lancaster, which was taken from the territory of Chester County May
10, 1729. Its boundaries then comprised “all the province lying to the
northward of the Octararo Creek, and westward of a line of marked trees
running from the north branch of the said Octararo Creek northeasterly
to the Schuylkill.” This new county was first reduced in size August 19,
1749, when York County was cut from its territory; and secondly on
January 27, 1750, when the big county of Cumberland was erected from
Lancaster. The limits of Cumberland then included the whole country west
to the boundary of the State, or as far as the preceding Indian
purchase.
Bucks County was reduced in size when Northampton County was erected
from its territory, March 11, 1752, and on the same day the County of
Berks was erected from Philadelphia, Bucks and Lancaster. Thus the
Province of Pennsylvania continued with the eight counties until March
9, 1771, when Bedford was formed from Cumberland, the first of the many
counties taken from her territory.
Northumberland County was erected March 21, 1772, from parts of
Lancaster, Cumberland, Berks, Bedford and Northampton. On account of
Indian purchases now reaching to the western boundaries of the State,
the limits of Northumberland reached to the western and northern
boundaries of the State. Her territory was so extensive that she has
been known as “The Mother of Counties,” and all or parts of thirty of
the present counties of Pennsylvania have been taken from the original
territory of “Old Mother Northumberland.”
February 26, 1773, was erected the County of Westmoreland, whose
territory was taken from Bedford County. It then included the entire
southwestern section of the State. The next county to be erected was
Washington, on March 28, 1781, and its territory was taken from
Westmoreland, as was the County of Fayette, formed September 26, 1783.
Thus, Westmoreland was considerably reduced in size within ten years
from its organization.
Franklin County was erected September 9, 1784, and its territory taken
from Cumberland. The following day, September 10, 1784, Montgomery
County was formed from a part of Philadelphia County, the last territory
to be taken from the original county.
March 4, 1785, Dauphin was cut off from Lancaster; September 25, 1786,
Luzerne was erected from Northumberland, and September 20, 1787,
Huntingdon was formed from Bedford.
Allegheny County was formed from Westmoreland and Washington Counties,
September 24, 1788. Mifflin was formed from Cumberland and
Northumberland Counties September 19, 1789.
Old Chester County lost part of its territory when Delaware County was
cut from it September 26, 1789. Thus the county which comprised the most
ancient settlements in Pennsylvania was now formed into the new County
of Delaware, and the organization of counties in the southeastern part
of the State completed.
When the County of Lycoming was cut from Northumberland, April 13, 1795,
it was for years the largest county of the State. Four days later the
County of Somerset was formed from Bedford. Green County was cut from
Washington February 9, 1796, thus completing the formation of counties
in the southwest corner of the State.
The next county to be formed was that of Wayne, which was set off from
Northampton March 21, 1797, and formed the northeastern corner of the
State.
Adams was erected from York January 22, 1800, and February 13 following
Center was formed from parts of Northumberland, Lycoming, Mifflin and
Huntingdon, and March 12 eight new counties—Armstrong, Beaver, Butler,
Crawford, Erie, Mercer, Venango and Warren—were formed. Thus, the
remaining corner of the State was organized. The counties were taken
from Lycoming and Allegheny, Westmoreland furnished a part of Armstrong
and Washington yielded up a portion for Beaver, but Allegheny furnished
the largest amount of territory for the new counties.
Indiana was cut from Westmoreland and Lycoming, March 30, 1803.
Six new counties were erected on March 26, 1804, when Cambria,
Clearfield, Jefferson, McKean, Potter and Tioga were formed. The latter
four being taken from Lycoming, while Northumberland helped with
Clearfield, but Cambria was cut from parts of Huntingdon, Somerset and
Bedford. Bradford and Susquehanna, were formed February 21, 1810, the
former from Lycoming and Luzerne and the latter from Luzerne alone.
March 11, 1811, Schuylkill was formed from Berks and Northampton. March
6, 1812, Lehigh was taken from Northampton, and February 16, 1813,
Lebanon was erected from Lancaster and Dauphin. Columbia and Union were
erected March 22, 1813, both being taken from Northumberland. Pike was
cut from Wayne, March 26, 1814, and Perry was taken from Cumberland,
March 22, 1820.
The State remained thus until Juniata was formed, March 2, 1831, from
Mifflin; Monroe was taken from Northampton and Pike, April 1, 1836;
Clarion was taken from Venango and Armstrong, March 11, 1839, and on
June 21 following Clinton was formed from Lycoming and Center. Wyoming
was erected from Luzerne, April 4, 1842, and Carbon was formed from
Northampton and Monroe, March 13, 1843. April 18 following, Elk was cut
from Jefferson, Clearfield and McKean.
Blair was formed February 26, 1846 from Huntingdon and Bedford; Sullivan
was taken from Lycoming, March 15, 1847; Forest was formed from
Jefferson and Venango, April 11, 1848; Lawrence from Beaver and Mercer,
March 20, 1849; Fulton was cut from Bedford, April 19, 1850, and little
Montour was taken from Columbia, May 3, of the same year.
Snyder was formed from Union March 2, 1855, and March 29, 1860, Cameron
was cut from parts of Clinton, Elk, McKean and Potter.
The last of the sixty-seven counties of Pennsylvania is Lackawanna which
was cut from Luzerne, August 13, 1878.
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Public Education Established by Governor
George Wolf, Who Died March 11, 1840
George Wolf, the seventh Governor of Pennsylvania, was born in Allen
Township, Northampton County, August 12, 1777, and died March 11, 1840.
He attended a classical school established in the county by a society
formed for the purpose, which was presided over by Robert Andrews, A.
M., a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin. Here he acquired a good
knowledge of the Latin and Greek languages and of the sciences usually
pursued in a liberal education. Leaving school he took charge of his
father’s farm and also acted as principal of the academy in his native
township. Before his majority he acted as clerk to the prothonotary, at
the same time studying law under the direction of John Ross.
He early espoused the political principles of Thomas Jefferson, and when
the latter became President he appointed Mr. Wolf Postmaster at Easton,
and shortly after Governor Thomas McKean appointed him Clerk of the
Orphans’ Court of Northampton County, which office he held until 1809.
In 1814 he was elected a member of the Legislature, and in 1824 he was
elected a Representative in Congress, a position he acceptably filled
for three terms.
In 1829 he was chosen Governor of Pennsylvania over Joseph Ritner.
Mr. Wolf was not an active aspirant for the office of Governor and
received the nomination without knowing that any considerable strength
in the convention was in his favor. He accepted the nomination,
abandoned his lucrative practice and entered vigorously into the
campaign.
At this period there began to be a change in the political horizon of
the state. A fearful crusade was made against secret societies, which
were denounced as tending to subvert government.
Commencing in the New England States, the reported abduction of a
traitor to the Freemasons in Batavia, New York, assisted to spread
rapidly the contagion, and party lines were almost equally drawn in the
State of Pennsylvania. The Federal party lost its identity, and the
Anti-Masons sprang up like mushrooms. Their candidate, Joseph Ritner,
was defeated at the first election by seventeen thousand and at the
second by only three thousand out of a poll of almost two hundred
thousand.
When Governor Wolf came into office the financial affairs of the
Commonwealth, owing to the extensive scheme of public improvements, then
progressing at a fair rate, were in deplorable condition. There was but
one course to pursue which would maintain the credit of the State and
that was to push the works to rapid completion. This was done and in a
few years he with others had the proud satisfaction of beholding how far
these needed improvements went towards developing the great natural
resources of Pennsylvania.
But the most substantial and enduring merit of Governor Wolf was evinced
in his advocacy of a system of popular education.
James Buchanan, in a speech delivered at West Chester previous to the
election of the Governor, had said: “If ever the passion of envy could
be excused a man ambitious of true glory, he might almost be justified
in envying the fame of the favored individual, whoever he may be, whom
Providence intends to make the instrument in establishing Common Schools
throughout the Commonwealth. His task will be arduous. He will have many
difficulties to encounter and many prejudices to overcome; but his fame
will exceed that of the great Clinton, in the same proportion that mind
is superior to matter. Whilst, the one has erected a frail memorial,
which like everything human must decay and perish, the other will raise
a monument which shall flourish in immortal youth, and endure whilst the
human soul shall continue to exist. ‘Ages unborn and nations yet behind’
shall bless his memory.”
To Governor George Wolf that honor was accorded.
The Governor, in his annual message, December, 1831 said in reference to
this subject: “It is cause for no ordinary measure of gratification that
the Legislature, at its last session, considered this subject worthy of
its deliberations, and advancing one step toward the intellectual
regeneration of the State by laying a foundation for raising a fund to
be employed hereafter in the righteous cause of a practical general
education. It is no less gratifying to know that public opinion is
giving strong indications of having undergone a favorable change in
reference to this momentous measure, and by its gradual but powerful
workings is fast dispelling the groveling fallacies, but too long
prevalent, that gold is preferable to knowledge and that dollars and
cents are of a higher estimation than learning. I would suggest for your
consideration the propriety of appointing a commission, to consist of
three or more talented and intelligent individuals, known friends of a
liberal and enlightened system of education, whose duty it should be to
collect all the information and possess themselves of all the facts and
knowledge that can be obtained from any quarter having a bearing upon or
connection with the subject of education, and arrange and embody the
same in a report to the Legislature.”
In compliance with this wise recommendation, Senator Samuel Breck, of
Philadelphia, was made chairman of the committee, which reported a bill,
embodying what were believed to be the best features of those systems
which had been most successful in other States, and at the session of
1834 it passed both branches of the Legislature with a unanimity rarely
equaled in legislation. The bill was approved by the Governor April 1,
1834.
Although the school bill was adopted with comparative unanimity, it was
at once attacked by a storm of opposition in certain sections of the
State. The opposition was well crystallized when the Legislature
convened in the fall of 1834.
Governor Wolf’s message was firm, but the members had been flooded with
petitions for the repeal of the measure.
On April 11, 1835, Thaddeus Stevens, by a memorable speech and a
remarkable parliamentary effort, swayed the opposition, and by a vote of
55 to 30 successfully defended the schools when threatened with
destruction.
Thus public education in Pennsylvania was saved; but Governor Wolf, who
had advocated it so strenuously, was defeated for a third term by Joseph
Ritner.
Retiring from the gubernatorial chair, he was appointed by President
Jackson in 1836, to the office of First Comptroller of the Treasury.
After holding this position for two years he was appointed by President
Van Buren to be Collector of the Port of Philadelphia, which he held
until his death on March 11, 1840.
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Lands Set Apart for Soldiers of Revolution,
March 12, 1783
The soldiers of the Pennsylvania Line who served in the War of the
Revolution were by act of legislation entitled to wild lands of the
State and a large area of the northwestern portion of the State north of
the depreciation lands and west of the Allegheny River was set apart and
surveyed to the officers and soldiers.
As early as March 7, 1780, while the war for the independence of the
American colonies was still in active progress, and being vigorously
waged by the hostile armies in the field, the General Assembly of
Pennsylvania, by resolution, made a promise of “certain donations and
quantities of land” to the soldiers of the State, known as the
“Pennsylvania Line,” then serving in the Continental Army.
This resolution provided that these lands should be “surveyed and
divided off” at the end of the war, and allotted to those entitled to
receive them according to their several rank. In order to comply with
the letter and intention of the resolution, an act was passed by the
General Assembly on March 12, 1783, by the provisions of which certain
lands were set apart to be sold for the purpose of redeeming the
certificates of depreciation given to the soldiers of the Pennsylvania
Line. It also provided that a certain tract of country, beginning at the
mouth of Mogulbughtition Creek, now known as Mahoning Creek, in
Armstrong County; then up the Allegheny River to the mouth of Cagnawaga
Creek, in now Warren County; thence due north to the northern boundary
of the State; thence west by the said boundary, to the northwest corner
of the State, thence south, by the western boundary of the State, to the
northwest corner of lands appropriated by the act for discharging the
depreciation certificates; and thence by the same lands east to the
place of beginning, “which said tract of country shall be reserved and
set apart for the only and sole use of fulfilling and carrying into
execution the said resolve.”
The territory thus set apart comprised parts of the present counties of
Lawrence, Butler, Armstrong, Venango, Forest and Warren, all of the
counties of Mercer and Crawford and that portion of Erie County which
lies south of the triangle.
This territory was a wild and unbroken wilderness, except at the few
places fortified by the French and later occupied by the English and
Colonists during the Revolution.
The officers of the First and Second Battalions of the Province of
Pennsylvania in the French and Indian War petitioned for and received
twenty-four thousand acres of land along the West Branch of the
Susquehanna River, and these officers and their families thus became
pioneer settlers in that picturesque valley, and now the veterans of the
Revolution were given homes in the northwestern section of the State and
there planted the settlements which have grown into the most important
industrial centers of the Western Hemisphere.
The act of March 12, 1783, gave a clear title to the land, for under
Section 6, all rights, titles, or claims to land within the described
bounds, whether obtained from the Indians, the late Proprietaries, or
any other person or persons, were declared to be null and void, thus
reserving the entire tract from sale or settlement until after the
allotments to the soldiers were duly made and their claims fully
satisfied.
By the following section of the act the officers and enlisted soldiers
were to be allowed two years after the declaration of peace in which to
make their applications, and in event of death occurring before any
veteran made his application, an additional year was allowed his heirs,
executors or administrators to make application. Thereafter the
unlocated tracts were to be disposed of upon such terms as the
Legislature might direct. This period for making applications was many
times extended, so that no veteran was deprived of a fair opportunity to
obtain his tract of the donation land.
The authorities of Pennsylvania were even more thoughtful of these
Revolutionary veterans, for the General Assembly passed an act which
exempted from taxation during lifetime the land which fell to lot of
each veteran unless the same was transferred or assigned to another
person.
Then followed the great purchase of October 23, 1784, and then the Act
of March 24, 1785, which directed the manner in which the allowances of
land were to be distributed to the troops, and provided for legal
titles, vesting in them the right of ownership.
A section of the act described the persons who should be entitled to
land, and Section 5, in order to comply with a previous resolution of
the General Assembly, included the names of Baron Steuben, the German
patriot drill master of the Continental Army, who was to receive a grant
equal to that of a major general of the Pennsylvania Line, and
Lieutenant Colonel Tilghman a grant equal to his rank.
Complete lists of all soldiers entitled to land were furnished by the
Comptroller General to the Supreme Executive Council, and these
claimants were divided into four classes.
Upon application of the officers of the Pennsylvania Line, General
William Irvine, the commanding officer at Fort Pitt, was appointed agent
to explore the lands, as he was well acquainted with all the land
appropriated for donation purposes.
General Irvine entered upon his duties promptly and seemed to have
exercised good judgment. An interesting report of his notes and
observations was transmitted to President John Dickinson of the Supreme
Executive Council in a letter dated at Carlisle, August 17, 1785. The
streams, boundaries and other natural terrain were carefully described,
and the general gave a most comprehensive narrative of his every act
while on this important tour of duty.
Section 8 provided minute directions for the distribution of the tracts
by lottery.
The drawing of the lottery commenced October 1, 1786, and was to
continue one year. The committee of the Supreme Executive Council
selected to superintend the drawing consisted of Captain John Boyd,
Jonathan Hoge, Stephen Balliet and William Brown, to which was shortly
added Peter Muhlenberg and Samuel Dean.
The time of the drawing was subsequently extended until under various
laws the last limit of time was fixed as April 1, 1810, and from that
day the offices were closed against any further applications for
donation lands.
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Colonel Matthew Smith, Hero of Early Wars,
Born March 13, 1740
Matthew Smith was the eldest son of Robert Smith, and was born March 13,
1740, in Paxtang, then Lancaster County, but since March 4, 1785, a part
of Dauphin County. At the age of fifteen he was a soldier under Colonel
Henry Bouquet, serving in the final campaign of the French and Indian
War. During the interim between that war and the Revolutionary War he
was an active leader among the early settlers in what are now Dauphin,
Cumberland and Northumberland Counties, a leader in the struggles
against the Indians and a respected and brave frontiersman.
Late in 1763 the Indians, especially the Conestoga, caused much
suffering in the lower Susquehanna region and the territory between
Harris’ Ferry and the Schuylkill. The terrible incursions perpetrated
and the many murders committed by these savages resulted in having the
provincial authorities place these Indians under their care in
Lancaster, Conestoga and Philadelphia.
This protection so incensed the settlers, who had lost many of their kin
through the perfidy of the so-called friendly Indians, that an appeal
was made to the authorities against this support and protection, but no
attention was given the frontiersmen.
These settlers continued to suffer until their patience was sorely
tried. They then took matters in their own hands and banded together as
the “Paxtang Boys,” under the leadership of Captains Matthew Smith and
Lazarus Stewart, and they made a clean job of their design.
The “Paxtang Boys” marched to Lancaster, December 27, 1763, broke into
the workhouse, and before their anger could be suppressed the last of
the so-called “Conestogas” had yielded up his life. After this no other
murder was committed by the Indians among the settlers in this vicinity.
Captain Matthew Smith, as one of the actual leaders, seems to have borne
the lion’s share of the blame for the act.
February 13, 1764, a lengthy declaration was prepared for presentation
to the General Assembly, then meeting in Philadelphia, signed by two of
the citizens, Matthew Smith and James Gibson. The petition stated,
however, that they signed it “on behalf of ourselves and by appointment
of a great number of the frontier inhabitants.” This petition was one of
the most important ever presented to a Pennsylvania Legislature and
caused much heated debate.
A long and exciting siege in the Assembly was enacted by the leaders. On
one side were Benjamin Franklin, Israel Pemberton, the Quaker leader,
and Joseph Galloway, and on the popular side, or that of the people and
the “Paxtang Boys,” were the Rev. John Ewing, the Rev. Gilbert Tennent,
Dr. David James Dove and many others.
As a stronger act in supporting their position the “Paxtang Boys”
planned a march to Philadelphia and started in a body under Captain
Matthew Smith. Great consternation was witnessed in the capital city.
The militia was called out and all business was suspended. But the
delegation was not warlike and totally unaware of the anxiety felt in
Philadelphia or of the military preparations made to receive them.
Proudly bearing their declaration, approved by fifteen hundred of the
frontier inhabitants, with many letters from prominent personages, they
were met by commissioners sent out by the Governor, to whom they made
known their intentions. Captain Smith presented their declarations to
the Assembly, which was termed in the minutes of that day as “The
declaration of the rioters and the petition of the back inhabitants.”
During the long debate the main body of the party returned home and thus
ended the “Paxtang Boys’ Insurrection.”
At the very outbreak of the Revolution Captain Smith organized a company
of riflemen, which was assigned to Colonel Thompson’s battalion. After a
tedious march overland from Dauphin County to Boston, the company joined
the Continental Army at that place and on September 5, 1775, his company
was detached to General Arnold’s command for the expedition to Canada.
He survived the hardships of the march through the Maine woods, the
disastrous assault at Quebec December 31, and the brief confinement as a
prisoner of war which followed, when he joined his regiment together
with the few survivors of his company, but he soon thereafter resigned
his commission on December 5, 1776. Captain Smith’s services were,
however, much appreciated and he was promoted to full rank of major,
September 27, 1777, and assigned to the Ninth Pennsylvania Regiment.
In the spring of 1778 he was elected by the citizens of the central part
of the Province as a member of the Supreme Executive Council. October
11, 1779, he was elected vice president of the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania, but resigned shortly after assuming the responsible duties
of his high office.
When the intelligence of the capture and total destruction of Fort
Freeland, on Warrior Run, in Northumberland County, reached Paxtang,
Matthew Smith marched to Sunbury with a volunteer militia of fifty men
raised by his own efforts and made a hurried march to overtake the
British commander, Captain McDonald, and the retreating British
invaders, including their Indian allies.