USA > West Virginia > Hampshire County > History of Hampshire County, West Virginia : from its earliest settlement to the present > Part 6
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HISTORY OF HAMPSHIRE.
their lands on the market until the close of the Revolution- ary war. Virginia was not mentioned by name, but it was well known that reference was made to that state. Congress passed, October 30, 1779, a resolution requesting Virginia not to open a land office till the close of the war. On March 7, 1780, the delegates from New York an- nounced that state ready to give up its western territory ; and this was formally done on March 1, 1781. New York having thus opened the way, other states followed the ex- ample and ceded to the United States their western terri- tories or claims as follows: Virginia, March 1, 1784; Massachusetts, April 19, 1785; Connecticut, September 14, 1786; South Carolina, August 9, 1787; North Carolina, Februry 25, 1790; Georgia, April 24, 1802.
Within less than two months after Virginia ceded her northwest territory to the United States, congress passed an ordinance for the government of the territory. The deed of cession was made by Thomas Jefferson, Arthur Lee, Samuel Hardy and James Monroe, delegates in con- gress from Virginia. The boundary line between Vir- ginia and the territory ceded to the general government was the northwest bank of the Ohio river at low water, The islands in the stream belonged to Virginia. When West Virginia became a separate state, the boundary re- mained unchanged.
The line between West Virginia and Kentucky remains the same as that formely separating Virginia from Ken- tucky. The general assembly of Virginia, December 18, 1789, passed an act authorizing a convention to be held in the district of Kentucky to consider whether it was expedient to form that district into a separate state. The convention decided to form a state, and Kentucky was ad- mitted into the union in 1792. Commissioners were ap- pointed to adjust the boundary line between Virginia and Kentucky, and agreed that the line separating the two states should remain the same as that formerly separating
BOUNDARIES AND COUNTIES OF THE STATE. 77
Virginia from the district of Kentucky. The line is as follows so far as West Virginia and Kentucky are con- tiguous: Beginning at the northwestern point of Mc- Dowell county, thence down Big Sandy river to its con- fluence with the Ohio.
The line dividing the northern limits of West Virginia from the southern limits of Pennsylvania was for many years a matter of dispute. Maryland and Pennsylvania had nearly a century of bickering concerning the matter before Virginia took it up in earnest. It is not necessary at this time to give the details of the controversy. A few facts will suffice. Pennsylvania and Maryland having contended for a long time over their common boundary line, two eminent astronomers, Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, of England, were employed to mark a line five degrees west from the Delaware river at a point where it is crossed by the parallel of north latitude 39 degrees, 43 minutes, 26 seconds. They commenced work in the latter part of 1763, and completed it in the latter part of 1767. This line called Mason and Dixon's line, was accepted as the boundary between Pennsylvania and Maryland, and the controversy was at an end. But beyond the west line of Maryland, where Virginia's and Pennsylvania's possessions came in contact, a bitter dispute arose, almost leading to open hostilities between the people of the two states. Virginia wanted Pittsburg, and boldly and stubbornly set up a claim to the territory, at least as far north as the fortieth degree of latitude. This would have given Virginia part of Fayette and Greene counties, Pennsylvania. On the other hand, Pennsylvania claimed the country south to the thirty ninth degree, which would have extended its jurisdiction over the present territory of West Virginia included in the counties of Monongalia, Preston, Marion, Taylor, parts of Tucker, Barbour, Upshur, Lewis, Harrison, Wetzel and Randolph. The territory in dispute was
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HISTORY OF HAMPSHIRE.
about four times as large as the state of Rhode Island. It was finally settled by a compromise. It was agreed that Mason and Dixon's line be extended west five degrees from the Delaware river. The commissioners appointed to adjust the boundary were Dr. James Madi- son and Robert Andrews on the part of Virginia, and David Ritenhouse, John Ewing and George Bryan on the part of Pennsylvania. They met at Baltimore in 1779 and agreed on a line. The next year the agreement was rati- fied, by Virginia in June and Pennsylvania in September. A line was then run due north from the western end of Mason and Dixon's line, till it reached the Ohio river. This completed the boundary lines between Virginia and Pennsylvania; and West Virginia's territory is bounded by the same lines.
The fixing of the boundary between Virginia and Mary- land was long a subject of controversy. It began in the early years of the colony, long before the Revolutionary war, and has continued, it may be said, almost till the present day, for occasionally the agitation is revived. West Virginia inherited most of the subject of dispute when it set up a separate government. The controversy began so early in the history of the country, when the geog- raphy of what is now West Virginia was so imperfectly understood, that boundaries were stated in general terms, following certain rivers; and in after time these general terms were differently understood. Nearly two hundred years ago the Potomac river was designated as the dividing line between lands granted by Maryland and lands granted by Virginia; but at that time the upper tributaries of that river had never been explored, and as no one knew what was the main stream and what were tributary streams, Lord Fairfax had the stream explored, and the explorers decided that the main river had its source at a point where the Fairfax stone was planted, the present corner of Tucker, Preston and Grant counties, in West Virginia.
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BOUNDARIES AND COUNTIES OF THE STATE. 79
It also was claimed as the southwestern corner of Mary- land. It has so remained to this day, but not without much controversy on the part of Maryland.
The claim was set up by Maryland, in 1830, that the stream known as the South branch of the Potomac is the main Potomac river, and that all territory north of that stream and south of Pennsylvania, belonged to Maryland. A line drawn due north from the source of the South branch to the Pennsylvania line was to be the western boundary of Maryland. Had that state succeeded in establishing its claim and extending its jurisdiction, the following territory would have been transferrd to Mary- land: Part of Highland county, Virginia; portions of Ran- dolph, Tucker, Preston, Pendleton, Hardy, Grant, Hamp- shire and all of Mineral counties, West Virginia. The claim of Maryland was resisted, and Governor Floyd, of Virginia, appointed Charles J. Faulkner, of Martinsburg, to investigate the whole matter, and ascertain, if possible, which was the main Potomac, and to consult all available early authorities on the subject. Mr. Faulkner filed his report November 6, 1832, and in this report he showed that the South branch was not the main Potomac, and that the line as fixed by Lord Fairfax's surveyors remained the true and proper boundary between Virginia and Maryland. The line due north from the Fairfax stone to the Pennsyl- vania line remains the boundary in that quarter between West Virginia and Maryland, but the latter state is still disputing it.
When West Virginia separated from Virginia and took steps to set up a government for itself, it was at one time proposed to call the state Kanawha; and its eastern bound- ary was indicated so as to exclude some of the best coun- ties now in the state. The counties to be excluded were Mercer, Greenbrier, Monroe, Pocahontas, Pendleton, Hardy, then including Grant; Hampshire, then including Mineral; Morgan, Berkeley and Jefferson. It was pro-
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HISTORY OF HAMPSHIRE.
vided that any adjoining county of Virginia on the east. might become a part of the state of West Virginia when- ever a majority of the people of the county expressed a willingness to enter the new state. But, before the state was admitted the boundary line was changed and was as follows: Beginning at the Tug fork of the Big Sandy river at the western corner of Wyoming county, thence follow- ing the dividing line between McDowell and Buchanan and Tazewell counties to Mercer, thence along the south- ern line of Mercer to Monroe, along the southern line of Monroe to Greenbrier, thence following the crest of the Alleghanies on the eastern boundaries of Greenbrier and Pocahontas to the corner of Pendleton, thence following the southern and eastern lines of Pendleton and Hardy, along the southern and eastern boundary of Hardy to Hampshire, along Hampshire's eastern line to Morgan, thence following the southwestern boundaries of Morgan, Berkeley and Jefferson to the Loudcun county line, thence following the Loudoun and Jefferson county lines to the Potomac river.
5
COUNTIES OF THE STATE.
As is well known, the territory which now forms West Virginia was a portion of Virginia from the first explora- tions of the country until separated from that state during the civil war, in 1863. For a quarter of a century after the first settlement was planted in Virginia there were no counties; but as the country began to be explored, and when the original settlement at Jamestown grew, and others were made, it was deemed expedient to divide the state into counties, although the entire population at that time was scarcely enough for one respectable county. Ac- cordingly, Virginia was divided into eight counties in 1634. The western limits were not clearly defined, except that Virginia claimed the land from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and it was no doubt intended that the counties on the west should embrace all her territory in that direction. The country beyond the Blue Ridge was unexplored, and only the vaguest ideas existed concerning it. There was a pre- vailing belief that beyond the Blue Ridge the country sloped to the Pacific, and that a river would be found with its source in the Blue Ridge and its mouth in that ocean.
The eastern portion of West Virginia, lying along the Potomac and its tributaries, was no longer an unbroken wilderness, but settlements existed in several places. In 1738 it was urged that there were people enough in the territory to warrant the formation of a new county. Ac- cordingly, that portion of Orange west of the Blue Ridge was formed into two counties, Augusta and Frederick. Thus Orange county no longer embraced any portion of the territory now in this state. Frederick county em- braced the lower, or northern part of the Shenandoah val- ley, with Winchester as the county seat, and Augusta the southern, or upper valley, with Staunton as the seat of jus- tice. Augusta then included almost all of West Virginia,
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HISTORY OF HAMPSHIRE.
and extended to the Mississippi river, including Ohio, Ken- tucky, Michigan, Indiana and Illinois. From its territory all the counties of West Virginia, except Jefferson, Berke- ley and part of Morgan, have been formed, and its subdi- · vision into the counties will be the subject of this chapter. No part of West Virginia retains the name of Augusta, but the county still exists in Virginia, part of the original county of that name, and its county seat is the same as at first-Staunton.
In 1769 Botetourt county was formed from Augusta and included the territory now embraced in McDowell, Wyom- ing, Mercer, Monroe, Raleigh and portions of Greenbrier. Boone and Logan. No county in West Virginia now has the name Botetourt. It is thus seen that no one of the first counties in the territory of West Virginia retains any name in it. Spotsylvania, Orange, Augusta and Botetourt, each in its turn, embraced large parts of the state, but all the territory remaining under the original names is found in old Virginia, where the names are pre- served. There was another county formed within the limits of West Virginia which has been sub-divided until none of it exists under the original name. This was West Augusta. It was called a district, but it seems to have been as much a county as some of the others although the matter never was fully settled, as to just what West Augusta was. It was formed in 1776 and included the following territory: Wetzel, Marshall, Ohio, Brooke, Hancock counties, parts of Randolph, Tucker, Taylor, Preston, Marion, Monongalia, Harrison, Doddridge, Tyler, and all of Washington and Greene counties Pennsylvania. and parts of Alleghany and Beaver counties. Following are the counties of West Virginia. '
HAMPSHIRE. Area 630 square miles; formed 1754 from Augusta; county seat Romney; population in 1790, 7,346; in 1800, 8,348; in 1810, 9,784; in 1820, 10,889; in 1830, 11,279; in 1840, 12,295; in 1850, 14,036; in 1860, 13,913; in 1870,
COUNTIES AND BOUNDARIES OF THE STATE. 83
7,613; in 1880, 10,336; in 1890, 11,419; settled about 1730.
BERKELEY. Area 320 square miles; county seat Mar- tinsburg; formed 1772 from Frederick; population 1790, 19,713; in 1800, 22,006; in 1810, 11,479; in 1820, 11,211; in 1830, 10,518; in 1840, 10,972; in 1850, 11,771; in 1860, 12,525; in 1870, 14,900; in 1880, 17,380; in 1890, 18,702; settled about 1730.
MONONGALIA. Area 360 square miles; county seat Morgantown; formed from West Augusta 1776; population 1790, 4,768; in 1800, 8,540; in 1810, 12,793; in 1820, 11,060; in 1830, 14,056; in 1840, 17,368; in 1850, 12,357; in 1860, 13,048; in 1870, 13,547; in 1880, 14,985; in 1890, 15,705, settled about 1758.
OHIO. Area 120 square miles; county seat Wheeling; formed in 1776 from West Augusta; population 1790, 5,212; in 1800, 4,740; in 1810, 8,175; in 1820, 9,182; in 1830, 15,584; in 1840, 13,357; in 1850, 18,006; in 1860, 22,422; in 1870, 28,- 831; in 1880, 37,457; in 1890, 41,557; settled about 1770.
GREENBRIER. Area 1,000 square miles; formed 1777 from Botetourt; county seat Lewisburg; settled about 1750; population in 1790, 6,015; in 1800, 4,345; in 1810, 5,914; in 1820, 7,041; in 1830, 9,006; in 1840, 8,695; in 1850, 10,022, in 1860, 12,211; in 1870, 11,417; in 1880, 15,060; in 1890, 18,034.
HARRISON. Area 450 square miles; county seat Clarks- burg; formed 1784 from Monongalia; settled about 1770; population in 1790, 2,080; in 1800, 4,848; in 1810, 9,958, in 1820, 10,932; in 1830, 14,722; in 1840, 17,669; in 1850, 11,728; in 1860, 13,790; in 1870, 16,714, in 1880, 20,181; in 1890, 21,- 919.
HARDY. Area 700 square miles; county seat Moorefield; formed in 1785 from Hampshire; settled about 1740; popula- tion in 1790, 7,336; in 1800, 6,627; in 1810, 5,525; in 1820, 5,700; in 1830, 6,798; in 1840, 7,622; in 1850, 9,543; in 1860, 9,864; in 1870, 5,518; in 1880, 6,794; in 1890, 7,567.
RANDOLPH. Area 1,080 square miles, the largest county in the state; county seat Beverly; formed in 1786 from
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HISTORY OF HAMPSHIRE.
Harrison; settled about 1754; population in 1790, 951, in 1800, 1,826; in 1810, 2,854; in 1829, 3,357; in 1830, 5,000; in 1840, 6,208; in 1850, 5,243; in 1860, 4,990; in 1870, 5,563; in 1880, 8,102; in 1890, 11,633.
PENDLETON. Area 650 square miles; county seat Frank- lin; formed in 1787 from Augusta, Hardy and Rocking- ham; settled about 1750; population in 1790, 2,452; in 1800, 3,962; in 1810, 4,239; in 1820, 4,846; in 1830, 6,271; in 1840, 6,940; in 1850, 5,797; in 1860, 6,164; in 1870, 6,455; in 1880, 8,022; in 1890, 8,711.
KANAWHA. Area 980 square miles; county seat Charles- ton; formed in 1789. from Greenbrier and Montgomery; settled about 1774; population in 1800, 3,239; in 1810, 3,866; in 1820, 6,399; in 1830, 9,326; in 1840, 13,567; in 1850, 15,- 353; in 1860, 16,150; 1870, 22,349; 1880, 32,466; 1890, 42,756.
BROOKE. Area 80 square miles, the smallest county in the state; formed in 1796 from Ohio; county seat Wells- burg; population in 1800, 4,706; in 1810, 5,843; in 1820, 6,631; in 1830, 7,041; in 1840, 7,948; in 1850, 5,054; in 1860, 5,494; in 1870, 5,464; in 1880, 6,013; in 1890, 6,660; settled about 1772.
WOOD. Area 375; county seat Parkersburg; formed in 1798 from Harrison; settled about 1773; population in 1800, 1,217; in 1810, 3,036; in 1820, 5,860; in 1830, 6,429; in 1840, 7,923; in 1850, 9,450; in 1860, 11,046; in 1870, 19,000; in 1880, 25,006; in 1890, 28,612.
MONROE. Area 460 Square miles; county seat Union; settled about 1760; formed in 1799 from Greenbrier; pop- ulation in 1800, 4,188; in 1810, 5,444; in 1820, 6,580; in 1830, 7,798; in 1840, 8,422; in 1850, 10,204; in 1860, 10,757; in 1870, 11,124; in 1880, 11,501; in 1890, 12,429.
JEFFERSON. Area 250 square miles; formed 1801 from Berkeley; county seat, Charlestown; settled about 1730; population in 1810, 11,851; in 1820, 13,087; in 1830, 12,927; in 1840, 14,082; in 1850, 15,357; in 1860, 14,535; in 1870, 13,219; in 1880, 15,005; in 1890, 15,553. 6
. COUNTIES AND BOUNDARIES OF THE STATE. 85
MASON. Area 430 square miles; county scat Point Pleasant; settled about 1774; formed in 1804 from Kana- wha; population in 1810, 1,991; in 1820, 4,868; in 1830, 6,534; in 1840, 6,777; in 1850, 7,539; in 1860, 9,173, in 1870, 15,978; in 1880, 22,296; in 1890, 22,863.
CABELL. Area 300 square miles; county seat Hunting- ton; settled about 1790; formed in 1809 from Kanawha; population in 1810, 2,717; in 1820, 4,789; in 1830, 5,884; in 1840, 8,163; in 1850, 6,299; in 1860, 8,020; in 1870, 6,429; in 1880, 13,744; in 1890, 23,598.
TYLER. Area 300 square miles; county seat Middle- bourne; settled about 1776; formed in 1814 from Ohio county; population in 1820, 2,314; in 1830, 4,104; in 1840, 6,954; in 1850, 5,498; in 1860, 6,517; in 1870, 7,832; in 1880, 11,073; in 1890, 11,962.
LEWIS. Area, 400 square miles, county seat Weston; formed in 1816 from Harrison; population in 1820, 4,247; in 1830, 6,241; in 1840, 8,151; in 1850, 10,031 in 1860, 7,999; in 1870, 10,175; in 1880, 13,269; in 1890, 15,895. Settled prior to 1784.
NICHOLAS. Area 720 square miles; county seat Sum- mersville; formed in 1818 from Kanawha, Greenbrier and Randolph; population in 1820, 1,853, in 1830, 3,346; in 1840, 2,255; in 1850, 3,963; in 1860, 4,627; in 1870, 4,458; in 1880, 7,223; in 1890, 9,307.
PRESTON. Are 650 square miles; county seat Kingwood; formed 1818 from Monongalia; population in 1820, 3,422; in 1830, 5,144; in 1840, 6,866; in 1850, 11,708; in 1860, 13,- 312; in 1870, 14,555; in 1880; 19,091; in 1890, 20,335.
MORGAN. Area, 300 square miles; county seat, Berkeley Springs; formed in 1820 from Hampshire and Berkeley; population in 1820, 2,500; in 1830, 2,694; in 1840, 4,253; in 1850, 3,557; in 1860, 3,732; in 1870, 4,315; in 1880, 5,777; in 1890, 6,774.
POCAHONTAS. Area 820 square miles; county seat Hun- tersville; settled about 1749; formed 1821 from Bath,
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HISTORY OF HAMPSHIRE.
Pendleton and Randolph; population in 1830, 2,542; in 1840, 2,922; in 1850, 3,598; in 1860, 3,958; in 1870, 4,069, in 1880, 5,591; in 1890, 6,814.
LOGAN. Area about 400 square miles; county seat Lownsville; formed in 1824 from Kanawha, Giles, Cabell and Tazewell; population in 1830, 3,680, in 1840, 4,309, in 1850, 3,620; in 1860, 4,933; in 1870, 5,124; in 1880, 7,329; in 1890, 11,101.
JACKSON. Area 400 square miles; county seat Ripley; settled about 1796; formed in 1831; population in 1840, 4,890; in 1850, 6,544; in 1860, 8,306; in 1870, 10,300; in 1880, 16,312; in 1890, 19,021.
FAYETTE. Area 750 square miles; county seat Fayette- ville; formed in 1831 from Logan, Kanawha, Greenbrier and Nicholas; population in 1840, 3,924; in 1850, 3,955; in 1860, 5,997; in 1870, 6,647; in 1880, 11,560; in 1890, 20,542.
MARSHALL. Area 240 square miles; county seat Mounds- ville; settled about 1769; formed in 1835 from Ohio; popula- tion in 1840, 6,937; in 1850, 10,138; in 1860, 12,937; in 1870, 14,941; in 1880, 18,840; in 1890, 20,735.
BRAXTON. Area 620 square miles; county seat Sutton; settled prior to 1796; formed 1836, from Kanawha, Lewis and Nicholas; population in 1840, 2,575; in 1850, 4,212; in 1860, 4,992; in 1870, 6,480, in 1880, 9,787; in 1890, 13,928.
MERCER. Area 400 square miles; county seat Princeton; formed in 1837 from Giles and Tazewell; population in 1840, 2,233; in 1850; 4,222; in 1860, 6,819; in 1870, 7,064; in 1880, 7,467; in 1890, 16,002.
MARION. Area 300 square miles; county seat Fairmont; formed in 1842 from Harrison and Monongalia; population in 1850, 10,552; in 1860, 12,722; in 1870, 12,107; in 1880, 17,- 198; in 1890, 20,721.
WAYNE. Area 440 square miles; county seat Trout's hill; settled about 1796; formed in 1841 from Cabell; popula- tion in 1850, 4,760; in 1860, 6,747; in 1870, 7,852; in 1880, 14,- 739; in 1890, 18,652.
COUNTIES AND BOUNDARIES OF THE STATE. 87
TAYLOR. Area 150 square miles; county seat Grafton; formed in 1844 from Harrison, Barbour and Marion; population in 1850, 5,367; in 1860, 8,463; in 1870, 9,367; in 1880, 11,455; in 1890, 12,147.
DODDRIDGE. Area 300 square miles; county seat West Union; formed in 1845 from Harrison, Tyler, Ritchie and Lewis; population in 1850, 2,750; in 1860, 5,203; in 1870, 7,076; in 1880, 10,552; in 1890, 12,183.
GILMER. Area 360 square miles; county seat Glenville; formed in 1845 from Kanawha and Lewis; population in 1850, 3,475; in 1860, 3,759; in 1870, 4,338; in 1880, 7,108; in 1890, 9,746.
WETZEL. Area 440 square miles; county seat New Martinsville; formed in 1846 from Tyler; population in 1850, 4,284; in 1860, 6,703, in 1870, 8,559; in 1880, 13,896, in 1890, 16,841.
BOONE. Area 500 square miles; county seat Madison; formed in 1847 from Kanawha, Cabell and Logan; popula- tion in 1850, 3,237; in 1860, 4,840; in 1870, 4,553; in 1880, 5,824; in 1890, 6,885.
PUTNAM. Area 320 square miles; county seat Winfield; settied 1775; formed in 1848 from Kanawha, Cabell and Mason; population in 1850, 5,335; in 1860, 6,301; in 1870, 7,794; in 1880, 11,375, in 1890, 14,342.
BARBOUR. Area 360 square miles; county seat Philippi; formed in 1843 from Harrison, Lewis and Randolph, popu- lation in 1850, 9,005; in 1860, 8,958; in 1870, 10,312; in 1880, 11,870; in 1890, 12,702.
RITCHIE, Area 400 square miles; county seat Harrisville; formed in 1844 from Harrison, Lewis and Wood; popula- tion in 1850, 3,902; in 1860, 6,847; in 1870, 9,055; in 1880, 13,474; in 1890, 16,621.
WIRT. Area 290 square miles; county seat Elizabeth; settled about 1796; formed in 1848 from Wood and Jack- son; population in 1850, 3,353; in 1860, 3,751; in 1870, 4,804; in 1880, 7,104; in 1890, 9,411.
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HISTORY OF HAMPSHIRE.
HANCOCK. Area 100 square miles; county seat New Cumberland; settled about 1776; formed in 1848 from Brooke; population in 1850, 4,050; in 1860, 4,445; in 1870, 4,363; in 1880, 4,882; in 1890, 6,414.
RALEIGH, Area 680 square miles; county seat Beckley- ville; formed in 1850 from Fayette; population in 1850, 1,765; in 1860, 3,367; in 1870, 3,673; in 1880, 7,367; in 1890, 9,597.
WYOMING. Area 660 square miles; county seat Oceana; formed in 1850 from Logan; population in 1850, 1,645; in 1860, 2,861; in 1870, 3,171; in 1880, 4,322; in 1890, 6,247.
PLEASANTS. Area 150 square miles; county seat St. Mary's; formed in 1851 from Wood, Tyler and Ritchie; population in 1860, 2,945; in 1870, 3,012; in 1880, 6,256; in 1890, 7,539.
UPSHUR. Area 350 square miles; county seat Buckhan- non; formed in 1851 from Randolph, Barbour and Lewis, settled about 1775; population in 1860, 7,292; in 1870, 8,023, in 1880, 10,249; in 1890, 12,714.
CALHOUN. Area 260 square miles; county seat Grants- ville; formed in 1856 from Gilmer; population in 1860, 2,502; in 1870, 2,930; in 1880, 6,072; in 1890, 8,155.
ROANE. Area 350 square miles; county seat Spencer; settled about 1791; formed in 1856 from Kanawha, Jack- son and Gilmer; population in 1860, 5,381; in 1870, 7,232; in 1880, 12,184; in 1890, 15,303.
TUCKER. Area 340 square miles; county seat Parsons; settled about 1774; formed in 1856 from Randolph; popu- lation in 1860, 1,428; in 1870, 1,907; in 1880, 3,151; in 1890, 6,459.
CLAY. Area 390 square miles; county seat Clay Court House; formed in 1858 from Braxton and Nicholas; popula- tion in 1860, 1,787; in 1870, 2,196; in 1880, 3,460; in 1890, 4,659.
McDOWELL. Area 860 square miles; county seat Perrysville; formed in 1858 from Tazewell; population in 7
COUNTIES AND BOUNDARIES OF THE STATE. 89
1860, 1,535; in 1870, 1,952; in 1880, 3,074; in 1890, 7,300.
WEBSTER. Area 450 square miles; county seat Addison; formed in 1860 from Braxton, Nicholas and Randolph; population in 1860, 1,555; in 1870, 1,730; in 1880, 3,207; in 1890, 4,783. This was the last county formed while West Virginia was a part of Virginia.
MINERAL. Area 300 square miles; county seat Keyser; population in 1870, 6,332; in 1880, 8,630; in 1890, 12,085. This was the first county formed after West Virginia became a state. Grant county was formed fourteen days later, in 1866.
GRANT. Area 620 square miles; county seat Petersburg; settled about 1740; population in 1870, 4,467; in 1880, 5,542; in 1890, 6,802.
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