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By 1779
Virginia and Pennsylvania were urged by the other colonies to
settle their differences, in the interests of the common
struggle for independence. They
agreed to abide by the results of a survey and end their
boundary dispute. The
Mason-Dixon Line was "run," and as a result, Virginia
gave up its claim to what later became southwest Pennsylvania.
This is the origin of the cornered SW Pennsylvania
boundary, cut out of the wilderness, following no natural
boundary, which created the "panhandle" of later West
Virginia.
Yohogania
County disappeared. Allegheny
County was not formed, or "erected," until 1789, so
during the 1780's land to the east of the Monongahela River was
part of Westmoreland County, and land to the west was in
Washington County. Benjamin
served as a Sergeant in the revolutionary army, in the
Washington County Militia, 2nd Battalion, under the command of
Captain William Bruce.
After
the war, all the settlers who had Virginia Certificates to their
land had to get their land re-surveyed by Pennsylvania.
Officials from Pennsylvania worked out of Fort Cox,
located on the hilltop near Stone Church.
Fort Cox had previously served as a land office for
Virginia. Now it
was the place to go to get your property recognized by
Pennsylvania. Benjamin
paid 2 Pounds, 15 Shillings, 6 Pence for his land.
This is cheap, even by old standards.
Virginia, during its negotiations with Pennsylvania, held
out that the Virginians already here could pay Virginia prices
to Pennsylvania for their land. Virginia all along had offered land at a fraction of what
Pennsylvania charged. That
probably explains how some settlers who came here from
Pennsylvania had Virginia Certificates.
These negotiations resulted in the Baltimore Agreement,
which when later ratified by both states, cleared the way for
Pennsylvania to officially take over.
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