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Focusing on the lives of any person or family who has lived in Little Washington, Washington County, Pennsylvania at anytime throughout history to recent times, through data and family stories.

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WASHINGTON, PA

in Washington County PA

Genealogy (often misspelled geneology) and family history research in the area of
Little Washington, Washington County, Pennsylvania from 1700 to present.  

 Nearest cities: East Washington, PA (1.1 miles ), Wolfdale, PA (3.2 miles ), McGovern, PA (4.6 miles ), Green Hills, PA (5.4 miles) , Houston, PA (5.9 miles ), Canonsburg, PA (7.5 miles ), Cecil-Bishop, PA (11.0 miles ), Thompsonville, PA (11.6 miles ).

Little Washington & Washpa

by Judith Florian

As stated on my Little Washington, Washington Co., PA website, most people born in the county are very familiar with the reference to "Wash-Pa" and "Little Washington."  The reason always given for the "Little Washington" title was to distinguish it from Washington, D. C., especially when discussing travel plans.  Every one knew exactly what was meant when someone said "I'm going down to Little Washington today."   As far as I know, the name Little Washington was used over 100 years ago in the early 1900s in some old newspaper articles.

Less known by out-of-towners is that Little Washington's original name was "Catfish Camp" after Catfish Creek where an Indian settlement had been in the 1700s.  Early meetings between Indians and whites took place at Catfish along the creek bed.  The creek itself in the 1960s had become highly polluted, especially with sewage (just the same as other creeks like Ten Mile Creek had become in the opposite end of the county, when sewage from homes in Marianna and nearby towns was piped directly into the creeks).  While catfish species remained as plentiful as it had been in the times of the Indian settlement, few people took the chance to fish there by the 1960s.  During some summers, the smell from the creek near Rt. 844 was strong in the air.  At that time it was never the scene of swimmers, except for the most foolhardy.

As early as 1669 there were expeditions by the French into southwestern PA.   But almost 100 years passes before any real settlement begins in Washington county (early to mid 1750s, with some individual families such as the Wise, Arnold and Leatherman families being in the county or just across the river into Fayette Co. as early as 1744 - see Raymond Bell Anthology.)   Although settlers were "forbidden" to settle this area, many came anyway before the Revolutionary War.  Many of the previously tomahawked lands were registered only when the land office re-opened at the end of the war.  Additionally, since this area was once claimed by Virginia, there were land disputes between the states and many settlers held Virginia land certificates.  In the earliest days, only Indian foot trails existed from points in eastern Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia.  Many accounts are given of settlers coming over the mountains from the east or southeast, with just one horse to carry vital supplies (and babes and children) and the travelers making their way by foot along mountain ridges.  The Tombaugh history is one in which it is told a small child was placed in a sack on one side of the horse, balancing the weight in the sack slung over the horse.  

From those most difficult days of foot travel with only the bare necessities, the original trails widened from countless journeys and eventually those made by wagon.  Mr. Merle Rummel, a Brethren historian, has done a nice job describing the traces, trails, and roads the settlers used in early migration from the east and has posted these on the Church of the Brethren Network Website (see mid-page).  Rummel's stories describe migrations in general, not just those of the old German Baptist faith.   Also, Mr. Kevin Cherry, Rowan County Library Historian, wrote the Old Wagon Trail which was posted on the MILLER-rootsweb.com Mailing List, and cross-posted on the BRETHREN@rootsweb.com Mailing List under the subject: "A GREAT HISTORY of our ANCESTORS" on, Thu, 07 Jan 1999 14:05:49.  Drawing partly on historical facts, and partly in weaving together pieces from history books and diaries, all of these give vivid accounts of journeys made in these early time.  [Note:  Mr. Cherry's story was originally posted on Rowan Roots, but I cannot find it to provide the URL.  There is also posted "The Wilderness Road Through Southwest VA." on the MILLER mailing list, but this discusses journeys southwest of Washington County PA.

Washington County officially opened for settlement in 1768.  Prior to that, the area was part of other larger counties.  Here is an historical timeline of Washington County, Pennsylvania:

From 1750 to 1770 it was part of Cumberland County; 

from 1771 to 1773 it was part of Bedford County; 

from 1773 to 1781 it was part of Westmoreland County; 

March 28, 1781 it became Washington County. 

            Virginia and Pennsylvania claimed Southwestern Pennsylvania before 1781.   Virginia formed the District of West Augusta, therefore, records before 1781 might be found in Augusta County, Virginia.   This District was divided  into three VA counties:  Yohogania (whose records are in Washington Co., Pennsylvania docket books);  Monongalia County, Virginia whose records (pre-1796 were lost in fire) are in Morgantown, West Virginia; and Ohio County, Virginia records are in Wheeling, Ohio County, West Virginia.

Thirteen (13) townships were formed July 1, 1781 (p. 228 Crumrine; p. 459 Forrest, Vol. 1).  These Townships were: Amwell, Bethlehem, Cecil, Cumberland (to Greene County in 1796), Donegal, Fallowfield, Hopewell, Morgan (to Greene County in 1796), Nottingham, Peters, Robinson, Smith, and Strabane.

Just reviewing the township formation list, one can see the steady growth of Washington County.   In 1771 when the area was still part of Bedford County, David Hoge bought the land that later became Washington County.  In 1787, the first courthouse was built; the second was built in 1791.  By 1795-1796 brought the first newspaper and first post office.  Throughout these years, migrations continued into (and out of) the county.   These continued almost every decade between 1790 to 1850.

Through the late 1800s to early 1900s, Washington was a busy place with new industries of oil and natural gas, and the well established coal mines throughout the county.  Main street was lined with every kind of business needed to support the citizens, as well as numerous banks and court services.  

Through the early 1950s, Washington's industries were still mainly in steel mills and coal mines. But many mines closed in this decade, causing a decline as well in steel.  In the past 30 years, there has been an increasing turn to the service industries.  And farming has remained since the first settlers came, but the number of orchards declined over the past 100 years.

Washington in the 1970s created a beautification project for the city.  New trees were planted along Main Street (mostly the uptown section) and a bricked patio with fountain was built halfway down the block between Chestnut St and Beau, on the right side of North Main St.  Office structures, including the Millcraft Center, took the place of newly demolished old businesses, and parking lots and garages were built to handle the increased worker population uptown.  Many of the new offices were associated with supplying county and city government services to the citizens, or provided associated services (e.g. Lawyers).  In my Uptown Landmark -1 and  Uptown Landmark -2 pages , I describe some of the changes that have occurred in the uptown area.
 

* See also Jeff-Main page where I describe some of the places on Jefferson Avenue, and Christmas on Jefferson, Chestnut Street to Main Street.

See  for a little info about John Hoge.  

SEND ME YOUR PICTURES OR MEMORIES OF

WASHINGTON

(washington.co.pa.webmaster@gmail.com - and put Washington in the subject line)

Washington Co., PA Area newspapers - other families - Look here for your families!

McDonald PA Area Newspapers - other families - Look here for your families!

Map of Uptown area.

USEFUL INFORMATION:

Read the History of Washington County
(Washington County Chamber of Commerce Website)

Regional area of Washington County (east section)

List of Historical Societies

Washington County Historical Society 

Rostraver Twp. Historical Society

Donora Historical Society (Est. 1946)

Washington:  Birthplace of: Joseph A. Walker - (1921-1966), military test pilot.

There are several Washington County web sites:

Carol Mounts has "Washington PA Nostalgia" at URL
http://freepages.school-alumni.rootsweb.com/~ebgschol/

Judith Florian has "Washington County Genealogy Project" at URL
http://www.rootsweb.com/~pawashin/

Georgeann Malowney has "Washington County Genealogy & History in Pennsylvania " at URL
www.chartiers.com

My LANE FAMILY in MD and Washington Co., PA.

Lane Family History: Descendants of John Lane, Sr.
by Ruth Lane McGary and Judith Ann Florian, (Includes 1794-1990.)
View the All-Name Index of this book.
Contact webmaster about this book.

The ancestry of the LANE family were German Baptists,
who adopted the official name of The Church of the Brethren in the early 1900s.  
See Maps of Ten Mile Area area.

My branch of the LANE family:
Daniel and Anna England Lane, and family (photo)

Elderly Anna England Lane (photo)

 

 

 

Our John Lane Sr. (ca.1780-1844) was mistakenly (we think) included in a DAR Application, 
linking him to the wrong Revolutionary Soldier (although his father was supposedly in the Revolutionary War).  Read the files disproving this DAR Application and see the actual documents.  (DAR Application of Emma McKinley Nease for Record of John Lane, Bedford Co., PA) I welcome comments and any researcher's proof either way concerning this issue.

LINKS TO DAR APPLICATION - BEDFORD CO., PA JOHN LANE SR & JR (different from our Sr & Jr)
GO TO SECTION ONE -  (web page 1)  
GO TO SECTION TWO -  (web page 1)  
GO TO SECTION THREE (web page 2)
GO TO SECTION FOUR (web page 3)
GO TO SECTION FIVE (web page 4)
GO TO SECTION SIX (web page 5)
GO TO SECTION SEVEN (web page 6)
Documents supporting my research - coming by 2006

 

Special acknowledgement to my genealogy teacher, co-researcher,
my grandmother Ruth Lane McGary (deceased).

Special acknowledgement to my co-researcher, co-author,
and co-trouble-maker, my sister Cathy Caldwell (deceased).

 

 

 

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(c) Judith Ann Florian
159 E. Main St.
Girard, Ohio 44420

Copyright Notice - Data / info. for individuals and surnames may be reproduced for personal family histories only, but not for any commercial use or sale. Please give credit to Judith Florian and Catherine L. Caldwell for locating newspaper items and original documents. You may use J. Florian's research conclusions if credit is given. No other data or images may be reproduced without permission. © 2005-present, Judith Florian, Copyright All rights reserved.

This page was last updated on Friday, January 16, 2009 00:15

The background was chosen specifically to emphasize the matriarchal role of women in "the life" of children and families, and the resilience of all the women of southwestern Pennsylvania.