Territory Northwest of the River Ohio (territory) -- Washington (county)


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County Quick Reference

County Seat: Marietta

County Name: Named for George Washington


Boundary Changes
(click on the name of a change to see more information)
 
Date
Area
Change
26 JUL 178817,858The county was created from unorganized land and land from the Western Reserve
11 FEB 179217,331527 square miles was lost in the creation of Hamilton County
10 JUL 179715,3321,999 square miles was lost in the creation of Adams County
29 JUL 179710,1465,186 square miles was lost in the creation of Jefferson County
20 AUG 17989,265881 square miles was lost in the creation of Ross County
19 DEC 17998,813452 square miles was lost to Jefferson County
09 DEC 18007,5361,277 square miles was lost to the creation of Fairfield County
07 SEP 18017,018518 square miles was lost to the creation of Belmont County
   

 

 

Authority
(click on a title below to view laws involved in the formation or governance of the area)
Background
(general information on the county to put it in the context of history)

Washington County was formed on 26 July 1788 by proclamation of the Governor of the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio [click here for more information]. By 1801, the county would go through seven changes to its boundaries before being incorporated into the State of Ohio. Click on a date in the table above to see a map of how the county looked on that date, as well as, the authority changing the boundary (if available).

The following map shows the original size of the county at its founding (in blue with a red border) and the final borders of the county after the boundary changes (in red with yellow border) superimposed on a modern map

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Washington County in 1788 and 1801

Census
(click on a year below to view information on the population of the Territory)


DatePopulationChange
18005,427---


Bibliography
(click on the title of the following works to learn more about life in the area;for those items not available online, check with your local library for availability)


  • A Brief History of Crayton Lorain from Washington County, Ohio to Jersey County, Illinois to Franklin County, Nebraska.
  • List of Revolutionary Soldiers Buried in Washington County, Marietta, Ohio.
  • Notes and Records on the Andrews Family, 1924-1926.
  • Centennial Souvenir of Marietta, Ohio Settled April Seventh, 1788 ;Celebration, April Seventh, 1888. Electronic reproduction. ed. Marietta, Ohio: E.H. Alderman & Sons, 1887.
  • The Book of Washington County : An Illustrated Historical, Biographical and Industrial Portfolio. Beverly, Ohio: Edmond M. Martin, 1910.
  • History of Washington County, Ohio [Index]. S.l.: s.n., 1936.
  • Tombstone Inscriptions Rockland Cemetery : Belpre Township, Washington County, Ohio. 1822-1984. Decorah, Iowa: Annudsen Pub. Co., 1985.
  • Little Muskingum Congregational Church, 1843-1993. S.l.: s.n., 1993.
  • History of Marietta, Thomas J. Summers Index. S.l.: s.n., 1998.
  • Civil War Veterans That Died During the War. S.l.: s.n., 2001.
  • Andrews, Israel Ward. Washington County and the Early Settlement of Ohio : Being the Centennial Historical Address, before the Citizens of Washington County. Cincinnati: P.G. Thomason, 1877.
  • Andrews, Martin Register and Seymour J. Hathaway. History of Marietta and Washington County, Ohio, and Representative Citizens. 2 vols. Chicago: Biographical Pub. Co., 1902.
  • Andrews, Martin Register and Washington County Historical Society (Ohio). Index : History of Marietta and Washington County, Ohio, and Representative Citizens, Edited and Compiled by Martin R. Andrews. Marietta, Ohio: Washington County Historical Society, 1976.
  • Armstrong, Teresa Strahler. Descendants of Joseph Clemence Strahler and Catherine Muller Strahler : Information Collected 1983 and 1984 : History of All Nine Children, Seven Generations. Waterford, Ohio: T.S. Armstrong, 1984.
  • Atwood, Margret. The Mcclure Family : A Brief History. Yreka, Calif.: Margret Atwood, 2008.
  • Austin, L. G. History of Washington County. Ohio: s.n., 1890.
  • Britton, Scott A. Washington County, Ohio Dead in the Civil War. Ohio: S.A. Britton, 2000.
  • Burke, Henry Robert and Charles Hart Fogle. Washington County Underground Railroad Images of America. Charleston, SC: Arcadia, 2004.
  • Bush, Fred W. The Centennial Atlas of Athens County, Ohio Containing Complete Maps of the County and Each of Its Townships and Villages. microformMicrofilm. Athens, Ohio: Centennial Atlas Association, 1905.
  • Carver, Sampson, Hamilton Hiram Guitteau, Wilbur Fiske Morse, Lewis Murdock, William Wallace Morse, Archibald S. Doan, John Thomas Kean, Robert Haddow Fleming, George W. Kidwell, Arius N. Henry, Fannie Garrison, Robert B. Harvey, J. H. Pugh, James P. Green and Jerry B. Devol. Letters from Washington County, Ohio Soldiers. S.l., 1861.
  • Chandler, Glen. Memories from Yesteryear of Washington, Morgan & Noble Counties. Beverly, Ohio (P.O. Box 28, 51 McIntosh St., Beverly 45715): G. Chandler, 1994.
  • Clark, Katherine L. Reflections of the Past : A Bicentennial Collections of Historic Photographs Marietta, Ohio, 1787-1987. S.l.: s.n., 1987.
  • Cochran, Wes. Washington County, Ohio;Marriages, 1924-1929. Parkersburg, WV (156 Gihon Meadows Apt 150): Wes Crochran, 2011.
  • Coffman, Hugh. Coffman - Callahan Clan of Washington County, Ohio. 1st ed. Marietta, Oh.: s.n., 1993.
  • Cummings, Joann Schoeppner. Ancestors and Descendants of Isaac and Jane (Owen) Baker : Who Lived Mostly in Monroe, Noble, and Washington County, Ohio. Limited ed. Marietta, Ohio: J.S. Cummings, 1985.
  • Daughters of the American Revolution. Marietta Chapter (Marietta Ohio). Revolutionary Soldiers Buried in Washington County, Ohio;Containing Military Record and Short History of Lives. Marietta, Ohio,, 1923.
  • Daughters of the American Revolution. Marietta Chapter (Marietta Ohio). History of Washington County, Ohio [Index]. Marietta, Ohio,, 1931.
  • Daughters of the American Revolution. Marietta Chapter (Marietta Ohio). List of Land Belonging to Non-Residents, Washington County, Ohio : Duplicate 1802 Ohio Dar Genealogical Records Committee Report. Ohio: Ohio DAR, 2000.
  • Delafield, John and Boston Society of Natural History. A Brief Topograhpical [Sic] Description of the County of Washington, in the State of Ohio. New York: Printed by J.M. Elliott, 1834.
  • Dennis, James L. "One Hundred Years of Black History in Washington County, Ohio, from 1788 to 1888." M.a., Salem College Salem, 1985.
  • Dennis, James L. Washington's Darker Brother : One Hundred Years of Black History in Washington County, Ohio, 1788-1888. Washington County? Ohio: J.L. Dennis, 1986.
  • Devol, Jerry B. "Washington County, Ohio, 1810 : Showing the Approximate Boundaries of Its Then Twelve Townships." Mansfield: Ohio Genealogical Society, 1992.
  • Dickinson, C. E. and Samuel P. Hildreth. A History of Belpre, Washington County, Ohio. Parkersburg, W. Va.,: Pub. for the author by Globe Print. & Binding Co., 1920.
  • Doak, Mildred. Washington County, Ohio;Early Marriage Records, 1789-1803. Marietta, Ohio,, 1971.
  • Engle, Julia A. Death & Baptism Records, Parishes : Saint Henry's Parish, Harrietsville, Noble County Ohio, Saint Patrick's Parish, Ludlow Township, Washington County Ohio, Saint Michaeles [Sic] Parish, Carlise [Sic] Ohio Noble County Ohio ... 1871-1927, One 1935 : From Records at Saint Henry's Parish a Mission Parish of Our Lady of Mercy, Lowell, Ohio, Pastor: Father Victor Cinson Jr. 1 vols. Ohio?: s.n., 1872.
  • Fry, Millie Covey. Persis Putnam : A Pioneer Woman on the Ohio Frontier. Marietta, Ohio: North Star Books, 1978.
  • Gard, Nellie Ataline. Ancestors and Descendants of Phineas and Polly (Gage) Dunsmoor Who Came to Washington County, Ohio in 1822. Marietta, Ohio: Printed by Richardson Print., 1971.
  • Gates, Michael Allen. History of the Third District Christian Union Churches. Rinard Mills, Ohio: M.A. Gates, 1993.
  • Gibboney, Joy. The Family History of William Faris of Washington County Ohio and the Fraser, Mckenzie, Lamb and Graham Families of Scotland, 1967.
  • Grand Army of the Republic. Buell Post No. 178 (Marietta Ohio) and Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War. General Benjamin D. Fearing Camp No. 2 (Marietta Ohio). Roster of Buell Post No. 178, Grand Army of the Republic, Marietta, Ohio, January 21, 1922 : Reproduced for the General Benjamin D. Fearing Camp #2, Department of Ohio, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War. Marietta, Ohio: Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, 2000.
  • H.Z. Williams & Bro. History of Washington County, Ohio : With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches. Cleveland: H.Z. Williams, 1881.
  • Hathaway, Seymour Judson. Historical Sketches : Genealogical Notes Prepared in 1887. Marietta, Ohio: S.J. Hathaway, 1969.
  • Hildreth, Samuel P. Biographical and Historical Memoirs of the Early Pioneer Settlers of Ohio : With Narratives of Incidents and Occurrences in 1775. Cincinnati: H.W. Derby & Co., 1854.
  • Hildreth, Samuel Prescott and Ephraim Cutler. Biographical and Historical Memoirs of the Early Pioneer Settlers in Ohio, with Narratives of Incidents and Occurrences in 1775 Historical and Philosophical Society of Ohio. Publications. Cincinnati,: H.W. Derby & Co., 1852.
  • Historical Records Survey (Ohio) and United States. Works Progress Administration. Division of Women's and Professional Projects. Inventory of the County Archives of Ohio. No. 84. Washington County (Marietta). Columbus, Ohio: The Survey, 1938.
  • Howe, Henry. History of Washington County, Ohio, 1788-1889. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 2000.
  • Johnson, Winnie Smith. Cornerstones : Stories of the Lower Muskingum Valley. S.l.: s.n., 1991.
  • Johnson, Winnie Smith. Then and Now. S.l.: s.n., 1997.
  • Johnson, Winnie Smith. That's Where It All Began : Celebrating Beverly/ Waterford Bicentennial. Ohio?: Beverly-Waterford Chamber of Commerce, 1999.
  • Johnson, Winnie Smith. White Oak - Barlow, 1800-2000. Marietta, Ohio: River Press, 1999.
  • Jordan, Wayne. The People of Ohio's First County.
  • LaPann, Paul Edward. Washington County Remembered. Marietta, Ohio: E.W Kruger, 1997.
  • Lawrence Elementary School Marietta Ohio. Eighth grade class. and James Mahoney. The Wilderness That Became Lawrence. Marietta, Ohio: Lawrence Elementary School, 1976.
  • Marietta College. The Story of Stanleyville in Fearing Township, Washington County, Ohio Marietta College Bulletin,. Marietta, Ohio,: Marietta College, 1953.
  • Marietta College. The Beverly-Waterford Story, Waterford Township, Washington County, Ohio Marietta College Bulletin,. Marietta, Ohio,: Marietta College, 1954.
  • Marietta College. The Story of Barlow Township in Washington County, Ohio Marietta College Bulletin,. Marietta, Ohio,: Marietta College, 1956.
  • Maxwell, Fay, Thomas Jefferson Summers and William Parker Cutler. Northwest Territory 1800 Census Index (before Ohio's Statehood) Plus Index of Washington County, Ohio 1791-1803 Marriages and Thomas Summers' History of Marietta Index Plus Wm. P. Cutler's List of Signers of July 13, 1787 Ordinance Index. 1 vols. Worthington, Ohio: Ohio Genealogy Center, 1973.
  • Newton, Charles Humphreys. Volunteers of Washington County, Ohio : War of the Rebellion 1861-1865 ;Also Members and Officers of Buell Post No. 178, G.A.R. ... Comrades Buried in the Cemeteries of Marietta, Ohio, to January 1st, 1913. Marietta, Ohio: s.n., 1913.
  • Ohio Genealogical Society. Washington County Chapter. History of Washington County, Ohio, Index. Marietta, Ohio: Ohio Genealogical Society Washington County Chapter.
  • Perdue, Larry R. Our Family History : The Perdew/Perdue Family of Washington County, Ohio. Aurora, CO: Larry R. Perdue, 2007.
  • Potts, Genevieve Mary. Abstracts of Wills and Administrations of Estates of Washington County, Ohio with Miscellaneous Notes and References. Columbus, Ohio: s.n., 1946.
  • Preston, Laura Guthrie Curtis. History and Some Anecdotes of the Settlement of Newbury, Washington County, Ohio. Marietta, Ohio: Marietta journal print, 1909.
  • Putnam, Benjamin B., Ohio Company (1786-1795) and Daughters of the American Revolution. Marietta Chapter (Marietta Ohio). List of Original Purchases of the Ohio Company by B.B. Putnam Ohio Dar Genealogical Records Committee Report. Ohio: Ohio DAR, 2000.
  • Putnam, David and Daughters of the American Revolution. Marietta Chapter (Marietta Ohio). David Putnam's Memo Books Ohio Dar Genealogical Records Committee Report. Ohio: Ohio DAR, 2000.
  • Putnam, David, Northwest Territory. Court of Common Pleas (Washington County), Ohio. Court of Common Pleas (Washington County) and Daughters of the American Revolution. Marietta Chapter (Marietta Ohio). David Putnam's Docket Book a, B, F and G, Commenced Washington Co., Ohio, Court of Common Pleas : Docket Book "a", March Term 1799;Docket Book "B", August Term 1804;Docket Book "F", December Term 1805;Docket Book "G", 1806 Ohio Dar Genealogical Records Committee Report. Ohio: Ohio DAR, 2000.
  • Ransaw, June Hall. A Window to the Past : The Genealogical History of the Biehl Family of Washington County, Ohio. Doylestown, Ohio: J.H. Ransaw, 1992.
  • Roush, H. L. The Unknown Settlement : A Historical Narrative of Little Hocking, Washington County, Ohio, 1789-1984. Parsons, W. Va. Belpre, Ohio: McClain Print. Co. ;orders to H.L. Roush Sr., 1983.
  • Sams, Catherine J. Corner Cemetery. microformMicrofiche. Little Hocking, Ohio: C.J. Sams, 1987.
  • Sams, Catherine J. Decatur Presbyterian Cemetery. Little Hocking, Ohio: C.J. Sams (P.O. Box 133 Little Hocking 45742), 1987.
  • Sams, Catherine J. 1890 Census Veterans & Widows of the Civil War : Washington County, Ohio. Little Hocking, Ohio: Book Orders to C.J. Sams, 1989.
  • Schneider, Norris Franz. History of Lowell and Adams Township. Lowell, Ohio,: Midwest Book Company, 1946.
  • Sones, Georgene Morris. Crayton Lorain(E) : A Brief History of Crayton Lorain(E) from Washington County, Ohio to Jersey County, Illinois to Franklin County, Nebraska. Omaha, Neb.: Sones, 1983.
  • St. John the Baptist Church (Churchtown Ohio). Church of St John the Baptist, Churchtown (Rt. 2 Marietta, Ohio) Centennial. Churchtown, Ohio: St. John the Baptist Church, 1967.
  • Stollar, Paul E. Centennial : First Settlers of Palmer, August 30th, 1902. S.l.: s.n., 1902.
  • Summers, Thomas Jefferson. History of Marietta. Salem, Mass.: Higginson Book Co., 1997.
  • Swift, Clyde K. Muskingum River Years. 1 vols. Glen Ellyn, Ill., 1971.
  • Swift, Clyde K. Men on the Muskingum. 1 vols. Ohio?: s.n., 1992.
  • Thorniley, Willis H. Genealogy of the descendants of Caleb Thorniley of Washington Co., Ohio. [Des Moines, Wash. : P.V. and T.B. Thorniley, 1945]
  • Titus, Elroy Wilson. A History of the Redfox and Related Families, Chiefly of Washington County, Ohio with Detailed Information on the Following Families, Kesselring, Sparling, and Hewson, All Closely Related to the Redfoxes : And Considerable Information on the Related Families of Agler, Allen, Barber, Batson, Bay, Best, Bovenizer, Bowdler, Brokaw, Brown, Burgey, Carter, Case, Cline, Cumberland, Doughett, Douglas, Drake, Eastlake, Elliott, Epler, Erb, Everett, Falkenstein, Flanagan, Frenier, Gant, Gearhart, Giffen, Gracey, Gray, Guiler, Hanlon, Harman, Harvey, Haught, Hendershot, Henderson, Hill, Holtsman, Hopkins, Huck, Jackson, Johnson, Jones, Kellogg, Kelly, Kemmer, Klecker, Kramer, Kyle, Lang, Lankford, Lee, Link, Long, Love, Mcbride, Mccain, Mccauley, Mckee, Mcmullin, Mcvay, Marshall, Martin, Miller, Morgan, Moore, Murphy, Nelson, Nicholas, O'neill, Pattin, Pelissier, Pemister, Perkins, Plant, Porterfield, Price, Ramsey, Rapp, Rinard, Roach, Robinson, Sandford, Schramm, Seckman, Sevon, Shepard, Shinkle, Shreve, Shriver, Smith, Snider, Sprout, Stamper, Stegner, Sullivan, Taylor, Thomas, Thompson, Titus, Tompkins, Walker, Warman, Whitener, Wolford, Wolstad, Woodruff, Worstell, Yeager, and Mention of Numerous Other Related or Connected Families. Columbus, Ohio: E.W. Titus, 1975.
  • United States. Work Projects Administration (Ohio). Williams History of Washington County, Ohio : [Index. S.l.: s.n.
  • Vadakin, Marily Sims and Samuel P. Hildreth. Index to Biographical and Historical Memoirs of the Early Pioneer Settlers of Ohio, with Narratives of Incidents and Occurrences in 1775 by S.P. Hildreth : To Which Is Annexed "a Journal of Occurrences Which Happened in the Circles of the Author's Personal Observation, in the Detachment Commanded by Benedict Arnold, Consisting of Two Battalions from the United States Army, at Cambridge, Mass., in A.D. 1775" by R.J. Meigs, Cincinnati, H.W. Derby & Co. Publishers, 1852. Marietta, OH: Lemon Tree Press, 1991.
  • Walker, Richard. Wolf Creek and the Muskingum : Notes on the Settlement of Southeastern Ohio. Baltimore, MD: Gateway Press, 1996.
  • Washington County Historical Society (Ohio). The Tallow Light Index. Marietta, Ohio: Washington County Historical Society, 1999.
  • Washington County Historical Society Marietta Ohio. Washington County, Ohio to 1980 : A Collection of Topical and Family Sketches. Marietta, Ohio: Washington County Historical Society, 1980.
  • Washington County Historical Society Marietta Ohio. Index for Washington County, Ohio to 1980. Marietta, Ohio?: Washington County Historical Society, 1991.
  • Washington County Historical Society. "The Tallow Light : Bulletin of the Washington County, Ohio Historical Society." v. Marietta, Ohio: The Society, 1966.
  • Washington County Public Library. The Founding of Marietta Following the American Revolution : Some Sources for Marietta and Washington County History Available at the Washington County Public Library and the Dawes Memorial Library of Marietta College. Marietta, Ohio: Washington County Public Library, 1975.
  • Washington County Public Library. Marietta Ohio. and Richard Markle Neyman. A Bibliography of Material Pertaining to State and Local History and Genealogy. Part 1. Marietta, Ohio, 1972.
  • Washington County Veteran Association. Roster of Union War Veterans Residing in Washington County, Ohio, October 1st, 1914. Marietta, O.,, 1914.
  • William (H. Z.) & Bros. Cleveland. 1788-1881: History of Washington County, Ohio, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches. Cleveland. O., Knightstown, Ind.,: H. Z. Williams The Bookmaker, 1881.
  • Williston, George C. The Several Cheadle and White and Related Families and Friends : From Windsor Co., Vermont to Washington County, Ohio About 1800. 2nd ed. S.l.: The Author?, 2005.
  • Wynn, James F., Juanita Wallace Wynn, James F. Wynn and Juanita Wallace Wynn. Our Century. Ohio: J.F. Wynn and J.W. Wynn, 1995.
  • Zimmer, Louise. More True Stories from Pioneer Valley. Marietta, Ohio?: Sugden Book Store, 1993.

 

Referenced Items
(content on HistoryKat that references this area)
  

Washington County Proclamation, 1788

Whereas, by the Ordinance of Congress of the 13th of July 1787 for the Government of the Territory of the United States North West of the River Ohio, it is directed that, for the due Execution of Process civil & criminal, the Governour shall make proper Divisions of the said Territory, & proceed from Time to Time as Circumstances may require, to lay out the Parts of the same where the Indian Titles shall have been extinguished, into Counties & Townships subject to future Alteration as therein specified

Proclamation Creating Jefferson County, 1797

Whereas by an Ordinance of Congress bearing Date the thirteenth of July one thousand seven hundred and Eighty seven for the Settlement of the Territory of the United States Northwest of the river Ohio it has been provided that for the due Execution Process civil and criminal the Governour shall make proper Division of the said Territory and proceed from Time to Time as Circumstances may require to lay out the same into Counties & Townships

 

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