ARMSTRONG COUNTY
FORMATION AND EARLY SETTLERS
Armstrong County was formed by an Act of March 12, 1800, from parts of Lycoming, Westmoreland and Allegheny Counties. Armstrong County was a part of the following counties for the respective times specified:
Chester, from 1682 to May 10, 1729
Lancaster, May 10, 1729. to Jan. 27, 1750
Cumberland, Jan. 27, 1750, to March 9, 1771
Bedford, March 9, 1771, to Sept. 26, 1773
From 1773 to 1800 its territory was part of the counties first mentioned.
The Allegheny River flows through the county for over thirty miles. The Kiskiminetas River forms the southern boundary.
The county was named for Col. John Armstrong, who led an expedition against the Indians in September, 1756. In 1804 the town of Kittanning was laid out as the county-seat on land owned by the Armstrong family. Dr. James Armstrong of Carlisle, son of Col. John Armstrong, donated the land for the town on condition that he receive one-half the proeeeds of the sale of lots.
The three original townships were Allegheny, Buffalo and Toby.
James Sloan and James Matthews acted as trustees for the new county, and they later became the first commissioners with Alexander Walker as the third commissioner. James Sloan owned a tavern on the west bank of the Allegheny, and the auction for sale of lots in Kittanning was conducted there.
Hon. John Young of Greensburg presided at the first court with Captain Robert Orr, George Ross and James Barr as associate judges. The first prothonotary and clerk was Paul Morrow, and the first sheriff was John Orr.
Among the earliest settlers of the county were: James Claypoole, Andrew Hunter, Robert Brown, Patrick Dougherty, Andrew Patterson, James McCormick and others.
Freeport, in the southern end of the county, was laid out by William and David Todd and was first known as Toddstown, and was in existence as early as 1802.
Apollo, first known as Warren's Sleeping Place, and then Warren, was laid out in 1816 by William Watson.
Parkers Landing was laid out as Lawrenceburg in 1819, and later the name was changed in honor of Hon. John Parker, an early settler. It is in the northern part of the county.
Leechburg was laid out by David Leech along the Conemaugh River, about the time the Pennsylvania Canal came into being.
Worthington was laid out in 1829 by James Barr, a Revolutionary soldier.
Dayton and Elderton were among the older communities.
The first paper in the county was "The Western Eagle," established in Kittanning by Captain James Alexander in 1810.
(Source: Your Family Tree, Indiana, Pa., Vol. I, March, 1948, No. 1, p. 2.)
FORMATION AND EARLY SETTLERS
Armstrong County was formed by an Act of March 12, 1800, from parts of Lycoming, Westmoreland and Allegheny Counties. Armstrong County was a part of the following counties for the respective times specified:
Chester, from 1682 to May 10, 1729
Lancaster, May 10, 1729. to Jan. 27, 1750
Cumberland, Jan. 27, 1750, to March 9, 1771
Bedford, March 9, 1771, to Sept. 26, 1773
From 1773 to 1800 its territory was part of the counties first mentioned.
The Allegheny River flows through the county for over thirty miles. The Kiskiminetas River forms the southern boundary.
The county was named for Col. John Armstrong, who led an expedition against the Indians in September, 1756. In 1804 the town of Kittanning was laid out as the county-seat on land owned by the Armstrong family. Dr. James Armstrong of Carlisle, son of Col. John Armstrong, donated the land for the town on condition that he receive one-half the proeeeds of the sale of lots.
The three original townships were Allegheny, Buffalo and Toby.
James Sloan and James Matthews acted as trustees for the new county, and they later became the first commissioners with Alexander Walker as the third commissioner. James Sloan owned a tavern on the west bank of the Allegheny, and the auction for sale of lots in Kittanning was conducted there.
Hon. John Young of Greensburg presided at the first court with Captain Robert Orr, George Ross and James Barr as associate judges. The first prothonotary and clerk was Paul Morrow, and the first sheriff was John Orr.
Among the earliest settlers of the county were: James Claypoole, Andrew Hunter, Robert Brown, Patrick Dougherty, Andrew Patterson, James McCormick and others.
Freeport, in the southern end of the county, was laid out by William and David Todd and was first known as Toddstown, and was in existence as early as 1802.
Apollo, first known as Warren's Sleeping Place, and then Warren, was laid out in 1816 by William Watson.
Parkers Landing was laid out as Lawrenceburg in 1819, and later the name was changed in honor of Hon. John Parker, an early settler. It is in the northern part of the county.
Leechburg was laid out by David Leech along the Conemaugh River, about the time the Pennsylvania Canal came into being.
Worthington was laid out in 1829 by James Barr, a Revolutionary soldier.
Dayton and Elderton were among the older communities.
The first paper in the county was "The Western Eagle," established in Kittanning by Captain James Alexander in 1810.
(Source: Your Family Tree, Indiana, Pa., Vol. I, March, 1948, No. 1, p. 2.)
