Who settled here
The area was acquired from Native Americans in the 1784 Treaty of Fort Stanwix. Migrants from Allegheny County began settling in 1793, and New Castle was founded in 1798 by John Carlysle Stewart, who arrived with John McWhorter and a small group from New Castle, Delaware. Thomas Fisher came from Westmoreland County and moved to the Shenango valley in the spring of 1799.
A local history says that after the War of 1812 some of these early inhabitants moved farther west, and that later settlers came mostly from southern and southeastern Pennsylvania and from New Jersey. The county borders Mahoning County, Ohio, and families moved back and forth between the two. A cross-cut canal linked the Lawrence County area with Youngstown and Akron.
Why families moved on
- Westward moves after 1812. A local history describes early settlers moving farther west after the War of 1812. Mahoning County, Ohio, is the closest destination.
- A short move across a border. Some families lived on both sides of the Pennsylvania–Ohio line over several generations, so an ancestor who “came from Pennsylvania” may have moved only a few miles.
Records that say exactly why a family left are rare. Treat these as leads, and look for evidence about your own ancestors in deeds, tax lists, court cases, and church records.
Clues to look for
- Because the county didn't exist before 1849, search Beaver and Mercer County records for earlier events.
- Check Mahoning County, Ohio, records for relatives who crossed the border.
