Who settled here
Between 1777 and 1785 the Pennsylvania Assembly reserved land here as Donation Lands to pay Revolutionary War veterans. In 1785 and 1786, more than 600,000 acres in Mercer, Lawrence, Crawford, and the northern half of Butler Counties were surveyed into more than a thousand plots of 200 to 500 acres.
Many soldiers preferred cash to land in this remote place and sold their plots to speculation companies, including the Holland Land Company. Settlers arrived slowly in the 1790s, and the county was created before it had much population.
Why families moved on
- Who owned the land? Confusion over title between the large companies and the squatters who came and built farms plagued the courts for decades and slowed development. Families on contested land had a strong reason to look for clear title.
- Veterans who never lived here. Many original owners were Revolutionary War veterans who sold out and never settled. Their families may have gone anywhere, including Ohio.
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
- A Donation Land tract shows only that the owner was a veteran who served to the end of the war. It doesn't prove he enlisted in Mercer County.
- Check Allegheny and Westmoreland County records for pre-1800 activity.
