Why families left western Pennsylvania
No single record explains a family's decision to leave, but the histories of these counties show several forces that pushed families toward Ohio:
- Contested land titles. In Beaver, Mercer, and the Erie Triangle, lawsuits and competing claims slowed settlement for decades. In the Erie Triangle, a local history says settlers eventually bought their land or left.
- The end of the Indian wars. The Treaty of Greenville in 1795 made land north and west of the Ohio River safer to settle.
- Land companies and speculators. Donation Lands, Depreciation Lands, and the Holland Land Company put much of northwestern Pennsylvania in the hands of owners who never lived there.
- The Virginia border dispute. Virginia claimed southwestern Pennsylvania until 1780, which leaves families in both states' records.
- The Whiskey Rebellion. The 1794 uprising was centered in Allegheny, Fayette, Washington, and Westmoreland Counties. The sources used for this guide do not say it caused families to move to Ohio, so look for evidence about your own ancestors before you use it as an explanation.
- The roads and rivers west. Pittsburgh, Brownsville, and the National Road made it easy to leave, and many travelers left few traces behind.
Western Pennsylvania counties
How Pennsylvania records are organized
The Register of Wills / Clerk of Orphans' Court keeps wills, estates, guardianships, and marriage licenses (generally from 1885). The Recorder of Deeds keeps land records. The Prothonotary keeps civil court records, divorces, and tax liens. County offices recorded births and deaths from 1893 to 1905, and statewide certificates began in 1906.
Looking for the Ohio side? Open the Ohio County Index, or start with Pennsylvania to Ohio: The Border.