Petition for Enlargement of Washington County
[December, 1813 ?]
To the Honorable the Legislature of the Territory of Missouri the
Memorial of the Inhabitants of that part of the late Township of
Grand River situated East of said River Humbly sheweth
that where as by the late Law establishing the County of
Washington the said Inhabitants east of Grand River are placed in a
situation truly disagreeable and distressing in many points of View
by beeing divided from the settlement West of the said Grand River
and left attached to the County of Saint Geneveive, they therefore
most humbly pray your Honorable body will cause the line of the
said County of Washington to be so altered as to include with in
said County all the Inhabitants settled on the Waters of the said
Grand River and on the Waters of the tarre blue Causing the line
of said Washington County to run on the dividing ridge between
the Waters of the Plattin and the said Grand River and also on the
dividing ridge between the Waters of the establishment Creek and
the said tarre blue and up said ridge, to, James Bryans Saw mill on
the said tarre blue from thence to the headwaters of flatt Creek to
unite with the line of Washington County as It now runs
In Justification of the alteration of said line of Washington
County as above designated, your petitioners state first that the
settlements east of said Grand River do not amount to a sufficient
Number to form a Township by which means many inconveniences will
Result in as much as Most of the transactions either directly or
indirectly are connectly [connected] with the settlers on the West bank
of the said Grand River.
Second they do not furnish Numbers sufficient to forme a
Company of Militia and by beeing attach'd to the County of Saint
Geneveive must be drawn manv miles to do militia Duty.
Third because a division of a Settlement so immediately Connected
by family and Interests is productive of real disadvantages to the
Inhabitants, that many Other disadvantages will result to said
Inhabitants from a Continuation of said County line Wherefore your
Petitioners pray that your Honorable body will take into
Consideration this memorial of the Inhabitants living on the East bank
of Grand River and grant the prayer thereof and your petitioner
as in Duty will Ever pray.