Westmoreland history tucked away in archives

The oldest documents kept by Westmoreland County show its burgeoning creation as well as its dark history.

There are pieces missing from a tattered 1773 document, but the gist of it still gets through — Lt. Gov. Richard Penn appointed Arthur St. Clair recorder of deeds of the county. The careful script has been preserved in a large book hidden away in the depths of the county courthouse.

That document is signed by King Richard III of Great Britain. St. Clair, who is buried in Greensburg, was a Revolutionary War soldier involved in the founding of the county and later became the first governor of the Northwest Territory.

St. Clair approved some court-related matters in the months and years afterward, signing at least two documents authorizing the sheriff to take someone into custody. Those documents were from October 1773 and January 1774. They authorized the sheriff to take the subjects of the documents to appear before justices at the home of Robert Hanna in Hannastown before a courthouse was built.

In July 1773, it appeared court was in full swing and early residents were turning to them to settle civil matters. A continuance document from the prothonotary’s office claimed a man refused to pay 10 pounds for clothing material and eight pairs of stockings. Because the document had been folded, it is now in six rectangular pieces kept safely in a folder.

Books of tax assessment records showed that officials kept tabs on what type of improvements had been made to properties. But it wasn’t sheds and pools. Officials wanted to know if there were distilleries or tanyards, where animal hides were processed.

Records on one page of such a book from 1808 and 1809 in East Huntingdon showed property owners had several horses and cattle. One property owner on that page had a slave.