The story of Washington County, formed in 1781 from part of Westmoreland County, is among the more fascinating tales in early American history. When the local land office opened for applications in 1769, settlers were drawn by fertile soil and the proximity of the Monongahela River. The appeal was not lost on politicians, and for over a decade Pennsylvania and Virginia waged a battle for ownership of the economically promising land.

This struggle played out even as Washington County fought for fair treatment by the federal government, a fight which culminated in the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794. Local citizens, weary of paying a 28% still tax to subsidize federal protection from Indian raids, took to the streets. Things gradually calmed down, and the county prospered with sheep farming and the discovery of vast coal resources. Today, county historians point with pride to the last battle of the Revolutionary War, which pitted a company of British Rangers and 200 Indians against six Washington County settlers. The settlers won.