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Fulton County, PA
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Created on April 19, 1851, from part of Bedford County
and named for Robert Fulton, the inventor who pioneered
in the use of the steamboat. McConnellsburg, the county
seat, was named for Daniel McConnell who laid it out in
1786. It was incorporated as a borough on March 26,
1814.
 Because
the first settlers were trespassers, violence
characterized the early years of the society in this
area. Both Indians and proprietary officials harried
them. The area that became the county was included in
the 1754 Albany Purchase from the Indians. The Great and
Little Coves, which make up most of the county, lay
along the Forbes Road and that brought an early
prosperity. Gristmills and tanneries were successful.
But the Main Line Canal and the Pennsylvania Railroad
route bypassed Fulton and isolation resulted. Fulton
never established railroad contact with outside markets
and was a remote area until the Pennsylvania Turnpike
appeared in 1940. The timber industry was strong until
about 1930. Much of the county is now held as state
forests, parks, and game lands. Thirty-six percent of
the area is farmed, although agricultural cash receipts
are relatively low. Manufacturing, especially of
hydraulic equipment, employs many, but others commute to
jobs outside Fulton. |
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