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Westmoreland County, PA
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Created on February 26, 1773, from part of Bedford
County and named for a county in England. Greensburg,
the county seat after 1785, was incorporated as a
borough on February 9, 1799 and as a city in 1928. It
was named for General Nathanael Greene. The British and
Indians burned Hannastown, the original county seat on
July 13, 1782.
 Ligonier
and Bushy Run were posts licensed by the British Army in
1758, along the Forbes Road, before the full county area
was acquired by Pennsylvania from the Indians in the New
Purchase in 1768. At Bushy Run, in 1763, one of the few
field engagements against Indians resulted in a British
and colonial victory. Robert Hanna and Arthur St. Clair
led the move to erect a Pennsylvania county to thwart
the extension of Virginia’s political control of the
area. Rivalry with Virginia became violent in 1774–1775,
but Virginia finally yielded its claim in 1779. This
area was also involved in Dunmore’s War and in Indian
fighting during the Revolution. Hannastown, burnt by
Indians in 1782, was not rebuilt because Greensburg was
growing rapidly. The county’s location on both the
Forbes and Braddock Roads was vital to the rise of
Pittsburgh. Railroads later followed, using
approximately the same routes. Railroad yards grew at
Monessen and Latrobe. Greensburg and Ligonier were farm
products centers. The Connellsville Coke region, opened
in the 1840s, led to the rise of Mount Pleasant and
Scottdale. The valuable Pittsburgh Vein bituminous
underlay the county. After coke making developed, there
were booms in iron, steel, tinplate, aluminum,
manufactured metal items, and glass. Silk, wool, paper,
and rubber products followed. Natural gas was used by
many industries. Ligonier continued to be a center for
dairying and flour; auto parts were produced in Mount
Pleasant, and tires in Jeannette. Since the 1960s,
deindustrialization has been acute in the steel,
aluminum, tinplating, and coke sectors. The peak of coal
production occurred from 1925 to 1945; the county now is
a minor coal producer from surface mines. In 1920
agriculture cash receipts were 11th in the state, and
among these grain production was 8th in the state. Grain
production was greatly reduced after WWII. In 1989, the
county’s farms are about 26th in total receipts among
Pennsylvania counties, with strong meat, dairying, and
mushroom production. Many small farms cover one-fourth
of the land, and the county is a leader in eggs, oats,
and alfalfa. Today, some steel is still produced and
glass and metal products are important, but retail
establishments are especially strong. Many residents are
Pittsburgh workers. |
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