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.