Hurley Family Tree

He was born possibly in Maryland or Virginia, and his birth year is based on 1 male being 45 years of age and older in the 1800 Federal Census.

1781 Tax Record
Property:
0 acres land.
0 horses 1 cow 2 sheep
0 slaves 0 stills 0 mills
Valuation ú5.

1781 Exoneration: 2 shillings 4 3/4 pence.

Washington County, Pennsylvania, was officially formed on March 28, 1781, from parts of Westmoreland County. However, the region was subject to a boundary dispute between Pennsylvania and Virginia from the 1770s until resolved around 1780-1781 with the extension of the Mason-Dixon Line. Prior to 1781, the area was administered by Virginia as part of Yohogania County (created 1776, dissolved 1780), which overlapped with what became Washington and other nearby counties in Pennsylvania and present-day West Virginia. Virginia also claimed it under earlier jurisdictions like the District of West Augusta (1774-1776), Ohio County, and Augusta County.
As a result, records for a settler like Zachariah Hurley before 1780 would primarily stem from Virginia's administration of the disputed territory. These could include evidence of land claims, court involvement, or community roles. Many original records are "lost" or scattered due to the jurisdictional shift, but surviving ones have been preserved in repositories, microfilmed, or published in books. After the boundary resolution, some Virginia-era claims were recognized or re-recorded under Pennsylvania.

1782 Tax Record

Tax Exoneration: 3 shillings 10 pence.

1783 Tax Record
3 Cows
Rates £10
Total £10.

1785 Tax Record
1 Horse
2 Cows
Rates:
£3 s0
£6 s0
Total £9 s0.

2 properties ('Fox Nest' [Book C 017 pg 222] & 'Turkey's Flat' [Book C-055 pg 464]) were surveyed in Morris township, the survey notes make reference to 'Zachariah Hurley Claim' adjacent to each.

1786 Tax Record
2 Horses
2 Cows
Total £9.

The Zachariah Hurley claim located between 'Fox Nest' & 'Turkeys Flat' was surveyed, it contained 180 acres and was named 'Marsh Bottom'.

James Crawford was issued Warrant #124 on this tract. The relationship between Crawford And Zachariah Hurley is unknown.

1787 Tax Record
100 Acres Land
1 Horse
2 Cows
Rates: £30 s0, £3 s0, £4 s0, Total £37 s0.

1788 Tax Record
30 Acres
2 Cows
1 Horse
Rate: £12, £3, £2; Total £17.

1789 Tax Record
80 acres
1 Horse
2 Cows
Total £27.

Not listed in the 1790 Census:

'It is to be noted that the western tier of townships of the present Greene County, except for the Forks of Wheeling Creek was practically devoid of individual land owners as late as 1790, so that persons living there would have been squatters, who would not have preferred enumeration.'

1793 Tax Record

Name in Index

1798 Tax Record

1 Cabin - 16x17 Feet - Value $12
66 Acres Land - Value $92.
Adjoining Proprietors: Cornelius Hurley

1800 Federal Census Record
Free White Persons - Males - Under 10 (2)
Free White Persons - Males -10 thru 15 (1)
Free White Persons - Males - 16 thru 25 (3)
Free White Persons - Males - 26 thru 44 (2)
Free White Persons - Males - 45 and over (1)
Free White Persons - Females - 10 thru 15 (1)
Free White Persons - Females - 16 thru 25 (1)
Free White Persons - Females - 45 and over (1)
Number of Household Members Under 16 (4)
Number of Household Members Over 25 (4)
Number of Household Members (12)

It appears Edmund Manning and the Hurley's relocated to Ohio, roughly at the same time to the same area.

Key Factors Driving Migration from Greene County, PA, to Ohio (c. 1807–1808)

Availability of Cheap, Legally Available Land in Ohio
By the early 1800s, Ohio (admitted as a state in 1803) offered vast tracts of fertile land through federal sales under acts like the 1800 and 1804 Land Acts. These allowed smaller purchases (down to 160 acres) with installment payments, making it accessible compared to Pennsylvania. Much of western Ohio was opening up after treaties with Native American tribes (e.g., ongoing cessions in the early 1800s), creating a "land rush" feel. Pennsylvania settlers, including those from Greene County, frequently migrated westward for better opportunities, as Ohio's soil was often richer for farming.

Land Speculation and Title Issues in Pennsylvania:
Greene County had significant land speculation in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Financier Robert Morris (the "Financier of the Revolution") owned tens of thousands of acres there, but his massive speculation led to financial ruin and complicated titles. Other speculators bought large tracts hoping for profits, which often left ordinary settlers (including squatters) facing uncertain or expensive titles. Squatters on such lands risked eviction or high costs to secure legal ownership. In contrast, federal lands in Ohio were surveyed and sold more systematically, reducing speculation risks.

Pressure on Squatters:
Squatting was common in early western Pennsylvania, but by the early 1800s, pressure increased as land claims were resolved, speculators enforced titles, and population grew. While not as dramatic as in some areas (like the Wyoming Valley disputes), squatters in Greene County faced challenges securing clear titles amid conflicting claims from Virginia-era warrants, Pennsylvania patents, and speculators. This could prompt moves to Ohio, where preemption rights or direct federal purchases offered more security.

Economic and Agricultural Opportunities:
Western Pennsylvania's hilly terrain limited large-scale farming, while Ohio promised flatter, more productive land. Economic slumps, high taxes, or poor yields in the older settlements pushed families west. Group migrations (like two families moving together) were common for mutual support—sharing wagons, clearing land, and protection during travel.

General Westward Migration Patterns:
Many from southwestern Pennsylvania (including Greene County) followed routes along the Ohio River or overland to settle in areas like the Seven Ranges, U.S. Military District, or western counties. This was part of a larger wave from Pennsylvania to Ohio in the 1790s–1810s, driven by the promise of the Northwest Territory's public domain.

CYNTHIAN TOWNSHIP

Early Settlement,

The first settlement made within the present limits of the township was made in the year 1815, There were three families known to have been located here that year, but which came came first we cannot learn.

These three were Thomas Butt, John Wise, and Conrad Pouches, and their families. These were soon followed by Leonard and Tobias Danner, Zachariah Hurley and Benjamin Leighty, Henry Hershaw, Jacob Seerfauss, John and Alexander Miller, and perhaps a few others.

The following is a complete list of those known to be here in 1824: Thomas Butt, John Barker, Leonard and Tobias Danner, John Gates, C. Stoker, William Hicks, George Harman, Zachariah Hurley, William Jerome, Charles Lovell, Benjamin and Samuel Leighty, George Moyer, John and Alexander Miller, Conrad Pouches, Jacob Seerfauss, Jacob, John, and Andrew Wise, Robert Steen, John Border, Robert Chambers, and J. Shagley.

The following is as complete a record of the township officers from its organization to the present time as can be gotten from the records in existence, giving names and date of election:

***Zachariah Hurley ***

Elected township officer.