If you are a devoted reader of the Research News column, you probably know that there are 3,072 counties in the United States, but have you ever wondered how these 3,000+ counties came to be?
The majority of today's counties were spawned from an already existing county or in some cases, from multiple counties. For example, in New Jersey only eight of its 21 counties are original counties. Of the remaining 13, 11 were formed from parts of one county and two were formed from two other counties.
Some counties were formed through the absorption of other counties. Williams County, N.D. was organized in 1890 by absorbing two counties, Buford and Flannery. Also interesting to note in North Dakota's history is the creation of the counties of Burleigh, Kidder, Logan, McHenry, Rolette and Sheridan. All of these counties were organized from Buffalo County, which was dissolved in the late 1800s after the 1880 census reported a population count of zero.
Some counties were created from counties that are in different states today. Pendleton County, W.Va. was created in 1788 from Hardy County,W.Va., and Augusta and Rockingham counties, Va.
Similarly, in 1847, Highland County, Va. was organized from Bath County, Va. and Pendleton County, W.Va.
Many counties continued to expand their borders after being formed from other counties. Jackson County, Fla. was organized in 1822 from Escambia County. Twelve years later, in 1834, Jackson County annexed Fayette County, Fla., which had only been in existence since 1832. Similarly, Putnam County, Mo., which was organized in 1845 from Adair, Sullivan and Linn counties, annexed Dodge County in 1853. Adams County, Colo., organized in 1901 from Arapahoe County, annexed part of Denver County in 1909.
Not all counties were formed from other counties.
Some counties, like Bremer County, Iowa; Pottawatomie County, Kan.; Itawamba County, Miss.; and Elkhart County, Ind.; were organized from Indian reserves and Indian lands. Clay County, S.D.; Ashland County, Wis.; and Gosper County, Neb.; were organized in the 1860s and 1870s from unorganized territories.
Some counties' formations were more controversial.
Miller County, Ark., organized in 1862 from Lafayette County, was abolished in 1863, and re-established in 1874. Similarly, Spokane County, Wash., created in 1858 from Walla Walla County, was eliminated in 1864 and then later recreated in 1879.
In 1772, Charlotte County, N.Y. was formed from Albany County. In 1784, the county officially changed its name from Charlotte to Washington County.
In 1791, the county annexed the towns of Cambridge and Easton from Albany County. And finally in 1812, the county settled a boundary dispute with the state of Vermont.
The formation of counties and their boundaries is an integral part of American history, as many counties were established well before statehood, and in some cases, even predate the American Revolution.
(Research News was written by Peggy Beardslee, research assistant.)