Henry Wilson Storey's History of Cambria County, V.I, p.23

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History of Cambria County, V.1

HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY. 23

Richard Nagle also resided in Allegheny township, and in 1844 a Martin Eager assisted in celebrating the Fourth of July in Johnstown.

MASON AND DIXON'S LINE.

     In view of the importance of this line being the boundary line between the Free and Slave States, frequently cited prior to the Civil war, and occasionally at this time, it becomes a part of our local history, inasmuch as the territory through which the line was run in this locality was Cumberland county.
     The contention arose between the successors of William Penn and Cecillus Calvert, Lord of Baltimore, over the boundary line between Pennsylvania and Maryland. In 1732 they agreed upon the line to the western boundary line of what is now Franklin county. In 1760 the frontier border had so advanced that the dispute became important, and efforts were made to have it located by commissioners of the two provinces, but after a delay of three years Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, eminent surveyors of London, were employed to run the line. They immediately came to this country and commenced work, but it took almost two years to prepare the preliminary work. In the spring of 1766 they began again, and by June 4th had reached the top of the Allegheny mountains, at the point where Bedford and Somerset counties join, on the border line with Maryland.
     On account of the Indian troubles nothing more was done until June, 1767, when these eminent surveyors started again, accompanied by a party of Indians from the Six Nations to protect them from the hostile Delawares and Shawnees. The point where General Braddock crossed the Maryland line into what is now Somerset county was reached August 24th, 1767, but there the Iroquois escort left them. Mason and Dixon continued their survey to a point beyond the Monongahela river, when the actions of the Shawnees and Delawares became so vicious they were compelled to abandon the work and returned to Philadelphia, where they were honorably discharged on December 26, 1767, after four years' service. During that time the Penns paid them thirty-four thousand two hundred pounds for their share of the expenses. About 1782 the line was completed by other parties.
     The stone monuments used in marking this line bore the letter "P" on one side, and on the other "M," and were brought from England by Mason and Dixou. These stones were one

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	HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.	23
Richard Nagle also resided in Allegheny township, and in 1844 a Martin Eager assisted in celebrating the Fourth of July in Johnstown. MASON AND DIXON'S LINE. In view of the importance of this line being the boundary line between the Free and Slave States, frequently cited prior to the Civil war, and occasionally at this time, it becomes a part of our local history, inasmuch as the territory through which the line was run in this locality was Cumberland county. The contention arose between the successors of William Penn and Cecillus Calvert, Lord of Baltimore, over the boundary line between Pennsylvania and Maryland. In 1732 they agreed upon the line to the western boundary line of what is now Franklin county. In 1760 the frontier border had so advanced that the dispute became important, and efforts were made to have it located by commissioners of the two provinces, but after a delay of three years Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, eminent surveyors of London, were employed to run the line. They immediately came to this country and commenced work, but it took almost two years to prepare the preliminary work. In the spring of 1766 they began again, and by June 4th had reached the top of the Allegheny mountains, at the point where Bedford and Somerset counties join, on the border line with Maryland. On account of the Indian troubles nothing more was done until June, 1767, when these eminent surveyors started again, accompanied by a party of Indians from the Six Nations to protect them from the hostile Delawares and Shawnees. The point where General Braddock crossed the Maryland line into what is now Somerset county was reached August 24th, 1767, but there the Iroquois escort left them. Mason and Dixon continued their survey to a point beyond the Monongahela river, when the actions of the Shawnees and Delawares became so vicious they were compelled to abandon the work and returned to Philadelphia, where they were honorably discharged on December 26, 1767, after four years' service. During that time the Penns paid them thirty-four thousand two hundred pounds for their share of the expenses. About 1782 the line was completed by other parties. The stone monuments used in marking this line bore the letter "P" on one side, and on the other "M," and were brought from England by Mason and Dixou. These stones were one