The bounds of Marshall County were set forth as being "all that part of the lower end of the county of Ohio lying south of a line beginning on the Ohio river at a stone to be fixed on the bank of said river, one half mile above the mouth of Buggs' run; thence a direct line to the northern boundary of the town of West Union and thence continuing the same course to the Pennsylvania line."
In 1836 Braxton, also at present a West Virginia county, was created from portions of Lewis and Nicholas counties. Its name honors Carter Braxton, a Signer of the Declaration of Independence, the last one of the Virginia signers to receive this distinction.
The description of its bounds though long is of interest because of the number of place names used and is therefore quoted: "beginning at Salt Works road at the head of Barbecue run and running thence with the dividing ridge of the Kanawha and Monongalia waters to the head of the Fall run; thence along the leading ridge to the forks of the Little Kanawha; thence up the right hand fork to its head; thence with the dividing ridge between Kanawha, Buchanan and Elk waters, to the corner of Randolph and Nicholas county line; thence with the said line to the top of the Point mountain above the Fork lick; thence along the top of the Point mountain to the end thereof; thence a straight line to Joseph Priam's (so as to include Joseph Priam's lands within the boundary of the new county); thence a straight line to the top of the ridge between Big and Little Birch rivers, and down said ridge to the mouth of Little Birch river; thence a straight line to the mouth of the Rock-camp fork of Big Buffalo (above Young's Bottoms); thence down the same to its mouth, crossing Elk river; thence to the Lewis and Kanawha county line at a point where a straight line to the mouth of the Long Shoal run will include Jacob Shock on Steer creek within the boundary of the new county; thence up the said Long Shoal run to the top of the ridge between the Sand fork and Little Kanawha; thence with the dividing ridge to the head of the left hand fork of the Three lick fork of Oil creek; thence to its mouth; thence to the main fork of Oil creek; thence up the Clover lick fork to the beginning."
From almost the center of the present state of West Virginia, we now return to Virginia and note the creation from Frederick of the new county of Clarke. Braxton, Clarke and Warren were all established in the year 1836. Clarke, though incorrectly spelled pays honor to that native of Albemarle County who won the Northwest Territory for the Continental Congress, George Rogers Clark. The county, cut from the eastern part of Frederick, adjoins Jefferson, Loudoun and Fauquier.
Its bounds are thus given: "Beginning at the point in the Blue Ridge where the line dividing the counties of Jefferson and Loudoun meets the line dividing the counties of Frederick and Loudoun, thence with the line dividing the counties of Jefferson and Frederick to the middle of the Opequon creek; thence up the middle of the Opequon to the mouth of Wright's branch; thence up that stream to the mouth of Nations Spring run; thence a direct line until it reaches Colin Leach's corner, next to major Seth Mason's land on the road to Nineveh; thence eastwardly by a direct line, passing south of the buildings and curtilages of doctor James Hay and James M. Hite, to a point on the Shenandoah river, at the mouth of Fauntleroy's mill run, on the north side of the Shenandoah river; thence from the mouth of said run a straight line to the nearest top of the Blue Ridge of mountains; and thence on the eastern boundary of Frederick county to the beginning."
Curtilage, used for the first time in any description, is a law term denoting the fenced-in area adjoining a dwelling house or a courtyard. The term often used now is dependencies.
Warren, the third county created in 1836, lies over the Blue Ridge from and a little to the south of Clarke. Its territory was taken from those portions of Shenandoah and Frederick counties that adjoined "the counties of Rappahannock and Fauquier in the southern part thereof." The name honors the brave soldier Major General Joseph Warren who fell in the Battle of Bunker Hill.
The bounds of Warren County which mention some places noted in Clarke County's bounds are as follows: "Beginning at the top of the Blue Ridge where the counties of Shenandoah and Page corner on the Rappahannock county line; thence west with the Page line to the top of the southeast Fort mountain; thence north with the top of said mountain to its termination at the mouth of Powel's fort; thence a straight line from the top of said mountain to the nearest top of the Three top mountain; thence with the top of said mountain to the high peak opposite Strasburg; thence a straight line to Hoffman's ford across the north branch of Shenandoah river; thence down the bed of said river to the mouth of Cedar creek on the north side of said river; thence up said creek to where the Winchester and Staunton stage road crosses said creek; thence a straight line to Zion meeting-house in Frederick county; thence with the main road leading towards the White post until it reaches Colin Leache's corner, a point on said road; then eastwardly by a direct line passing south of the buildings and curtilages of doctor James Hay and James M. Hite; to a point on Burden's March run; thence by a direct line to a point on the Shenandoah river at the mouth of Fauntleroy's mill run on the north side of the Shenandoah river; thence from the mouth of said run a straight line to the nearest top of the Blue Ridge; thence a southwest course with the top of said Blue Ridge to the beginning."
The next year, 1837, Mercer, now in West Virginia but adjoining Giles County, Virginia, was formed. The Act authorizing its creation is as follows: "All that part of the counties of Giles and Tazewell contained within the following boundary lines ... shall form one distinct and new county and be called and known by the name of Mercer county in memory of general Hugh Mercer who fell at Princeton." Appropriately the county seat of Mercer County is Princeton.
In 1838 the Virginia counties of Greene and Roanoke were set up.