"At the beginning of the century the site of Allegheny City was a wilderness. In 1812 a few settlers had made inroads upon the forest, and had builded their cabins. Notice is called to the fact in the minutes of the Presbytery of Erie, in April of that year, in the following words: 'An indigent and needy neighborhood, situated on the Allegheny, opposite Pittsburgh, having applied for supplies,' the matter was laid before the Presbytery. Joseph Stockton seems to have been the first stated minister, preaching a part of his time there until 1819." _Centenary memorial of Presbyterianism in western Pennsylvania._ "The facility for getting to and from Pittsburg [from Allegheny] was quite a different matter from what it is to-day. The only highway (if it may be called such) leading west from Federal Street to the Bottoms at that early day, was the erratic Bank Lane, which owing to the natural unevenness of the ground upon which it was located, and total neglect of the authorities of Ross township to put it in a condition for travel, ... was for many years only accessible for foot-passengers." _Parke's Recollections of seventy years._ Lawrenceville was laid out in 1815 by Wm. B. Foster, and had begun with the building of the United States arsenal. Courts "The Supreme Court holds a term in Pittsburgh, on the 1st Monday in September annually, to continue two weeks if necessary, for the Western District, composed of the counties of Somerset, Westmoreland, Fayette, Greene, Washington, Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Mercer, Crawford, Erie, Warren, Venango, Armstrong, Cambria, Indiana and Jefferson." _Pittsburgh directory, 1815._ "Mr. Lacock submitted an important resolution for instructing the committee on the Judiciary to enquire into the expediency of dividing the state of Pennsylvania into _two Judicial Districts_, and establishing a _district court_ of the U. States at the city of Pittsburgh, which was agreed to." _Commonwealth, Jan. 6, 1817._ County Elections "Henry Baldwin is elected to congress for the district composed of the counties of Allegheny and Butler, by a majority of about 800 votes. John Gilmore, William Woods, Samuel Douglass and Andrew Christy are elected to the assembly. Lazarus Stewart is elected Sheriff of Allegheny county, by a majority of 181 votes. Joseph Davis is elected commissioner by a majority of 249 votes, and Charles Johnson, Auditor by a majority of 28 votes." _Gazette, Oct. 15, 1816._ The State Legislature "The bill for erecting the two Bridges at Pittsburgh has passed both houses. The sites are fixed at St. Clair-street for the Allegheny and Smithfield-street for the Monongahela. The state subscribes $40,000 of stock for each bridge. A bill is about being reported for establishing a horse and cattle market in the vicinity of Pittsburgh. The bill for erecting Pittsburgh into a city has passed the senate and is before the house, where it is expected to pass through without opposition.