History

An act of the Legislature passed on February 9, 1796, divided Washington County into two counties—the southern division became Greene County, named for Revolutionary War General Nathanael Greene. Permanent settlement began in Greene County in 1764 after the last major conflict with native Indians. Two forts were constructed in 1774—Jackson’s Fort and Garards Fort—which were built to protect the isolated homes in the area from attacks.

The next record of a permanent settlement is believed to have been the Swan-VanMeter-Hughes party from Virginia in 1767. Once the Indian hostility and Whiskey Rebellion problems had passed, Greene County was formed in order to benefit small farmers; beginning with the Merino Sheep bonanza of the 1820s, wool became a major product. 

Although overshadowed by production elsewhere in the world, Greene County stills leads other Pennsylvania counties in sheep production (occasionally challenged by Washington County). 

The County has a rich and diverse history that can still be seen throughout the County, whether in the rural countryside, boroughs, or coal patch towns. Early industries in Greene County were mining and agriculture. Gas wells, coal mining, and wool production provided the early forms of income in Greene County. At one point the wool industry was so prosperous that the County was the first overall in total Merino wool production and was said to have more sheep than human inhabitants county-wide.