 In first United States census (1790), York County had a population of 6,604; 923 were listed as slaves, with a quarter of the county’s slaves belonging to just nine men.Less than 15% of the county's population lived in bondage in 1790, while the state averaged 30%.A county seat was laid out in 1786 at Fergus' Cross Roads, where several roads converged near the geographic center of the county.