Pictou was long in use as the name of a place before Pictou County was established in 1835. The word "Pictou" is derived from the Mic Mac "Piktook" meaning an explosion of gas. The area which eventually became Pictou County was a part of Halifax County from 1759 to 1835. In 1803 when the Legislature of the Provinces considered the possibility of increasing the number of counties, a committee of the House of Assembly proposed that three additional counties be established. It was suggested that these proposed counties be named Weymouth, Pictou, and Colchester Counties. However, the report was deferred and the District of Pictou was not raised to a county at this time. Twenty-two years elapsed before that occurred. In 1835, the then County of Halifax was divided into three different and distinct counties. The County of Halifax was to comprise and include the then District of Halifax; the County of Colchester was to comprise the then District of Colchester and the County of Pictou was to comprise and include the then District of Pictou. Thus the District of Pictou was elevated to the status of a county in 1835. Subsequently, the dividing line between Pictou County and Guysborough County became rather uncertain and on July 19, 1866 the Lieutenant Governor and Council authorized the Commissioner of Crown Lands to appoint a surveyor to run the line and set permanent marks upon it. A difference of opinion between the commissioners appointed to represent Guysborough and Pictou Counties respectively resulted in the Commissioner of Crown Lands being requested in 1867 to determine a line between the Counties of Pictou and Guysborough.