Ohio Land Tracts from Beers History of Warren County, Ohio

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The History of Warren County, Ohio

Ohio Land Tracts

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Transcription contributed by Martie Callihan 11 November 2004

Sources:
The History of Warren County Ohio
Part II, The History of Ohio
(Chicago, IL: W. H. Beers Co, 1882; reprint, Mt. Vernon, IN: Windmill Publications, 1992)
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After the Indians relinquished all claims against the lands of those States west of the Alleghanies, as they had been obtained by conquest, the United States, as a government, owned the soil. When Ohio was admitted into the Union, a stipulation was made that the fee simple to all the lands within its boundaries, with the exception of those previously sold or granted, should vest in the General Government. At the present writing, but few tracts remain that can be called " public lands." In this, as in other States, tracts are designated by their pioneer signification or the purpose to which they were originally devoted. In Ohio, these tracts are known as :

1. Congress Lands 8. Symmes' Purchase 15. Maumee Road
2. United States Military 9. Refugee Tract 16. School Lands
3. Virginia Military 10. French Grant 17. College Lands
4. Western Reserve 11. Dohrman's Grant 18. Ministerial Lands
5. Fire Lands 12. Zane's Grant 19. Moravian Lands
6. Ohio Company's Purchase 13. Canal Lands 20. Salt Sections
7. DonationTract 14. Turnpike Lands.    

The lands sold by the direct officers of the Government, under the direction of Congress, according to the laws, are known as Congress lands. They are properly surveyed, and laid out in townships six miles square, under the direction of the Government, and the expense incurred settled by Congress. These townships are subdivided into sections, containing 640 acres. One section is reserved, in every township, for educational purposes, to be utilized in any manner approved by the State as being the best to aid the cause for which they are assigned.

The Western Reserve will be remembered as the tract originally belonging to Connecticut. It lies in the northeast quarter of the State. A half-million acres were donated by the old Eastern State, when her claim was in force, to sufferers from fire during the Revolutionary war, which created the name, "fire lands." Many settled here whose homes were destroyed by the British during the war.

It will be remembered, that on account of discoveries by subjects of empires, in the New World, the "Old World " kings laid claim to different portions

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of the young continent. At that period, European knowledge of American geographical positions and limits was exceedingly meager, which occasioned several wars and more discussions. These Old-World sovereigns also assumed the authority to sell or present tracts of land to their subjects, in those territories they deemed their own.

King Charles II of England granted to his loyal subjects the colony of Connecticut, in 1662, placing with them a charter of right to all lands within certain prescribed boundaries. But these "boundaries" frequently conflicted with those of others, and sometimes extended to the Pacific Ocean, or "South Sea," as it was then termed. Connecticut, by her original charter rights, held all lands between the forty-first and forty-second parallels of north latitude, and from Providence Plantation on the east, to Pacific Ocean on the west, excepting the New York and Pennsylvania colonies. As late as the establishment of the United States as an independent government, those colliding claims frequently engendered confusion and warm discussion between the nation and Connecticut, regarding the original colony claim. This was compromised by the national claims being relinquished in regard to the territorial claim in Ohio, and Connecticut holding the 3,800,000 acres described as the "Western Reservation." The Government held the right of jurisdiction.

In 1796, Congress set aside a certain division of land, to satisfy the claims of officers and soldiers of the Revolutionary war. It includes the 2,500,000 acres between the Greenville treaty line and the Congress and refugee lands, and "VII ranges of townships," on the east, and the Scioto River, west. This constitutes the "Military Tract." The "Virginia Military Tract" lies between the Scioto and Little Miami Rivers, and extends south to the Ohio.

James I, in his authorized charter to the Virginia colony, in the year 1609, made rather visionary boundary lines, sweeping over the continent, west of the Ohio River, "of the north and south breadth of Virginia." Virginia reconciled the matter by relinquishing all her claims northwest of the Ohio River, with the exception of a tract for the purpose of donating the same to her troops of the Revolution—their claims demanding such a return in some section. Unfortunately, this tract was not regularly surveyed, and conflicting "lines" have given rise to litigation ever since that stipulation was made.

The Ohio Company's Purchase has already been described—as has the Symmes Purchase.

The Refugee Tract covers an area of 100,000 acres, extending eastwardly from the Scioto River forty-eight miles, in a strip of country four and one-half miles broad, north to south. Columbus, the capital of the State, is situated in the western portion. This land was donated by Congress to those individuals who left the British dominions and rule, during the Revolution, and espoused the American cause.

The French Tract borders on the Ohio River, in the southeastern quarter of Scioto County. It includes 24,000 acres, and was ceded to those French

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families that lost their claims at Gallipolis, through invalid titles ; 1,200 acres were added, after the above grant of 1795.

Dohrman's Grant includes a section, six miles square, in the southeastern portion of Tuscarawas County. It was granted to Arnold Henry Dohrman, a Portuguese merchant, as a token of appreciation of the aid and shelter he rendered American cruisers and vessels of war, during the Revolution.

The Moravian Lands were originally grants by the old Continental Congress, in 1787, and confirmed by the act of the Government Congress, in 1796, to the Moravian Brethren, of Bethlehem, Penn., in sacred trust, and for the use of those Indians who embraced Christianity and civilization, desiring to live and settle thereon. These three tracts include 4,000 acres each, and are situated in Tuscarawas County. In 1823, the Indians relinquished their rights to the 12,000 acres in this county, for 24,000 acres, in a territory designated by the United States, together with an annuity of $400.

Zane's Tracts included a portion of land on the Muskingum, whereon Zanesville was built; another at the crossing of the Hocking, on which Lancaster is located ; and yet another on the left bank of the Scioto River, opposite Chillicothe. These grants were made to Ebenezer Zane, by Congress, in 1796, as a reward for opening a road from Wheeling, Va., to Maysville, Ky. In 1802, Mr. Zane received three additional tracts, one square mile each, in consideration of being captured and held a prisoner, during the Revolutionary war, when a boy, by the Indians. He lived with these people most of his life, securing many benefits for the Americans. These tracts are located in Champaign County.

The Maumee Road Lands extend the length of the road, from the Maumee River, at Perrysburg, to the western limits of the Western Reserve, a distance of forty-six miles—in a strip two miles wide. This includes about 60,000 acres. These lands were ceded by the Indians, at the treaty of Brownstown, in 1808. The original intention of Congress was to mark a highway through this strip, but no definite action was taken until 1823, when the land was ceded to the State of Ohio, under an obligation that the State make and sustain the projected road, within four years after the transfer.

The Turnpike Lands extended over 31,360 acres along the western side of the Columbus & Sandusky Turnpike, in the eastern parts of Seneca, Crawford and Marion Counties. They were designed for the transportation of mail stages, troops and other United States property, free from toll. The grant was made in 1827.

"The Ohio Canal Lands "comprise about 1,000,000 acres, set aside for the purpose of canal construction.

When Ohio was admitted to the Union, a guarantee was given that the State should not tax Government lands until they should have been sold for five years. That the thirty-sixth part of all territory within the State limits should be devoted to educational purposes, for the general benefit of the population. In

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order to secure tracts which would prove available, and thus insure returns, they were selected in small lots. No. 16 was designated as the sectional portion, in each township of Congress lands, the Ohio Company's and Symmes Purchases, the United States Military Lands, the Connecticut Reserve, and a number of quarter townships. These school lands were selected by the Secretary of the Treasury.

The college townships are thirty-six miles square. A section, thirty-six miles square, in the center of Jackson County, in the vicinity and containing the Scioto Salt Licks, was also reserved by Congress, together with a quarter-mile township in Delaware County. This swept over 27,040 acres. In 1824, Congress authorized the State to sell these lands. The proceeds were to be devoted to literary requirements, such as might be specified by Congress.


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This page created 11 November 2004 and last updated 18 November, 2004
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