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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. |
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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. |