Jasper County GaArchives News.....Jasper Reflections - Lotteries Once Important to Development of Our Area 1970's
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Suzanne Forte suzanneforte@bellsouth.net July 2, 2004, 10:01 pm

Monticello News
JASPER REFLECTIONS

BY

JOHN HARVEY


"Lotteries Once Important to Development of Our Area"


	In the early years of our country, land lotteries were the popular 
means of getting land into the hands of the people. 

	Not only did they serve the purpose of getting land into the hands of 
the greatest number of people, but they also made money quickly available to 
the government.  After the land lottery in 1791 which became known as 
the "Yazoo Fraud", they lost their popularity for a time. 

	By 1800, the state of Georgia was back in the land lottery business but 
under stricter laws.  In 1803, when the Creek Indians ceded the land between 
the Ocmulgee and Oconee Rivers to the state of Georgia, a series of lotteries 
were set up. 

	Between 1805 and 1822, at least three lotteries involving land in what 
we know today as Jasper County took place.  Not all the land was drawn for at 
one time - the best land was drawn for first and the poorer land was drawn for 
later. 

	A look at the land lot map for Jasper will show that land lots were 
laid out in rectangles or square and contained 202 1/2 acres in each.  Along 
the river there were hundreds of small pieces of property ranging from 1 acres 
to 50 acres fronting on the river. 

	The river was the chief means of commerce and transportation.  These 
parcels were usually made available to officers and other officials of the 
government at from 5 cents to 50 cents an acres.  Often by buying up these 
parcels one man or a group of men could control the economy of their county. 

	UNDER RULES SET UP for the lotteries an applicant for a lottery ticket 
was required to be a citizen of the United States and the state of Georgia, a 
veteran or the child of a veteran, and qualify under certain other requirements 
set up by the Legislature.  The number of "draws" a person had seems to have 
been determined by a veteran's army service.  Some veterans were given seven 
draws and others had as many as nine.  A child of a veteran was entitled to one 
draw.  Sometimes a veteran would buy his tickets and then sell them to someone 
else. 

	Once an applicant had qualified and drawn land he paid a fee and 
received a written grant which served as his deed.  Many of those who had more 
than one draw and found that one of their lots was separated a good distance 
from their other property sold the distant lot as soon as they had qualified 
for it.  Many other lots were obviously drawn for speculation and these were 
also sold almost immediately.  The usual price was $500.00.

	DEED BOOK NO. 1 for Jasper County records some of these first lots.  
The first deed recorded in this book is for Land Lot No. 36 located in District 
13.  This lot is about one mile northwest of Shady Dale between Georgia 
Highways 83 and 142.  The deed shows that it was drawn by Henry Hart of Burke 
County, who appointed Issac Robinson as agent to sell the lot.  Issac Robinson 
sold 30 acres to Jacob Robinson and bought the rest himself.  The sale took 
place on the 20th day of November, 1807, and was recorded on the 8th day of 
December 1808.  Witnesses were Elijah Downs and John Moore. 

	The second lot recorded is Land Lot No. 165 in the 13th District at the 
headwaters of Wolf Creek.  It was drawn by Caleb Stephens and sold almost 
immediately to Allen (Bechamp) Becumb for $500.00.

	The third lot recorded was Lot No. 69, District 12, drawn by Henry 
Walker and sold for %00 to Cook Claye and wife.  This lot located south of 
Hillsboro now has the Hillsboro work center for the Oconee National Forest 
located on it. 

	Among other deeds in the early years is one which has the names of the 
father, mother and all seven children listed as equal owners.  This land was 
intended to be the family home and they wanted all the family to have equal 
ownership.


Additional Comments:
Transcribed by Suzanne Forte (suzanneforte@bellsouth.net) from copies of 
articles contained in the Monticello News. There articles were prepared by Mr. 
John Harvey and published in this newspaper during the 1970's time frame.  
Permission has been granted by Mr. Harvey for use of these very valuable and 
informative articles. 



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