Land Office, then Tangipahoa, Washington, Livingston, St. Helena, St. Tammany Parishes
now St. Helena Parish, Louisiana
File submitted by Mrs. Inez Bridges Tate and prepared by D.N. Pardue




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From publication "Old Montpelier, 1804, New Montpelier, 1904" 
compiled by Inez B. Tate and published by St. Helena Historical
Association, 1993.  Reprinted with permission.

     
LAND OFFICE

     The Land Office was established at St. Helena in 1819 by an

Act of the Fifteenth Congress.  It sered as a clearinghouse for

all public lands between the Mississippi and the Pearl Rivers and

south of the 31st Parallel (Mississippi line) to Lake Maurepas.

     The Act provided that all the claims to land, founded on com-

plete grants from the Spanish Government, reported to the Secret-

ary of the Treasury . . . and that all claims founded on British

grants, contained, in the said reports, which have been sold and

conveyed, according to the provisions of the treaty of peace, be-

tween Great Britian and Spain, of the third of Sept. one thousand

seven hundred and eight-three, by which that part of Louisiana,

lying east of the island of Orleans, was ceded to Spain, under

the denomination of West Florida . . . For the purpose of adjust-

ing the titles and claims to land in the districts aforesaid, and

for the disposal of the lands which may remain the property of

the United States therein, a land office shall be established . . .

at St. Helena Courthouse.

     Claimants allowed till 1st July 1820 to deliver notices,

evidences, etc., to the registers at Jackson and St. Helena 

Courthouses.

     Persons who had filed notices with the Commissioner of the

land office, etc., whose claims have not been recommended, allowed

till first of July 1820 to deliver written evidence and other

testimony.

     The registers and receivers at Jackson and St. Helena

Courthouses to have the same powers, perform the same duties as

the Commissioners for the districts east and west of Pearl River

would have had.

     Registers and receivers may appoint clerks.  1500 dollars a

year to each register and receiver.  1000 dollars per annum to

clerks.  Approved, March 3, 1819.

     Fulwar Skipwith, President of the West Florida Republic,

served as Register of the St. Helena Land Office for a time.

     The Land Office was moved to Greensburg in 1837 and the name

changed to "Greensburg Land Office".

(The above from Acts of Fifteenth Congress)
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