OHIO STATEWIDE FILES - "Ohio Lands - A Short History" [Introduction]
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http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00015.html#0003643 
February 15, 1999
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"Ohio Lands - A Short History"

Introduction

 
The makers of Ohio's Constitution recognized the position of the Auditor of 
State in the executive branch of government as a functional necessity. They 
ascribed great importance to the Auditor because of the weighty duties of 
being the "Watchdog of the Treasury."

As Auditor of the State of Ohio today, one of my responsibilities is to 
maintain the inventory and deed records of state-owned real property. This 
booklet provides a short history of the original land subdivisions and federal 
land grants in Ohio.

The history of the Office of Auditor of State began on April 15, 1803 when 
the responsibility, along with all duties held by the Territorial Auditor, were 
bestowed upon the Office of the Auditor of State. Another one of those duties 
required the Auditor to keep a list of taxable lands, which are the early tax 
duplicates found in the State Archives at the Ohio Historical Center.

Through the years, Ohio's legislature added land-related duties to the 
Auditor of State, authorizing him to prepare: tax deeds in 1824; school land 
deeds in 1827; canal land deeds in 1834; and to prepare and deliver all state 
deeds in 1877. This office still prepares and delivers these deeds with the 
exception of tax deeds, which are handled by county auditors.

In 1877, the Auditor of State also became the Custodian of Public Land 
records. All the federal land surveys, field notes, and tract and entry books 
concerning Ohio were placed in the Auditor's care. In that same year, all the 
instruments which show any right, title or interest in state-owned land, 
except highways, were required to be filed with the Auditor.

All of these records are available either at the Auditor of State's Land Office 
or at the State Archives. Our office is proud to be the repository for land 
titles of all state agencies, for Governor's deeds, and for files of any land 
sold by the state.

"Ohio Lands - A Short History" was written to assist researcher and 
students, but can provide valuable information to any Ohioan.

Best Regards, 
 
Jim Petro
Auditor of State

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(c) 1994 by the Ohio Auditor of State
All Rights Reserved. FOR FREE DISTRIBUTION ONLY.
Researched and written by Thomas Aquinas Burke
Internet Address F491.3 B86 1994 977.1 
Eighth Edition - September 1996

"Ohio Lands - A Short History"
ReTyped & Graphics Rescanned December 1997
by Maggie Stewart-Zimmerman
Email at http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00015.html#0003643

This booklet is available on the Auditor of State home page under Publications 
at: http://www.auditor.ohio.gov/auditor/

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