OHIO STATEWIDE FILES OH-FOOTSTEPS Mailing List *********************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. *********************************************************************** OH-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest Volume 99 : Issue 297 Today's Topics: #1 Ohio Lands [Part 4b] [Maggie Stewart-Zimmerman <73777.25] #2 Ohio Lands [Part 4d] [Maggie Stewart-Zimmerman <73777.25] #3 Ohio Lands [Part 4c] [Maggie Stewart-Zimmerman <73777.25] #4 Ohio Lands [Part 5b] [Maggie Stewart-Zimmerman <73777.25] ------------------------------ X-Message: #1 Date: Wed, 12 May 1999 14:44:08 -0400 From: Maggie Stewart-Zimmerman Subject: Ohio Lands [Part 4b] "Ohio Lands - A Short History" Part 4b French Grants.These land grants are located in Scioto County along the Ohio River. They were given to 101 Frenchmen who had been swindled by the Scioto Company. This speculative land company was led by William Duer of New York and in reality owned no land anywhere. Induced to come to America by the extravagant claims and gross misrepresentations of the Scioto Company's agent in France, these French immigrants arrived in Ohio in December 1791. They settled on land they eventually bought from the Ohio Company for $1.25 an acre and named their town Gallipolis. By an act passed May 31, 1795, Congress gave 24,000 acres to the French inhabitants of Gallipolis. John Gabriel Gervais received 4,000 acres for his services in obtaining the grant. The remainder was surveyed in 92 lots of 217.4 acres each. This is commonly called the First Grant. Somehow eight Gallipolis inhabitants did not receive their portion of the First Grant. Therefore, Congress passed the Act of June 25, 1798, giving an additional 1,200 acres which were surveyed into 150 acre lots. This became known as the Second Grant. Refugee Tract.The Refugee Tract (Lands) is located in parts of Franklin, Fairfield, Licking and Perry counties in Central Ohio. This tract extends 42 miles eastward from the Scioto River, along the south line of the United States Military District. The first 30 miles are four and one half miles wide but narrows to three miles wide for the last twelve miles. This tract contains 103,527 acres. The Continental Congress resolved to grant land to Canadian refugees (April 23, 1783) and to Refugees of Nova Scotia (April 13, 1785), whenever Congress could legally make such grants of land. These refugees had abandoned their settlements and fled to the United States to aid the colonial cause during the Revolutionary War. The Act of April 7, 1798 provided that the refugees had to have fled prior to July 4, 1776; continued aiding the United States; and did not return to reside in the dominions of the King of Great Britain prior to November 25, 1783. It also provided that the bounty land could be claimed by widows and heirs of all such persons, if they died within the United States or in colonial service during the Revolutionary War. The Act of February 18, 1801, established the boundaries of the Refugee Tract and named the claimants and the quantity of land which they were entitled. Additional claimants were named in the acts of April 23, 1812. By these Acts, 67 claimants received 58,080 acres, most of which were in 320, 640, 960, 1,280, and 2,240 acre grants. The Refugee Lands were not set aside until after the regular Federal surveys had progressed to the United States Military District. Therefore, the range, township and section lines and numbers were already established. The townships, being fractional (par-tial) townships, were subdivided into 320 acre lots by halving each full section with a north and south line. A drawing, by lot, determined the location, or locations, of the claimant's grant. The Act of April 29, 1816 authorized the remaining 45,447 acres to be sold by the Chillicothe Land Office. In Columbus, the Refugee Tract is between approximately Fifth Avenue on the north, and Refugee Road on the south. Therefore, the State House and most state offices are located within the tract. Zane's Tract.Ebenezer Zane received three tracts of land, 640 acres each, for laying out a road (Zane's Trace) from Wheeling, Virginia (W.Va.), through Ohio, to Limestone (now called Maysville), Kentucky. Zane's Trace opened in 1797. Congress authorized Ebenezer Zane on May 17, 1796, to locate the three tracts provided he paid for the surveys and did not interfere with existing government surveys. Also, he acquired the right to operate the ferries at these locations. Zane located one tract on the Muskingum River (now in Zanesville), one on the Hocking River (now in Lancaster), and one on the east bank of the Scioto River, opposite Chillicothe. He chose these locations because they were important river crossings on the road he laid out, and were a financially sound investment. Isaac Zane, one of Ebenezer Zane's brothers received three surveying sections, 640 acres each, for various services to the U.S. government, by the Act of April 3, 1802. Two of these sections were for the use and benefit of Zane's children, living at the time of his death, or their heirs. A U.S. Patent was issued to Isaac Zane on August 28, 1806, for these tracts which are located in the civil townships of Salem and Concord, Champaign County. - ----------------------------------- (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/ - ----------------------------------- ------------------------------ X-Message: #2 Date: Wed, 12 May 1999 14:47:29 -0400 From: Maggie Stewart-Zimmerman Subject: Ohio Lands [Part 4d] "Ohio Lands - A Short History" Part 4d Twelve Mile Square Reservation.Located in Lucas and Wood counties, this original survey contains 144 square miles and is divided, nearly in half, by the Maumee River. Twelve Mile Square surrounds the former site of Fort Miami; originally built by the French in 1680 and later abandoned. The British occupied the old fort from 1785 until the confirmation of the Jay Treaty (November 19, 1794) in 1795. The United States held the fort until the War of 1812 when the British captured it. The Americans recaptured the fort and abandoned it in 1813 when Fort Meigs was built nearby on the south side of the Maumee. French and English white settlers who had settled around Fort Miami were given land in 1807, based upon their claims of living on the land prior to July 1, 1796. Twelve Mile Square was surveyed into four six-mile-square townships numbered clockwise, beginning with one, from the southwest township. The private claims, near the center of the square, were laid out perpendicular to the claimants river frontage. Under the Act of April 27, 1816, 93 lots, containing 160 acres each, were surveyed out of the sections fronting the river. These were called River Tracts. The town of Perrysburg was laid out by federal surveyors under the Act of April 27, 1816. The Battle of Fallen Timbers, (August 20, 1794), took place within the Twelve Mile Square. Major General Anthony Wayne's defeat of the Indians at this battle ended the Indian War which had been raging on the frontier since 1790. The Indians ceded, in addition to other lands, Twelve Mile Square and Two Mile Square by the Treaty of Greenville (August 3, 1795). Two Mile Square Reservation.Two Mile Square (2,560 acres) is now covered by the city of Fremont, Sandusky County. The Sandusky River nearly cuts the reserve in half. The land was ceded by the Indians in 1795. At the beginning of the War of 1812, Fort Stephenson (Sandusky) was built on the west bank of the river. The fort enclosed about an acre of ground. Major George Croghan, with 250 soldiers, successfully defended this fort (August 3, 1813), against a British and Indian force of over 1,300. This victory earned Croghan, who was Gen. George Rogers Clark's nephew, the brevet rank of Lt. Colonel. Two Mile Square was first surveyed into four (640 acre) sections in 1807. Following the Act of April 26, 1816, section one, which was east of the river, was subdivided into 310 inlots and 63 outlots to create a town. The town was named Croghanville, in honor of George Croghan. In 1829, the town was incorporated under the name Lower Sandusky, and in 1848 named Fremont. The Wooster Federal Land Office handled the early sales of the sections and lots within Two Mile Square. - ----------------------------------- (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/ - ----------------------------------- ------------------------------ X-Message: #3 Date: Wed, 12 May 1999 14:47:27 -0400 From: Maggie Stewart-Zimmerman Subject: Ohio Lands [Part 4c] "Ohio Lands - A Short History" Part 4c Dohrman Grant.Arnold Henry Dohrman was agent for the United States at the court of Lisbon (Portugal) during the Revolutionary War. He fed, clothed and nursed American sailors who had been captured by British cruisers. After submitting his expenditures to the Treasury Department, a substantial amount was disallowed because of lack of documentation. Therefore Congress, on October 1, 1787, granted him an entire township (23,040 acres) to compensate him for the disallowed expenditures and for his humanitarian efforts. The Act of February 27, 1801 directed the president to issue a U.S. Patent to Dohrman for Township 13, Range 7, in the Old Seven Ranges. This land is located half in Harrison County, and half in Tuscarawas County. On March 3, 1817, Congress granted Rachel Dohrman, widow of Arnold Henry Dohrman, $300 annually for life, and to each of Dohrman's minor children, $100 a year until they became 21 years old. Other Grants to Individuals.The United States government gave small land grants to various Indians as the result of Indian Treaties; to white men who had been captured and lived with the Indians; and some early settlers in Northwest Ohio who traded with the Indians. Pre-emption rights (the right to buy land first, without bidding on it) were also given by Congress to various individuals throughout Ohio. Unfortunately, space does not permit the listing of all these grants and pre-emptions. YEAR COUNTY ESTABLISHED Originally, the responsibility of creating and naming counties rested with the Territorial Governor until the creation of the state. After November 30, 1802, the creation of counties and their boundaries were the responsibility of the Ohio Legislature. Until a county was formally organized it remained attached to its parent county or surrounding counties. This could occur several years after the county's creation depending on the Legislative Acts creating it. County Commissioners created and named civil townships. YEAR COUNTY ORGANIZED Although a county may have been established earlier, it did not function as a county until it was organized. The year shown on this map represents the year of organization and the records of the county recorder should begin in that year. Since many counties were formed from existing counties, earlier records may exist in the parent county or surrounding counties. It is possible for a land-owner never to have moved, yet various records may show four different counties of residence. Federal Military Reservations (Forts) Forts, garrisons, stockades and blockhouses were all used by frontier settlers and soldiers for defense against hostile Indians. Many of these fortifications, described in Ohio county histories were already within original land subdivisions, or included in later ones. The following are separate original surveys: Fort Washington.Built in 1789 to protect settlers in the Symmes (Miami) Purchase, this fort was reserved to the federal government in Symmes' U.S. Patent. In 1806, Congress ordered the old fort's 15 acres to be subdivided into town-lots and streets which would conform to the original town-plat of Cincinnati. The survey, certified on July 8, 1807, shows the boundaries of the old fort were: Fourth Street, on the north; Ludlow Street, on the east; the Ohio River, on the south; and Broadway, on the west. Riverfront Coliseum is built on part of the old Fort Washington grounds. - ----------------------------------- (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/ - ----------------------------------- ------------------------------ X-Message: #4 Date: Wed, 12 May 1999 15:01:31 -0400 From: Maggie Stewart-Zimmerman Subject: Ohio Lands [Part 5b] "Ohio Lands - A Short History" Part 5b The Virginia Military District (VMD), Connecticut Western Reserve (CWR) and United States Military District (USMD) all received school lands to use for the support of their schools. These federal grants were not located within the VMD or CWR because neither tract was under federal jurisdiction. The Virginia Military District school lands (105,600 acres) are found in Wayne, Holmes, Ashland, Richland, Crawford and Morrow Counties. The Connecticut Western Reserve (CWR) school lands are located in two different geographic areas of the state because two appropriations were made. Holmes and Tuscarawas counties have 56,000 acres of CWR school lands, while Williams, Defiance, Paulding, Putnam, Henry and Van Wert counties have 37,724.16 acres. The total land granted came to 93,724.16 acres. The United States Military District school land grants totalled 72,000 acres located in Guernsey, Coshocton, Muskingum, Licking, Morrow and Delaware counties. The Donation Tract, the Two Mile Square Reserve, the Moravian Tracts and French Grants were granted school lands either within the tracts or adjoining them. The United States government granted 704,204 acres for public school purposes in Ohio. The Acts of the Ohio Legislature relating to school lands and school funds, as well as the history of the school lands, would make a fascinating book. Unfortunately, only the highlights can be mentioned in this booklet. The Ohio Legislature passed its first act concerning school lands on April 15, 1803. The act provided for the leasing and administration of these lands. At first, school lands were leased for seven to 15 years with requirements that the lessee improve the property by clearing and fencing it, planting 100 apple trees, as well as other duties. In 1817 school lands were permitted to be leased for 99 years, renewable forever. By the Act of February 1, 1826, Congress consented to the state's request that it be permitted to sell school sections. However, the act required that the township's inhabitants would have to consent to the sale of the school section prior to any land being sold. The Ohio Legislature, on January 29, 1827, passed an act establishing the voting, appraisal, sale, and conveyance procedures to follow in the sale of section 16 school lands. School land sale proceeds were deposited into the Common School Fund, and interest on the principal paid to the schools within the original surveyed township, as required by the 1826 Congressional Act. Article VI, Section 1, Ohio Constitution 1851, protected the principal of all funds received for the sale, or other disposition of lands granted or entrusted to the state for educational or religious purposes. Ohio voters approved an amendment to this Article in 1968. The trust monies were then dispersed for educational purposes. School lands were administered by the trustees of the original surveyed townships until 1914. Unfortunately, their administration dissipated an asset that Congress had intended as a continuing endowment for education. The Auditor of State became responsible for the leasing of mineral rights in 1914. The Garver Act of 1917, made the Auditor of State the Supervisor of School and Ministerial Lands, in addition to his other duties. He maintained administrative control until August 1, 1985, when House Bill 201 (116th G.A.) transferred most of the duties of the Supervisor to the State's Director of Administrative Services. - ----------------------------------- (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/ - ----------------------------------- -------------------------------- End of OH-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest V99 Issue #297 *******************************************