MSS 243 Ohio Land Grant Papers

              14sS 243
Ohio Land Grant
Collecrion
2 cubic teer
standard Lnvenrory
Collection Synopsis
Provenance: The Ohio Historical Society acquired the Ohio Land Grant
Coilecrion as a gift from various sources over the pas: several decades
Specific informacior., as known, is available or recuesr. Peter Lundskow
processed the collection rn December 1984. Susan Kauffman updated tk.~
collection in 1998.
? roperty rights: The Ohio Hisrorical Society owns the property rights to this
coilection.
Copyright: The items in this ioliection are governmen" docum+ ts and
therefore, in the public doma~ n. No copyright restrictions apply.
.\ ccess: Access to this collection is restricted. Manuscripts Department
supervision is required when ; sing this collection.
Citation: Researchers are requested to cite collecrio~ name, colirctiac
nlcmoer, and tb. e Ohlo Hisroricsl Sociec!~ in ail fcocnote and biblicgrapF, ic
-? efer-.<,-.., n- - s.
. n. l , storical skerch: The Ohio Land Grants in this collection were either gi..? n
by presidenrial proclamation to citize?.~ who had served in nilitary service
for rhe Unired Stares, their heirs and assignees, or purchased in public
sales by U. S. citizens. In 1796 an Acr of Congress designared 2.5 million
acres east of the Scioto River in che cenrral part of the Northwest Terrizory
as " United States Military Lands" for che purpose of paying Concinenral
officers and soldiers for their services. In 1847, 1850, and 1855 Congress
passed other land gran'c acts for the purpose of paying officers and soldiers
. o,- c f- s steh3e Waanr acotf i1n8 i128.2 W0i, t ho pecnoinncge rtnh ea bnoourtt htwhees ts eclolri- negr ooff FOehdieor, a l sulravnedysi, n gC ontghree ss
area inro six square mile totaships at the expense of the Tederal goverLment
and sellirig then: directly ro sertlers. Finaliy, in 1862, Congress passed
legislation allowing land to be sold ro persons who would use the land ro
jL.-.; L ; d and organize institutions for higher educarion.
S- ources: Ohio Land Grants, Pre- pared for the Schools of Chio, by Thomas E. ; erguson, Auditor of State, 1980. Ohio Land Grants Collection, MSS 243, Okio .. . slsrcrrcal Sociecy.
Scope and content: The Chio Land Gra7. t Collectioz dates from 1796 to 168C
and occupies two cubic feet. The granzs document the ownershrp of lands given
by presidential decr~ e either for military services rendered or when boug5. r
by individuais. The material. is arranged in chronolog~ cal order and
alphabetically by surname of originai grancee thereunder. Whiie early land
grants carry authentic presidential signatures, after 1833 ( during the
achir, inistration of hdrew Jackson) secretaries almost exclusIve? y signed for
A i presidenr. The documents also lisr ail persons who had title to zhe grant
5rox the time the land originally was deeded unlil the time the grant was
siqned, and in what manner ic was passed fron one person to another. Each
document contains a description of the location and boundaries of the land,
usually recorded in relation to narurai land formations and trees. Of nore on
the reverse of three of the grants signed by Thomas Je: ferson are small r. aps
drawn to show the location of the property.
OHIO HISTORICAL SOCIETY
1982 Velma Avenue. Coiumhui. Ohio 43211- 2497 ph: 61i297.2300 fx: 614.297.2411
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