Congress Lands East of Scioto River
Encyclopedia
The Congress Lands East of Scioto River was a land tract in southern Ohio
that was established by the Congress late in the 18th century. It is located south of the United States Military District
and Refugee Tract
, west of the Old Seven Ranges, east of the Virginia Military District
and north of the Ohio River
, French Grant
, and the Ohio Company of Associates
.
from France
following the 1763 Treaty of Paris
, the Ohio Country
had been closed to white settlement by the Proclamation of 1763. The United States claimed the region after the 1783 Treaty of Paris
that ended the American Revolutionary War
. The Congress
passed the Land Ordinance of 1785
as a formal means of surveying, selling, and settling the land and raising revenue. Land was to be systematically surveyed into square "townships"
, six miles (9.656 km) on a side created by lines running north-south intersected by east-west lines. Townships were to be arranged in north-south rows called ranges. These townships were sub-divided into thirty-six "sections"
of one square mile (2.59 km²) or 640 acres. These ranges, townships, and sections were to be systematically numbered.
The first north-south line, Eastern Ohio Meridian
, was to be the western boundary of Pennsylvania, sometimes called Ellicott‘s Line after Andrew Ellicott
, who had been in charge of surveying it, and the first east-west line (called the Geographer’s Line or Base Line
) was to begin where the Pennsylvania boundary touched the north bank of the Ohio River, the Beginning Point of the U.S. Public Land Survey
40°38′33"N 80°31′10"W. The Geographer’s Line was to extend westward through “the whole territory” which at that time was meant to include lands lying between the Ohio River and Lake Erie.
A problem with this plan was that Connecticut
had a claim on lands north of the 41st parallel north
latitude. Thus, on May 9, 1786 , Congress instructed Thomas Hutchins
, Geographer of the United States, to continue his survey only south of the Geographers line. Hutchins group completed surveying seven ranges by 1787, and presented plats to Congress in 1788 for the tract that became known as the Seven Ranges
.
In 1784, Congress granted a tract of land west of the Scioto River to the state of Virginia
for land grants to their American Revolutionary War
veterans, known as the Virginia Military District
.
The Ohio Company of Associates
purchased a land tract adjacent to the west of the Seven Ranges in 1787, and began settlement and surveying in 1788. In 1792 Congress donated a tract of land to the company known as the Donation Tract
, and the company purchased additional lands known as the Second Purchase or Purchase on the Muskingum
.
In 1795, Congress granted a land tract adjacent to the Ohio River, in far southern Ohio located between the Scioto River and the Ohio Company lands, to French Immigrants who had been defrauded. This became known as the French Grant
.
On June 1, 1796, Congress created the United States Military District
, sometimes called the USMD Lands, or USMD Survey. The district was west of the Old Seven Ranges, east of the Scioto River
, and south of the Greenville Treaty Line.
Beginning in 1801, a strip of 103527 acres (419 km²) along the north edge of the tract was donated by Congress to refugees from Canada
that became known as the Refugee Tract
.
. The Land Act of May 10, 1800 established a Land Office and Land District at Chillicothe
for sales of those lands in the 16th range and points west, and a land district at Marietta
for sales of lands in the 15th range and points east. The Act of March 3, 1803 established a new land district at Zanesville
for the lands in the 15th and eastward ranges. Sales were also conducted from the nation’s capital at the General Land Office
. Local offices were eventually closed. The State of Ohio also eventually sold lands granted to them by the federal government, such as section 16 of each township
, and the Salt Reservations
.
, Franklin
, Gallia
, Guernsey
, Hocking
, Jackson
, Lawrence
, Morgan
, Muskingum
, Noble
, Perry
, Pickaway
, Pike
, Ross
, Scioto
, Vinton
, and Washington
.
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
that was established by the Congress late in the 18th century. It is located south of the United States Military District
United States Military District
The United States Military District was a land tract in central Ohio that was established by the Congress to compensate veterans of the American Revolutionary War for their service...
and Refugee Tract
Refugee Tract
The Refugee Tract is an area of land in Ohio, United States granted to people from British Canada who left home prior to July 4, 1776, stayed in the US until November 25, 1783 continuously, and aided the revolutionary cause.-Location:...
, west of the Old Seven Ranges, east of the Virginia Military District
Virginia Military District
The Virginia Military District was an approximately 4.2 million acre area of land in what is now the state of Ohio that was reserved by Virginia to use as payment for veterans of the American Revolutionary War....
and north of the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
, French Grant
French Grant
thumb|The proposed purchase by the Scioto Company is shown in red. The proposed purchase by the [[Ohio Company of Associates|Ohio Company]] is in blue. The final purchase by the Ohio Company is in green...
, and the Ohio Company of Associates
Ohio Company of Associates
The Ohio Company of Associates, also known as the Ohio Company, was a land company which is today credited with becoming the first non-American Indian group to settle in the present-day state of Ohio...
.
History
Acquired by Great BritainGreat Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
following the 1763 Treaty of Paris
Treaty of Paris (1763)
The Treaty of Paris, often called the Peace of Paris, or the Treaty of 1763, was signed on 10 February 1763, by the kingdoms of Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement. It ended the French and Indian War/Seven Years' War...
, the Ohio Country
Ohio Country
The Ohio Country was the name used in the 18th century for the regions of North America west of the Appalachian Mountains and in the region of the upper Ohio River south of Lake Erie...
had been closed to white settlement by the Proclamation of 1763. The United States claimed the region after the 1783 Treaty of Paris
Treaty of Paris (1783)
The Treaty of Paris, signed on September 3, 1783, ended the American Revolutionary War between Great Britain on the one hand and the United States of America and its allies on the other. The other combatant nations, France, Spain and the Dutch Republic had separate agreements; for details of...
that ended the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. The Congress
Congress of the Confederation
The Congress of the Confederation or the United States in Congress Assembled was the governing body of the United States of America that existed from March 1, 1781, to March 4, 1789. It comprised delegates appointed by the legislatures of the states. It was the immediate successor to the Second...
passed the Land Ordinance of 1785
Land Ordinance of 1785
The Land Ordinance of 1785 was adopted by the United States Congress on May 20, 1785. Under the Articles of Confederation, Congress did not have the power to raise revenue by direct taxation of the inhabitants of the United States...
as a formal means of surveying, selling, and settling the land and raising revenue. Land was to be systematically surveyed into square "townships"
Survey township
Survey township, sometimes called Congressional township, as used by the United States Public Land Survey System, refers to a square unit of land, that is nominally six miles on a side...
, six miles (9.656 km) on a side created by lines running north-south intersected by east-west lines. Townships were to be arranged in north-south rows called ranges. These townships were sub-divided into thirty-six "sections"
Section (United States land surveying)
In U.S. land surveying under the Public Land Survey System , a section is an area nominally one square mile, containing , with 36 sections making up one survey township on a rectangular grid....
of one square mile (2.59 km²) or 640 acres. These ranges, townships, and sections were to be systematically numbered.
The first north-south line, Eastern Ohio Meridian
Meridian (geography)
A meridian is an imaginary line on the Earth's surface from the North Pole to the South Pole that connects all locations along it with a given longitude. The position of a point along the meridian is given by its latitude. Each meridian is perpendicular to all circles of latitude...
, was to be the western boundary of Pennsylvania, sometimes called Ellicott‘s Line after Andrew Ellicott
Andrew Ellicott
Andrew Ellicott was a U.S. surveyor who helped map many of the territories west of the Appalachians, surveyed the boundaries of the District of Columbia, continued and completed Pierre Charles L'Enfant's work on the plan for Washington, D.C., and served as a teacher in survey methods for...
, who had been in charge of surveying it, and the first east-west line (called the Geographer’s Line or Base Line
Baseline (surveying)
In the United States Public Land Survey System, a baseline is the principal east-west line that divides survey townships between north and south. The baseline meets its corresponding meridian at the point of origin, or initial point, for the land survey...
) was to begin where the Pennsylvania boundary touched the north bank of the Ohio River, the Beginning Point of the U.S. Public Land Survey
Beginning Point of the U.S. Public Land Survey
The Beginning Point of the U.S. Public Land Survey is a monument at the border between the U.S. states of Ohio and Pennsylvania, on the north side of the Ohio River. It is near the three-way intersection of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and the northern tip of West Virginia, in both the Pittsburgh...
40°38′33"N 80°31′10"W. The Geographer’s Line was to extend westward through “the whole territory” which at that time was meant to include lands lying between the Ohio River and Lake Erie.
A problem with this plan was that Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
had a claim on lands north of the 41st parallel north
41st parallel north
The 41st parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 41 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean....
latitude. Thus, on May 9, 1786 , Congress instructed Thomas Hutchins
Thomas Hutchins
Thomas Hutchins was an American military engineer, cartographer, geographer and surveyor.He joined the militia during the French and Indian War and later took a regular commission with British forces...
, Geographer of the United States, to continue his survey only south of the Geographers line. Hutchins group completed surveying seven ranges by 1787, and presented plats to Congress in 1788 for the tract that became known as the Seven Ranges
Seven Ranges
The Seven Ranges was a land tract in eastern Ohio that was the first tract to be surveyed in what became the Public Land Survey System. The tract is across the northern edge, on the western edge, with the south and east sides along the Ohio River...
.
In 1784, Congress granted a tract of land west of the Scioto River to the state of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
for land grants to their American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
veterans, known as the Virginia Military District
Virginia Military District
The Virginia Military District was an approximately 4.2 million acre area of land in what is now the state of Ohio that was reserved by Virginia to use as payment for veterans of the American Revolutionary War....
.
The Ohio Company of Associates
Ohio Company of Associates
The Ohio Company of Associates, also known as the Ohio Company, was a land company which is today credited with becoming the first non-American Indian group to settle in the present-day state of Ohio...
purchased a land tract adjacent to the west of the Seven Ranges in 1787, and began settlement and surveying in 1788. In 1792 Congress donated a tract of land to the company known as the Donation Tract
Donation Tract
The Donation Tract was a land tract in southern Ohio that was established by the Congress late in the 18th century to buffer Ohio Company lands against Indians. Congress gave lots to men who settled on the land...
, and the company purchased additional lands known as the Second Purchase or Purchase on the Muskingum
Purchase on the Muskingum
The Purchase on the Muskingum also called Ohio Company’s Second Purchase, was a tract of land in the Northwest Territory, later Ohio, that the Ohio Company of Associates purchased from the United States federal government in 1792.-History:...
.
In 1795, Congress granted a land tract adjacent to the Ohio River, in far southern Ohio located between the Scioto River and the Ohio Company lands, to French Immigrants who had been defrauded. This became known as the French Grant
French Grant
thumb|The proposed purchase by the Scioto Company is shown in red. The proposed purchase by the [[Ohio Company of Associates|Ohio Company]] is in blue. The final purchase by the Ohio Company is in green...
.
On June 1, 1796, Congress created the United States Military District
United States Military District
The United States Military District was a land tract in central Ohio that was established by the Congress to compensate veterans of the American Revolutionary War for their service...
, sometimes called the USMD Lands, or USMD Survey. The district was west of the Old Seven Ranges, east of the Scioto River
Scioto River
The Scioto River is a river in central and southern Ohio more than 231 miles in length. It rises in Auglaize County in west central Ohio, flows through Columbus, Ohio, where it collects its largest tributary, the Olentangy River, and meets the Ohio River at Portsmouth...
, and south of the Greenville Treaty Line.
The survey
After the previously mentioned surveys, an un-surveyed tract of land in southern Ohio remained east of the Scioto River. In that tract, lands were surveyed starting in 1799 under the Act of May 18, 1796. The ranges and townships followed those of the original Seven Ranges, ranges being numbered westward from Pennsylvania, and townships within each range numbered from south to north starting at the Ohio River, known as the Ohio River Base, and some in ranges 22 and 23 from the Scioto River, the Scioto River Base Surveys, thus having townships in adjacent ranges with different numbers. Sections were numbered according to the 1796 pattern. A number of irregularities in applying the system occur due to surveying errors, multiple surveys and erratic numbering.Beginning in 1801, a strip of 103527 acres (419 km²) along the north edge of the tract was donated by Congress to refugees from Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
that became known as the Refugee Tract
Refugee Tract
The Refugee Tract is an area of land in Ohio, United States granted to people from British Canada who left home prior to July 4, 1776, stayed in the US until November 25, 1783 continuously, and aided the revolutionary cause.-Location:...
.
Land sales
Section 4 of the Land Act of May 18, 1796 provided that the lands in the survey area be sold at “Pittsburg”Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
. The Land Act of May 10, 1800 established a Land Office and Land District at Chillicothe
Chillicothe, Ohio
Chillicothe is a city in and the county seat of Ross County, Ohio, United States.Chillicothe was the first and third capital of Ohio and is located in southern Ohio along the Scioto River. The name comes from the Shawnee name Chalahgawtha, meaning "principal town", as it was a major settlement of...
for sales of those lands in the 16th range and points west, and a land district at Marietta
Marietta, Ohio
Marietta is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Ohio, United States. During 1788, pioneers to the Ohio Country established Marietta as the first permanent American settlement of the new United States in the Northwest Territory. Marietta is located in southeastern Ohio at the mouth...
for sales of lands in the 15th range and points east. The Act of March 3, 1803 established a new land district at Zanesville
Zanesville, Ohio
Zanesville is a city in and the county seat of Muskingum County, Ohio, United States. The population was 25,586 at the 2000 census.Zanesville was named after Ebenezer Zane, who had constructed Zane's Trace, a pioneer road through present-day Ohio...
for the lands in the 15th and eastward ranges. Sales were also conducted from the nation’s capital at the General Land Office
General Land Office
The General Land Office was an independent agency of the United States government responsible for public domain lands in the United States. It was created in 1812 to take over functions previously conducted by the United States Department of the Treasury...
. Local offices were eventually closed. The State of Ohio also eventually sold lands granted to them by the federal government, such as section 16 of each township
School Lands
The School Lands are part of the Ohio Lands, comprising land grants in Ohio from the United States federal government for public schools. Support for public education in the United States predates the constitution; two years before the adoption of the United States Constitution of 1787, the...
, and the Salt Reservations
Salt Reservations
The Salt Reservations were a collection of land tracts surrounding salt springs in Ohio and some other states that were donated to the states by the federal government early in the 19th century....
.
Modern times
The survey in Ohio in modern times includes more than 3500000 acres (14,164 km²) in all or parts of these counties: FairfieldFairfield County, Ohio
Fairfield County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of 2010, the population was 146,156. Its county seat is Lancaster. Its name is a reference to the Fairfield area of the original Lancaster....
, Franklin
Franklin County, Ohio
Franklin County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. In 2010 the population was 1,163,414, making it the second largest county in Ohio and the 34th largest county in population in the United States. Franklin County is also the largest in the eight-county Columbus, Ohio...
, Gallia
Gallia County, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 31,069 people, 12,060 households, and 8,586 families residing in the county. The population density was 66 people per square mile . There were 13,498 housing units at an average density of 29 per square mile...
, Guernsey
Guernsey County, Ohio
Guernsey County is a county located in the state of Ohio. As of 2010, the population was 40,087. Its county seat is Cambridge and is named for the Isle of Guernsey in the English Channel, from which many of the county's early settlers came....
, Hocking
Hocking County, Ohio
Hocking County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of 2010, the population was 29,380. Its county seat is Logan. Its name is from the Hocking River, the origins of which are disputed but is said to be a Delaware Indian word meaning "bottle river".-Geography:According to the...
, Jackson
Jackson County, Ohio
Jackson County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of 2010, the population was 33,225. Its county seat is Jackson and is named for Andrew Jackson, a hero of the War of 1812 who was subsequently elected President of the United States....
, Lawrence
Lawrence County, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 62,319 people, 24,732 households, and 17,807 families residing in the county. The population density was 137 people per square mile . There were 27,189 housing units at an average density of 60 per square mile...
, Morgan
Morgan County, Ohio
**----...
, Muskingum
Muskingum County, Ohio
Muskingum County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 86,074. Its county seat is Zanesville...
, Noble
Noble County, Ohio
Noble County is a county located in the state of Ohio. As of the 2010 census, the population was 14,645. Its county seat is Caldwell. Noble County is named for Rep. Warren P. Noble of the Ohio House of Representatives, who was an early settler there.-History:...
, Perry
Perry County, Ohio
Perry County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. Founded on March 1, 1818, it was the 55th county to be formed in Ohio. Portions of Fairfield, Washington and Muskingum Counties were taken to create Perry County. As of the 2010 census, the population was 36,058. Its county seat...
, Pickaway
Pickaway County, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 52,727 people, 17,599 households, and 13,287 families residing in the county. The population density was 105 people per square mile . There were 18,596 housing units at an average density of 37 per square mile...
, Pike
Pike County, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 27,695 people, 10,444 households, and 7,665 families residing in the county. The population density was 63 people per square mile . There were 11,602 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile...
, Ross
Ross County, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 73,345 people, 27,136 households, and 19,185 families residing in the county. The population density was 106 people per square mile . There were 29,461 housing units at an average density of 43 per square mile...
, Scioto
Scioto County, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 79,195 people, 30,871 households, and 21,362 families residing in the county. The population density was 129 people per square mile . There were 34,054 housing units at an average density of 56 per square mile...
, Vinton
Vinton County, Ohio
Vinton County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 13,435. , the least populous in the state. Its county seat is McArthur. The county is named for Samuel Finley Vinton, a 19th-century United States Congressman from...
, and Washington
Washington County, Ohio
Washington County is a county located in the state of Ohio. As of the 2010 census, the population was 61,778. Its county seat is Marietta. The county, the oldest in the state, is named for George Washington. Washington County is included in the Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna, West Virginia-Ohio...
.