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 local indigenous people. Congress gave 100-acre (0.40 km2) lots to men who settled on the land. This marked the first time that federal land was given without charge to specified settlers, predating the more famous Homestead Act of 1862 by seventy years.
The Donation Tract is the green area in the upper right
The Ohio Company petitioned Congress in March, 1792 to donate some land along the north boundary of their lands to form a buffer against the Indians. With the Act of April 21, 1792,[3] Congress donated 100,000 acres (400 km2) to the officers of the Company.[1] The land was to be conveyed in lots of 100 acres (0.40 km2), free of expense, to each male of at least 18 years of age who settled on the land.[2] The Donation Tract is in parts of modern day Adams, Fearing, Salem, Muskingum, Palmer, Waterford, and Watertown Township in Washington County, and Windsor Township in Morgan County.[1] The land was divided into “allotments”, and each allotment was further divided into 100-acre (0.40 km2) lots. These lots did not follow the usual surveying plan of survey townships and one square mile sections. That part of the tract that was not conveyed by the Company to settlers within five years was to be returned to the federal government. However, nothing was done about the unsold lots until an act in 1818,[4] when Congress required their return so they could be sold by the Marietta Land Office.[1][2] After settlement of the Donation Tract, the Ohio Company did not suffer another raid as large as the Big Bottom Massacre.
donation, tract, land, tract, southern, ohio, that, established, congress, late, 18th, century, buffer, ohio, company, lands, against, local, indigenous, people, congress, gave, acre, lots, settled, land, this, marked, first, time, that, federal, land, given, . 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 local indigenous people Congress gave 100 acre 0 40 km2 lots to men who settled on the land This marked the first time that federal land was given without charge to specified settlers predating the more famous Homestead Act of 1862 by seventy years The Donation Tract lies in southern Ohio Contents 1 Background 2 Congressional donation 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksBackground EditThe Ohio Company of Associates also known as the Ohio Company was a land company that was formed on March 3 1786 by General Rufus Putnam Benjamin Tupper Samuel Holden Parsons and Manasseh Cutler who had met in Boston Massachusetts to discuss the settlement of the territory around the Ohio River They convinced Congress to sell the company a tract at the confluence of the Muskingum River and the Ohio River Settlement began at the newly formed town of Marietta Ohio in April 1788 Indians objected to this incursion on their homeland leading to the War of 1790 1 Most of the troops in Fort Harmar near Marietta were transferred to Fort Washington to protect Cincinnati so settlers ended up having to defend themselves at the expense of the Ohio Company 2 Wyandots killed settlers in the Big Bottom massacre of Jan 2 1791 in present day Morgan County 1 Congressional donation Edit The Donation Tract is the green area in the upper right The Ohio Company petitioned Congress in March 1792 to donate some land along the north boundary of their lands to form a buffer against the Indians With the Act of April 21 1792 3 Congress donated 100 000 acres 400 km2 to the officers of the Company 1 The land was to be conveyed in lots of 100 acres 0 40 km2 free of expense to each male of at least 18 years of age who settled on the land 2 The Donation Tract is in parts of modern day Adams Fearing Salem Muskingum Palmer Waterford and Watertown Township in Washington County and Windsor Township in Morgan County 1 The land was divided into allotments and each allotment was further divided into 100 acre 0 40 km2 lots These lots did not follow the usual surveying plan of survey townships and one square mile sections That part of the tract that was not conveyed by the Company to settlers within five years was to be returned to the federal government However nothing was done about the unsold lots until an act in 1818 4 when Congress required their return so they could be sold by the Marietta Land Office 1 2 After settlement of the Donation Tract the Ohio Company did not suffer another raid as large as the Big Bottom Massacre See also EditOhio Lands Historic regions of the United StatesReferences Edit a b c d e Knepper George W 2002 The Official Ohio Lands Book PDF The Auditor of the State of Ohio p 30 a b c Peters William E 1918 Ohio Lands and Their Subdivision W E Peters pp 259 264 6 Stat 8 Text of Act of April 21 1792 Library of Congress 3 Stat 409 Text of Act of March 18 1818 Library of CongressExternal links EditOhio History Central Donation TractCoordinates 39 33 55 N 81 34 40 W 39 56528 N 81 57778 W 39 56528 81 57778 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Donation Tract amp oldid 1104860263, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
