Chapter 6

PUBLIC LANDS.

System of Surveys.--Meridian and Base Lines.--Townships.--Diagram of a township surveyed into Sections.--Land Districts and Offices. --Pre-emption rights.--Military Bounty Lands.--Taxes.--Valuable Tracts of country unsettled.

In all the new states and territories, the lands which are owned by the general government, are surveyed and sold under one general system. Several offices, each under the direction of a surveyor general, have been established by acts of Congress, and districts, embracing one or more states, assigned them. The office for the surveys of all public lands in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, and the Wisconsin country is located at Cincinnati. The one including the states of Illinois and Missouri, and the territory of Arkansas is at St. Louis. Deputy surveyors are employed to do the work at a stipulated rate per mile, generally from three to four dollars, who employ chain bearers, an axe, and flag man, and a camp-keeper. They are exposed to great fatigue and hardship, spending two or three months at a time in the woods and prairies, with slight, moveable camps for shelter.

In the surveys, "_meridian_" lines are first established, running north from the mouth of some noted river. These are intersected with "_base_" lines.

There are five principal meridians in the land surveys in the west.

The "_First Principal Meridian_" is a line due north from the mouth of the Miami.

The "_Second Principal Meridian_" is a line due north from the mouth of Little Blue river, in Indiana.

The "_Third Principal Meridian_" is a line due north from the mouth of the Ohio.

The "_Fourth Principal Meridian_" is a line due north from the mouth of the Illinois.

The "_Fifth Principal Meridian_" is a line due north from the mouth of the Arkansas. Another Meridian is used for Michigan, which passes through the central part of the state. Its base line extends from about the middle of lake St. Clair, across the state west to lake Michigan. Each of these meridians has its own base line.

The surveys connected with the third and fourth meridians, and a small portion of the second, embrace the state of Illinois.

The base line for both the second and third principal meridians commences at Diamond Island, in Ohio, opposite Indiana, and runs due west till it strikes the Mississippi, a few miles below St. Louis.

All the _townships_ in Illinois, south and east of the Illinois river, are numbered from this base line either north or south.

The third principal meridian terminates with the northern boundary of the state.

The fourth principal meridian commences in in the centre of the channel, and at the mouth of the Illinois river, but immediately crosses to the _east_ shore, and passes up on that side, (and at one place nearly fourteen miles distant) to a point in the channel of the river, seventy-two miles from its mouth. Here its base line commences and extends across the peninsula to the Mississippi, a short distance above Quincy. The fourth principal meridian is continued northward through the military tract, and across Rock river, to a curve in the Mississippi at the upper rapids, in township eighteen north, and about twelve or fifteen miles above Rock Island. It here crosses and passes up the _west_ side of the Mississippi river fifty-three miles, and recrosses into Illinois, and passes through the town of Galena to the northern boundary of the state. It is thence continued to the Wisconsin river and made the principal meridian for the surveys of the territory, while the northern boundary line of the state is constituted its base line for that region.

Having formed a principal meridian with its corresponding base line, for a district of country, the next operation of the surveyor is to divide this into tracts of six miles square, called "_townships_."

In numbering the townships _east_ or _west_ from a principal meridian, they are called "_ranges_," meaning a range of townships; but in numbering _north_ or _south_ from a base line, they are called "_townships_." Thus a tract of land is said to be situated in township four north in range three east, from the third principal meridian; or as the case may be.

Townships are subdivided into square miles, or tracts of 640 acres each, called "_sections_." If near timber, trees are marked and numbered with the section, township, and range, near each sectional corner. If in a large prairie, a mound is raised to designate the corner, and a billet of charred wood buried, if no rock is near. Sections are divided into halves by a line north and south, and into quarters by a transverse line. In sales under certain conditions, quarters are sold in equal subdivisions of forty acres each, at one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre. Any person, whether a native born citizen, or a foreigner, may purchase forty acres of the richest soil, and receive an indisputable title, for fifty dollars.

_Ranges_ are townships counted either east or west from meridians.

_Townships_ are counted either north or south from their respective base lines.

_Fractions_, are parts of quarter sections intersected by streams or confirmed claims.

The parts of townships, sections, quarters, &c. made at the lines of either townships or meridians are called _excesses_ or _deficiencies_.

_Sections_, or miles square are numbered, beginning in the northeast corner of the township, progressively west to the range line, and then progressively east to the range line, alternately, terminating at the southeast corner of the township, from one to thirty-six, as in the following diagram:

+------+------+------+------+------+------+ | | | | | | | | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | +------+------+------+------+------+------+ | | | | | | | | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | | | | | | | | +------+------+------+------+------+------+ | | | | | | | | 18 | 17 | 16[A]| 15 | 14 | 13 | | | | | | | | +------+------+------+------+------+------+ | | | | | | | | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | | | | | | | | +------+------+------+------+------+------+ | | | | | | | | 30 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 25 | | | | | | | | +------+------+------+------+------+------+ | | | | | | | | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | | | | | | | | +------+------+------+------+------+------+ [A] Appropriated for schools in the township.

I have been thus particular in this account of the surveys of public lands, to exhibit the simplicity of a system, that to strangers, unacquainted with the method of numbering the sections, and the various subdivisions, appears perplexing and confused.

All the lands of Congress owned in Ohio have been surveyed, and with the exceptions of some Indian reservations, have been brought into market. In Indiana, all the lands purchased of the Indians have been surveyed, and with the exception of about ninety townships and fractional townships, have been offered for sale. These, amounting to about two millions of acres, will be offered for sale the present year. In Michigan, nearly all the ceded lands have been surveyed and brought into market. The unsurveyed portion is situated in the neighborhood of Saginaw bay; a part of which may be ready for market within the current year.

In the Wisconsin Territory, west of lake Michigan, all the lands in the Wisconsin district, which lies between the state of Illinois and the Wisconsin river, have been surveyed; and in addition to the lands already offered for sale in the Green Bay district, about 65 townships, and fractional townships, have been surveyed and are ready for market. The surveys of the whole country west of lake Michigan and south of the Wisconsin river, in Illinois and Wisconsin territory, will soon be surveyed and in market. Here are many millions of the finest lands on earth, lying along the Des Pleines, Fox, and Rock rivers, and their tributaries, well watered, rich soil, a healthy atmosphere, and facilities to market. A temporary scarcity of timber in some parts of this region will retard settlements, for a time; but this difficulty will be obviated, by the rapidity with which prairie land turns to a timbered region, wherever, by contiguous settlements, the wild grass becomes subdued, and by the discovery of coal beds. Much of it is a mineral region. In Illinois, the surveys are now completed in the Danville district, and in the southern part of the Chicago district. They are nearly completed along Rock river and the Mississippi. The unsurveyed portion is along Fox river, Des Pleines and the shore of lake Michigan, in the north-eastern part of the state. Emigrants, however, do not wait for surveys and sales. They are settling over this fine portion of the state, in anticipation of purchases. In Missouri, besides the former surveys, the exterior lines of 138 townships, and the subdivision into sections and quarters, 30 townships in the northern part of the state, and contracts for running the exterior lines of 189 townships on the waters of the Osage and Grand rivers have been made. A large portion of this state is now surveyed and in market. Surveys are progressing in Arkansas, and large bodies of land are proclaimed for sale in that district.

I have no data before me that will enable me definitely to show the amount of public lands now remaining unsold, in each land office district. In another place I have already given an estimate of the amount of public lands, within the organized states and territories, remaining unsold, compared with the amount sold in past years.

The following table exhibits the number of acres sold in the districts embraced more immediately within the range of this Guide, for 1834, and the three first quarters of 1835, with the names of each district in each state. It is constructed from the Report of the Commissioner of the General Land Office to the Treasury Department, December 5th, 1835. The sales of the last quarter of 1835, in Illinois, and probably in the other states, greatly exceeded either the other quarters, and which will be exhibited in the annual report of the Commissioner in December, 1836.

_Statement of the amount of Public Lands, sold at the several Land Offices in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Missouri, and Arkansas, in 1834._

=====================+============== | _Acres and LAND OFFICES. | hundredths_ ---------------------+-------------- OHIO.

Marietta district, 11,999.52 Zanesville do 33,877.23 Steubenville, do 4,349.19 Chillicothe, do 21,309.32 Cincinnati, do 27,369.52 Wooster, do 9,448.77 Wapaghkonetta do 125,417.13 Bucyrus do 245,078.56 ---------- Total for the State, 478,847.24

INDIANA.

Jeffersonville district. 67,826.11 Vincennes do 56,765.80 Indianopolis do 204,526.63 Crawfordsville do 161,477.87 Fort Wayne do 96,350.30 La Porte do 86,709.73 ---------- Total for the State, 673,656.44

ILLINOIS.

Shawneetown district. 6,904.24 Kaskaskia do 15,196.52 Edwardsville do 124,302.19 Vandalia do 20,207.61 Palestine do 22,135.69 Springfield do 66,804.25 Danville do 62,331.38 Quincy do 36,131.59 ---------- Total for the State, 354,013.47

MICHIGAN TERRITORY

Detroit district. 136,410.69 Monroe do 233,768.30 White Pigeon Prairie } Bronson do } 128,244.47 ---------- Total for the Territory 498,423.46

WISCONSIN TERRITORY.

Mineral Point dist. 14,336.67

MISSOURI.

St. Louis district. 43,634.68 Fayette do 71,049.74 Palmyra do 76,241.35 Jackson do 18,882.11 Lexington do 43,983.80 ---------- Total for the State, 253,791.70

ARKANSAS TERRITORY.

Batesville district. 8,051.31 Little Rock do 25,799.74 Washington do 65,145.88 Fayetteville do 24,514.94 Helena do 26,244.59 ---------- Total for the Territory 149,756.46

_Statement of the amount of Public Lands, sold at the several Land Offices in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Missouri, and Arkansas, from January 1st, to September 30th, 1835, including nine months._

=====================+============= | _Acres and LAND OFFICES. | hundredths_ ---------------------+-------------

OHIO.

Marietta Dist. 11,012.98 Zanesville do 42,978.36 Steubenville do 3,649.29 Chillicothe do 12,586.87 Cincinnati do 20,105.76 Wooster do 5,157.68 Wapaghkonetta} and Lima, } do 103,020.23 Bucyrus do 154,706.63 ---------- Total for the State, 353,217.80

INDIANA.

Jeffersonville Dist. 44,634.81 Vincennes do 70,903.62 Indianapolis do 158,786.68 Crawfordsville do 108,055.22 Fort Wayne do 148,864.28 La Porte do 227,702.35 ---------- Total for the State, 758,946.96

ILLINOIS.

Shawneetown Dist. 5,754.08 Kaskaskia do 13,814.38 Edwardsville do 123,638.07 Vandalia do 16,253.46 Palestine do 14,088.01 Springfield do 316,966.70 Danville do 94,491.35 Quincy do [A]40,274.58 Galena do [B]262,152.73 Chicago do 333,405.73 ------------ Total for the State, 1,220,838.76

MICHIGAN.

Detroit Dist. 213,763.57 Brownson do 400,722.48 Monroe do 446,631.61 ------------ Total for Michigan} proper, } 1,061,127.66

WISCONSIN.

Mineral Point Dist. 67,052.55 Green Bay do 68,365.53 ---------- Total for Wisconsin} Territory, } 135,418.08

MISSOURI.

St. Louis Dist. 32,914.57 Fayette do 55,839.58 Palmyra do 101,018.00 Jackson do 28,995.19 Lexington do 42,801.45 Springfield do 320.00 ---------- Total for the State, 261,888.79

ARKANSAS.

Batesville Dist. 2,021.22 Little Rock do 22,291.92 Washington do 43,360.81 Fayetteville do 8,723.72 Helena do 312,169.09 ---------- Total for the Territory 388,566.76

[A] Returns only to May 31st.

[B] Returns only to July 31st. Since those periods, sales at these Offices have been immense

The reader will perceive that the sales of the three first quarters of 1835, almost doubled those of the whole year of 1834. The inquiry was often made of the writer, while travelling in the Atlantic states in the summer of 1835, whether there was still opportunity for emigrants to purchase public lands in Indiana, Illinois, &c. where land offices had been opened for sale of lands many years. He found almost everywhere, wrong notions prevailing. The people were not aware of the immense extent of the public domain now in market, and ready to be sold at _one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre_, and even in as small tracts as forty acres. Take for example, the Edwardsville district, in which the writer resides. It extends south to the base line, east to the third principal meridian, north to the line that separates townships 13 and 14 north, and west to the Illinois and Mississippi rivers, and embraces all the counties of Madison, Clinton, Bond, Montgomery, Macouper, and Greene, a tier of townships on the south side of Morgan and Sangamon, five and a half townships from Fayette, and about half of St. Clair county. The lands for a part of this district have been in market for 18 or 20 years;--it contains some of the oldest American settlements in the state, and has also a number of confined claims never offered for sale. And yet the receiver of this office informed me in November last, that he had just made returns of all the lands sold in this district, and they amounted to just _one third_ of the whole quantity. Every man, therefore, may take it for granted that there will be land enough in market in all the new states, for his use, during the present generation. These are facts that should be known to all classes. The mania of land speculation and of monopolists would soon subside, were those concerned to sit down coolly, and after ascertaining the amount of public lands now in market, with the vast additional quantity that must soon come into market, use a few figures in common arithmetic, with the probable amount of emigration, and ascertain the probable extent of the demand for this article at any future period.

The following information is necessary for those who are not acquainted with our land system.

In each land office there are a Register and Receiver, appointed by the President and Senate for the term of four years, and paid by the government.

After being surveyed, the land, by proclamation of the President, is offered for sale at public auction by half quarter sections, or tracts of 80 acres. If no one bids for it at one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre, or more, it is subject to private entry at any time after, upon payment of $1.25 cents per acre at the time of entry. _No credit in any case is allowed._

In many cases, Congress, by special statute, has granted to actual settlers, pre-emption rights, where settlements and improvements have been made on public lands previous to public sale.

_Pre-emption rights_ confer the privilege only of purchasing the tract containing improvements at one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre, by the possessor, without the risk of a public sale.

In Illinois and several other western states, all lands purchased of the general government, are exempted from taxation for five years after purchase.

_Military Bounty lands._--These lands were surveyed and appropriated as bounties to the soldiers in the war with Great Britain in 1812-'15, to encourage enlistments. The selections were made in Illinois, Missouri, and Arkansas. The Bounty lands of Illinois lie between the Illinois and Mississippi rivers, in the counties of Calhoun, Pike, Adams, Schuyler, Macdonough, Warren, Mercer, Knox, Henry, Fulton, Peoria, and Putnam. Out of five millions of acres, 3,500,000 were selected, including about three-fifths of this tract. The remainder is disposed of in the manner of other public lands. The disposition of this fine country for military bounties has much retarded its settlement. It was a short-sighted and mistaken policy of government that dictated this measure. Most of the titles have long since departed from the soldiers for whose benefit the donations were made. Many thousand quarter sections have been sold for taxes by the state, have fallen into the hands of monopolists, and are now past redemption. The Bounty lands in Missouri, lie on the waters of Chariton and Grand rivers, north side of the Missouri river and in the counties of Chariton, Randolph, Carroll, and Ray, and include half a million of acres. The tract is generally fertile, undulating, a mixture of timber and prairie, but not as well watered as desirable. With the bounty lands of Arkansas I am not well acquainted. Their general character is good, and some tracts are rich cotton lands.

_Taxes._--Lands bought of the U. S. government are exempted from taxation for five years after sale. All other lands owned by non-residents, equally with those of residents, are subject to taxation annually, either for state, or county purposes, or both. The mode and amount varies in each state. If not paid when due, costs are added, the lands sold, subject to redemption within a limited period;--generally two years. Every non-resident landholder should employ an agent within the state where his land lies, to look after it and pay his taxes, if he would not suffer the loss of his land.