United States Statutes at Large/Volume 3/14th Congress/1st Session/Chapter 132
Chap. CXXXII.—An Act providing for the sale of the tract of land, at the British fort at the Miami of the Lake, at the foot of the Rapids, and for other purposes.
Tract of land to be laid off into lots by the surveyor general.Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That so much of the tract of land of twelve miles square, at the “British Fort of the Miami of the Lake, at the foot of the Rapids,” ceded by the Wyandots, Delawares, Shawanoes, Ottawas, Chippewas, Patawatamies, Miamis, Eel River, Weeas, Kickapoos, Piankashaws, and Kaskaskias tribes of Indians, to the United States, by the treaty of Greenville, of the third of August, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-five, shall, under the direction of the surveyor general, be laid off into town lots, streets, and avenues, and into out lots, in such manner and of such dimensions, as he may judge proper: Provided,Proviso. the tract so to be laid off shall not exceed the quantity of land contained in two entire sections, nor the town lots one quarter of an acre each. When the survey of the lots shall be completed, a plat thereof shall be returned to the surveyor general, on which the town lots and out lots shall, respectively, be designated, by progressive numbers, who shall cause two copies to be made, one to be transmitted, with a copy of the field notes, to the commissioner of the general land office, and the other to the register of the land office at Wooster.
Surveyor general to cause the exterior lines of said tract to be run before the land is disposed of.
1805 ch. 43.Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That previously to the disposal at public sale of the before-mentioned tract of land, the surveyor general shall, and he is hereby directed, to re-survey and mark the exterior lines of the said tract, conformably to the survey made in December, one thousand eight hundred and five, by virtue of the act of the third of March, one thousand eight hundred and five, and also to cause divisional lines to be run through each section and fractional section binding on the said river, so that each subdivision may contain, as nearly as may be, one hundred and sixty acres each. And in like manner to cause the “Great Island,” lying at the foot of the rapids, in the said river, to be surveyed, and by lines, running north and south, to divide the same, as nearly as may be, into six equal parts, that is to say, that part of the said island, described in the survey of the said cession, as lying in township number three, in four parts; and that part of the said island lying in township number four, into two parts; Provided,Proviso. That in running the subdivisional lines no interference shall be made affecting or impairing the rights of persons to whom letters patent have been granted for land lying within the limits of the said twelve miles square, nor affecting the selection or location hereafter to be made under the direction of the Secretary of War, for military purposes: Provided also,Proviso. That in no case shall the subdivisional lines be so run as to extend to, or embrace the bed of the river, which shall be deemed, and is hereby declared to be a public highway: And provided, also,Proviso. That the whole expense of re-surveying and marking the exterior lines of the said cession and of the subdivisional lines of the sections, lying adjacent to the river, shall not exceed three dollars for every mile actually surveyed, re-surveyed, and marked, by virtue of this and the preceding section.
Lands to be sold; when and where.Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That all the land contained within the aforesaid cession of twelve miles square, not excepted by virtue of any section of this act, shall, with the exception of number sixteen, which shall be reserved in each township, for the support of schools within the same, and with the exception also of the salt springs and land reserved for the use of the same, be offered for sale to the highest bidder, at Wooster, in the state of Ohio, under the direction of the register and receiver of the land office, and on such day or days as shall, by a public proclamation of the President of the United States, be designated for that purpose. The sale of quarter sections, fractional quarter sections, and of the town lots and out lots, shall remain open at Wooster, for seven days and no longer. The quarter sections and fractional quarter sections, shall not be sold for less than two dollars an acre; the in lots for less than twenty dollars each, nor any out lot for less than at the rate of five dollars per acre; and shall, in every other respect, be sold on the same terms and conditions as have been, or may be, by law, provided for the lands sold north of the river Ohio, and above the mouth of Kentucky river. All the lands other than the reserved sections and those excepted as above mentioned, remaining unsold at the closing of the public sales, may be mentioned, remaining unsold at the closing of the public sales, may be disposed of at private sale by the register of the land office, at Wooster, agreeable [to] the provisions of this act, and in the same manner, under the same regulations and conditions as are, or may be provided by law, for the sale of the lands of the United States, north of the Ohio river, and above the mouth of Kentucky river. And patents shall be obtained for all lands granted or sold within the said cession, in the same manner, and on the same terms, as are or may be provided by law for land sold in the state of Ohio. The superintendents for the public sales, directed by this section, shall receive four dollars each, for each day’s attendance on the said sales.
Approved, April 27, 1816.