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Boone County Section Corners And a History of Hoosier Ground
Presented by James S. Swift, PS in cooperation with the Boone County Surveyor’s Office
ISPLS Annual Convention January 24, 2020 Fort Wayne, Indiana
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Source: Google Earth
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Source: slideshare.net 22
Source: Wikipedia Commons
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Source: Las Vegas-Clark County Library District
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Source: ebay.com – Belt buckle for sale on site.
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Source: wikipedia commons
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Source: Wikipedia commons
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Source: Google Earth
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FRENCH MAP 1650 Sanson
Source:Library of Congress 34
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FRENCH EXPLORATION 1534-1603 1603-1673 1673-1741
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LA NOUVELLE FRANCE
• 1663 France makes its North American land an official province • Natural Resources • Spiritual succor for the natives • Jesuits, Sulpatians, Franciscan Recollets • Single men working in service of King • General cooperation with natives • Learn native languages, intermarry • Voyageurs, Coureurs de Bois
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Champlain and Nicolet Early 1600s
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SAMUEL DE CHAMPLAIN
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Joliet and Marquette 1673
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EXPLORATION 1673 Joliet and Marquette
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Source: Wikipedia commons
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René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle
Born 1643 in Rouen, France
Son of fine family
Not noble, but landed
Apprenticed to, but left,
the Jesuits as young man
Lost estate
Sailed for New France in 1666
Who knows his story?
Source: Wikipedia commons
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ROUEN 1643
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1666 Lasalle to North America
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MONTREAL
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Lachine and Lasalle
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1669 Lasalle Exploration of the Ohio River
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1673 Wood fort at Frontenac
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1674 Audience with King Louis XIV
1675 Patent for nobility and stone fort at Frontenac
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1675-1677 Build stone fort at Frontenac
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1678
Patent to explore the Mississippi
Build forts Claim the area for France
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Henri de Tonty
Born 1649 or 1650 in Italy Joined French Army in 1668 Sponsored by Abbe Renandaut to Prince de Conti Joined Lasalle on July 12, 1678 at La Rochelle “Main de fer” Steel hand
Source: Wikipedia Commons 57
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Late summer 1678 Lasalle and Tonty
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1669
The Plan
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Late 1678 - to Niagara
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February 1678 – Lasalle to Frontenac across ice
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1679 – late summer and fall – aboard the Griffin
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Late 1679 to Spring 1680
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Spring 1680 Lasalle on foot to Frontenac then on to Montreal Father Hennepin to the Mississippi and beyond
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1669
Source: Wikipedia Commons
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Summer 1680
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1680-81 Fall to Spring Tonty to Michillimackinac
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Fall 1680 Lasalle to the Mississippi
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Winter 1680-81 Lasalle at Fort Miami
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Spring 1681 Lasalle to Michillimackinac
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Summer 1681 Lasalle & Tonty 1000 Miles by Canoe
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Fall 1681 A new expedition Back to Michillimackinac
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Late 1681 To Fort Miami then across to Chicago
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January 1682 To the Mississippi Open water at Peoria
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Spring 1682 Down the Mississippi
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April 29, 1682 Claim Louisiana for France
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Spring 1681 Lasalle to Michillimackinac
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Summer 1682 Back to Fort Miami
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1682-1683 Build Fort St. Louis Assemble natives around fort
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Colonie du Sr. de La Salle
1683-1684
From map by Franquelin
Fort Saint Louis at The Rock near Ottawa, Illinois
Source: Library of Congress
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4600 Native Americans
1200 Illinois
1300 Miami
500 Oiatenon Source: Francis Parkman, Lasalle and the Discovery of the Great West 84
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Fall 1683 to Spring 1684 Lasalle to Quebec and beyond
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Franquelin
1684 Source: ofLibrary Source: Congress
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Summer 1684 Audience with Louis XIV Asks for 1 ship and 200 people Gets 4 ships and 400 people Authorized to build a Colony on south coast of America Agrees to gather natives into Army and fight the Spanish
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Fall 1684 Sail for the mouth of the Mississippi
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January 1685 Search for the Mississippi
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Spring to Summer 1685 Build Fort St. Louis (Texas)
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1685 Fort Saint Louis North and South
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Fall 1685 to Spring 1687 Three attempts to find Mississippi
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And the rest of the story…
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Source: Wikipedia commons
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Source: Wikipedia commons
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Source: Wikipedia commons
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European Claims in North America, mid 1700s
Source wikipedia commons
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French Forts, mid 1700s
Fort Miami (Ft. Wayne) 1715, Ouiatenon 1717, Vincennes 1732 Source: Maps ETC, USF
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The French and Indians were generally sympathetic.
French forts acted as trade centers for Indians.
French explorers and priests learned the Indian languages.
Some French fur traders intermarried with the Indians.
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Generally, unlike the British, who came with their families to settle and farm the land, the French fur traders were single men who were here working, ultimately in service of the King.
The French trade was primarily in beaver skins. Most of the French were trappers, not farmers. It was in their interest to keep the forests whole and intact. Hence, the Indians did not perceive a fundamental threat from the French trappers.
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In the 1750s much of Europe became embroiled in a grand conflict known as the Seven Years War.
The North American theater of this war is commonly referred to as The French and Indian War.
France and Britain were on opposite sides in this conflict.
The war was not particularly about North America but was fought here, in part. The results of the war had huge implications for future European descendants in North America.
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Source: slideshare.net
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Great Britain and her allies win.
France cedes most of its North American territory to Britain. The end of Nouvelle France (New France).
France keeps the lucrative sugar trade in the West Indies but gives up the North American fur trade.
The war nearly bankrupts the British Government.
Great Britain begins to levy heavy taxes on the Colonies to help pay for the war.
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Britain follows a development strategy of promoting the growth of coastal cities in the American Colonies for the purpose of a fostering a strong market of export goods from English factories.
Britain perceives the newly gained territories west of the Appalachians as an opportunity to foster trade with the Indians and is not interested in promoting settlement by the colonials in this area.
By the Proclamation of 1763 Britain reserves the territory west of the Appalachians for the Natives.
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Source wikipedia commons
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The French and Indian War, as we called it, saw the rise of a Colonial, we-are-one, can-do spirit.
George Washington rose to prominence as a military leader.
Colonials were resistant to the increased tax burden.
Colonials, desirous of land, were outraged at the Proclamation Line of 1763, reserving the west for the natives.
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The 1763 Proclamation Line did not hold and colonists continued to flood west.
Nonetheless….
The stage was set for the American Revolution!
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But what about that business with George Rogers Clark in the west?
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Epic march through flooded ground to take Vincennes (Ft. Sackville).
Major disruption to British operations in the west.
Many historians believe that the trouble caused by G.R. Clark in the west caused the British to cede the “Northwest Territory” in the Treaty of Paris.
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If not for George Rogers Clark and his incredibly tough soldiers, the Northwest Territory might have ended up being part of Canada.
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Source wikipedia commons
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Image courtesty of rvtowster.com
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Proposed 1784, passed 1787, modified 1789.
Defines the Northwest Territory.
Establishes mechanism for admission of new states, rather than expansion of existing states.
Prohibits slavery within N.W. Territory, functionally establishing the Ohio River as the northern boundary of slave holding areas.
Promotes education and natural rights.
States that the property of Indians may not be taken away from them without their consent.
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Source: The Land Office Business, Malcolm J. Rohrbough, Oxford University Press, 1968
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Led by Thomas Jefferson, an orderly system of survey and settlement was proposed resulting in the Ordinance of 1785
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Six mile square tracts called Townships
Subdivided into 36 square mile Sections (640 acres) Each section may be further subdivided in to 160 acre quarter sections or 80 acre half-quarter sections.
In Indiana parcels were generally auctioned as 160 acre quarters or 80 acre half-quarters.
Further subdivision by private land owners is common.
Every hear of the “back 40?” (That would be a quarter-quarter section.)
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Sections in a township
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Original federal corners
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Single and double corners (Indiana)
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Ohio early efforts at PLSS
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Indiana early survey of vast area
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However……
Prior to survey, the U.S. Government was compelled to “Extinguish the Indian Title.”
Our legal concepts of possession and ownership dictated that we must gain written title to the land from its native inhabitants prior to surveying, sale or settlement.
As dictated by the Northwest Ordinance, land could not be taken away from the natives without their permission.
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In the early days of the Indiana Territory, this job was wholeheartedly embraced by William Henry Harrison.
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The Indians had generally cooperated peacefully with the French.
In general, the Indians did not get along as well with the British as they did with the French, and could perceive threats to their way of life from the influx of white settlers lead by the ominous sign of “Surveyors marking trees.”
Conflicts in the Ohio River valley had become common by the time of the American Revolution.
After the Revolution, the Indians perceived the British as a much better alternative to the Long Knives, or Americans. In retrospect, they were right all along!
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Result of U.S. victory at the Battle of Fallen Timbers.
This is the critical treaty which established practical, physical U.S. control over the Northwest Territory.
Preamble, as written in the treaty:
“To put an end to a destructive war, to settle all controversies, and to restore harmony and a friendly intercourse between the said United States, and Indian tribes….”
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Natives relinquish rights to Fort Wayne, Detroit, future site of downtown Chicago, and numerous other places.
Natives relinquish rights to several critical portages, including Fort Wayne, and U.S. secures rights to passage on certain waterways.
Issues of previous French claims in the vicinity of Vincennes are addressed.
Native relinquish 6 miles around Fort Quiatenon.
U.S. releases all other claims to the lands North of the Ohio River, East of the Mississippi, and South & East of the Great Lakes.
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Signed by General Anthony Wayne and marked by representatives of the Wyandots, Delawares, Shawanoes, Ottawas, Chipewas, Putawatimes, Miamis, Eel-river, Weea's, Kickapoos, Piankashaws, and Kaskaskias (spellings per the Treaty).
Officially witnessed by Wiliam Henry Harrison and others.
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Source: http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/score_lessons/treaty_greenville/
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Source: http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/score_lessons/treaty_greenville/ Colored highlights Swift by
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Harrison appointed first Governor of the newly formed Indiana Territory in 1801.
In 1803, President Jefferson grants him authority to negotiate treaties with the natives.
Tecumseh rises to prominence within the Shawnee world for his personal charisma, intellect, natural leadership skills, and remarkable skills as a warrior.
By the early 1800s the Shawnee are a displaced tribe.
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Tecumseh’s brother, Tenskwatawa, has spiritual visions which begin in 1805, rejects the white man’s whiskey, and rejects his clothing and way of life.
Self-proclaimed “The Prophet” Tenskwatawa leads a pan- Indian spiritual revival based on returning to the native ways.
The Prophet establishes a village of his followers along the banks of the Wabash River, Prophetstown.
Unlike most Indian villages, this village had followers from a variety of tribes, bonded together by a spiritual movement rather than traditional trial identification.
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Meanwhile, Tecumseh attempts to create a pan-Indian confederation, bonding tribes together politically.
Tecumseh travels widely, encouraging Indians to unite in rejecting the white man.
Tecumseh advances the legal argument that all Indians own the land in common – native land cannot be sold without the permission of all tribes.
Harrison adheres to President Jefferson’s argument that only tribes which inhabited the land when it was “first discovered” had authority to sign the treaties. Other tribes may sign as a courtesy.
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Isn’t it interesting that this activity was centered in Indiana?
The Shawnee were recently from the Ohio region.
Why the did the pan-Indian revival happen in the heart of the Indiana Territory?
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Aware that Tecumseh was away to the South and concerned about the agitation being stirred up by both the Prophet and Tecumseh, William Henry Harrison and a large militia force (600 to 1,000) march to Prophetstown under orders to intimidate or disperse the natives camped out there.
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1/17/2020 Source: Wikipedia Source: Commons The Battle of Tippecanoe, depiction by Alonzo Chappel
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1809 – Harrison’s Purchase
1811 – Battle of Tippecanoe
1812-1814 – War of 1812 between U.S. and Britain
1813 – Tecumseh killed in battle
1816 – Indiana statehood
1817 – Treaty at Foot of the Rapids of the Miami
1818 – Treaty at St. Mary’s (the New Purchase)
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First Map of the State of Indiana 1819 At the moment of admission to the union, the northern 2/3 of Indiana was not yet under treaty.
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October 2, 1818 - Potawatamie
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Title
Land Description
Agreements Annuties
Reference to schedule
Signatures or X marks
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Schedule: Note the Burnetts, children of a French trader who married Indian woman, sister of the principal chief. Established Trading post on the Wabash River. Burnett’s Reserve.
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Partial plat T24N, R4W Note Prophet’s Town and site of Battle Ground.
Image of plat page compliments of Tippecanoe County Surveyor’s Office. Note: Burnett’s Reserve extends further east and only a portion of the reserve is shown hereon. 195
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October 2, 1818 - Wea
Note – Wea cede all lands in Indiana, Ohio and Illinois except one reserve and several individual grants.
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Wea also accede to and sanction previous Kickapoo treaties.
Payment of annuities to be paid in silver.
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October 3, 1818 - Delaware
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The Delawares agree to cede all claims in Indiana and resettle west of the Mississippi River.
They are granted horses, payments, provisions for the journey, and a perpetual annuity of $4,000.
They are also to be provided a blacksmith after their removal to the west side of the Mississippi.
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The Delawares, AKA the Lenape, had moved from the East Coast, through the Ohio Valley Region, eventually settling along the White River in central Indiana.
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Though the dominant local tribe, the Miami, did not appreciate the presence of the Delaware, finding them to be excellent hunters and depleting the local game resources, in 1809 the Miami had officially acknowledged “the equal right of the Delawares with themselves to the country watered by the White River.”
A mere nine years later, the Delaware agreed to leave the area entirely and resettle West of the Mississippi River. It is said that the primary Delaware chief was tired, frustrated, racked with the ravages of alcoholism, and simply gave up.
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October 3, 1818 - Miami
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October 3, 1818 - Miami
Now here is an Indian Chief who knows how to negotiate……..
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October 3, 1818 - Miami
And I’m not talking about the prominent Miami Chief Pacanne
Source wikipedia commons
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October 3, 1818 - Miami
I’m talking about the son of Pacanne’s sister, Taucumwah, and her husband, the French Fur Trader, Joseph Druet de Richardsville….
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October 3, 1818 – Miami Jean Baptiste de Richardville
Source: Allen County/Ft. Wayne Historical Society
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October 3, 1818 – Miami Jean Baptiste de Richardville Half Miami, “Miami Métis” Fluent in French, English, and Miami languages Shrewd businessman Straddles the divide of “Indian” and “White” worlds Rises to prominence among Miami tribe and negotiates treaties on their behalf.
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Source www.in.gov
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October 3, 1818 – Miami Jean Baptiste de Richardville
Called Peshawa (Wildcat) by the Miamis and called Richardville by the Americans, he was THE MAN. He was smart, industrious, and shrewd.
He fully comprehended how much the American Government wanted title to the central part of the fledgling state of Indiana.
He negotiated to the benefit of his fellow tribesmen and also to the benefit and enrichment of himself.
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October 3, 1818 – Miami Jean Baptiste de Richardville
Eventually becoming “The Richest Man in Indiana” in part due to his monopoly over the portage between the Maumee and Wabash Rivers at Fort Wayne, along with countless other beneficial business dealings, Richardville shrewdly made sure that the Miami were the last tribe to sign off on the New Purchase.
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It worked out well……
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The Miami negotiated the treaty with favorable terms including numerous reserves – one of which is referred to in the treaty as “one other reserve, of ten miles square, at the village on Sugar Tree Creek” which became commonly referred to as the Thorntown Reserve, located primarily in Boone County.
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Many private grants were included, along with large annuities and the promise to construct a grist mill and a saw mill. The treaty also promised to provide a blacksmith, a gunsmith, agricultural tools, and salt.
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Chief Richardville did well for himself in the treaty. Note the words “grant, by patent, in fee simple” i.e. not a “reserve” which does not mean fee simple.
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Others benefited as well. As with many rich, powerful people, Peshawa / Richardville is remembered in a mixed context, but some acknowledge that the numerous private grants he negotiated are responsible for an ongoing presence of Hoosiers who are descended from the Miami Tribe.
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#117 – 1821 Ottawa / Chippewa / Potawatami
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#132 & 133 – 1826 Potawatami
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#142 – 1828 Eel River branch of Miami
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February 11, 1828 - The Eel River, or Thorntown party of Miami Indians, cede to the U.S. all claim to a reservation of land about 10 miles square at their Village on Sugar Tree Creek in Indiana, reserved to them by article 2, of the treaty of October, 1818.
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#146 – 1828 Potawatami
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#180 & 181 – 1832 Potawatami
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1832 Wabash College
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#198 – 1834 Miami
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#258 – 1840 The Great Miami Reserve
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1840, the Miami relinquish the “residue of the Big Reserve” and the official Miami Nation relocates to Oklahoma.
Curiously, though, due to the private claims negotiated by Richardville, many Miami also remained in Indiana and eventually some of those who had departed for Oklahoma returned.
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Big changes in less than 50 years…
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The section of this presentation just completed refers to a history charged with emotion for some people. The author appreciates those emotions and acknowledges the overarching sadness of the destruction of the native way of life by the European descendant settlers.
This presentation is intended as an educational and instructional tool for modern Land Surveyors practicing in the State of Indiana. The histories referred to in the above section are for purposes of contextual comprehension.
The term Indian is used to refer to native inhabitants of the area now occupied by the United States, in conformity with the official public record, examples of which are cited above.
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The Survey Function of the Department of the Treasury Geographer of the United States prior to… Surveyor General of the United States General Land Office established 1812 Commissioner of GLO was administrative control operating out of Washington D.C. Surveyor General of the various territories (ever changing) reported to Commissioner of GLO Deputy Surveyors were under contract with and reported to the territorial Surveyor General
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The Big Names Thomas Hutchins Geographer of the United States, 1781 Dies on assignment surveying the Seven Ranges of Ohio. British Regular Officer who switched sides to the Americans during the Revolutionary War
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The Big Names Rufus Putnam Military background. Fought in the French and Indian War Revolutionary War General Fought with Anthony Wayne in campaign against Shawnee and Lenape in Ohio • Founded Marietta Ohio (The Pioneers, McCoullough) • 1796, first Surveyor General of the United States • Fired by President Jefferson
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The Big Names Andrew Ellicot Laid out original Prinicipal Meridian on P.L.S.S. as Ohio/Pennsylvania Line Modified Pierre L’Enfant’s plan for Washington, D.C. Surveyed Florida and Alabama Line Taught Merriwether Lewis about surveying. Turned down offer from Jefferson to be Surveyor General of the Northwest Territory
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The Big Names Albert Gallatin Secretary of the Treasury, 1801-1814 Hands-on management of early Surveys and Land Office affairs. Worked closely with Tiffin and Mansfield Left post to become Minister to France
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The Big Names Thomas Freeman First Plat of Fort Wayne Reserve, 1803 Much Surveying in Vincennes Area Freeman Lines, Freeman Corners. Surveyor General of Mississippi Territory Peace Trees
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The Big Names Israel Ludlow Contracted by Rufus Putnam Much surveying in Ohio Surveyed the Greenville Treaty Line Laid out Ludlow’s Meridian within the Greenville Treaty Area One of the founders of Cincinnati
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The Big Names Jared Mansfield Surveyor General of the Northwest Territory 1803-1812 Major early work in southern Indiana Precise, excellent survey work set bar for accuracy. Did not approve of Freeman’s work near Vincennes Refined the Township and Range numbering system General Instructions to Deputy Surveyors, 1804 Left post to become Professor at West Point
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The Big Names Ebenezer Buckingham Deputy Surveyor Contracted by Mansfield Buckingham’s Base Line and Indiana Initial Point Much surveying in general area of Vincennes
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The Big Names Josiah Meigs Replaces Mansfield as Surveyor General of the Northwest Territory, 1812-1814 Political appointment – doesn’t know surveying. Appointed S.G. 1812. In 1814 he switches jobs with Edward Tiffin and becomes Commissioner of GLO, for which job he was much better suited. First daily meteorological observations. Notable Grandson – Montgomery Meigs
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The Big Names Edward Tiffin Physician from Ohio First Governor of Ohio, then U.S. Senator First Commissioner of General Land Office, 1812 Surveyor General of Northwest Territory, 1815-1829 (Jacksonian purge, plus time to retire) Effective and Competent. Tiffin’s Instructions.
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The Deputies William D. Harris Extended Second Principal Meridian through Boone County and perhaps much of the New Purchase Laid out the 6 mile townships west of the Second Principal Meridian in central Indiana Methodical, competent, easy to follow Did NOT observe Thorntown Reserve as he laid out the Townships in Boone County Much surveying elsewhere, including northern part of Indiana/Ohio line in 1817
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William D. Harris Record shows that he surveyed 6 miles per day going west. Going north, he surveyed 6 miles plus had to get back to the P.O.B. for the next day. 6 miles surveying + 12 walking?
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The Deputies John D. McDonald Laid out the 6 mile townships east of the Second Principal Meridian in central Indiana Not methodical, jumps around, NOT easy to follow I would put my money on Harris over McDonald every single time! McDonald’s imprecise surveying is the reason for a big angle in 96th St. west of Boone / Hamilton line. Surveyed the “Ten O’Clock Line” in 1810-1811. Now there is a story……
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Boone County Deputies
Townships 1819 Subdivide 1820-1822 Reserve 1829
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The Collett Family Notable family. Deep Wabash College Connections. Good gig as Deputy Surveyors until a certain event.
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Boone County Deputies William D. Harris, Townships W. of 2nd P.M. – 1819
John D. McDonald, Townships E. of 2nd P.M. - 1819
D. Collett, J. Collett, S. Collett – 1820
William B. Laughlin – 1821
Andrew Wallace – 1821
Thomas Brown – 1822
John Hendricks, Reserve - 1829
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• Large self-sufficient crews • Compass and chain • 3” x 3” wood posts at corners – scribed with corner info • Bearing trees at each corner • Independent lines every 40 chains. • Report of type & grade of land (early cadastre – GIS) • Much swampy land in Boone County. • Paid by the mile – Deputies under contract. MOVE IT! • No known evidence of fraud in Boone County. • No meanders in Boone County. • Thorntown Reserve is the only variation to clean grid.
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Bulletin 6 Department of Interior, 6 Department Bulletin ofInterior,
Source: Manual , Instructions for the Survey of Survey Source: Manual the Instructions ,for Lands United 1973,ofStates Public BLMthe Techniccal
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Source: Manual , Instructions for the Survey of Public Lands of the United States 1973, BLM Techniccal Bulletin 6 Department of Interior,
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Source: Restoration of Lost or Obliteratied Corners and Subdivision of Sections, U.S. Department of Interior, B.L.M., 1974
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The field surveyors left the land physically delineated:
Posts at corners
Bearing trees witnessing corners
Original lines physically marked.
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The field surveyors also made written field notes of the survey describing measurements and land types.
The government used the notes to produce an official plat of the section.
The plat was available for review by potential purchasers prior to auction at the regional Land Office.
The original landowners could find the marks left by the surveyors, including pre-surveyed, well marked section lines.
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Sale of Public Lands at Land Offices
First by auction, then by general sale
Township plats were available for review at the Land Office.
Township plats acted as informative GIS and as the primary record at time of purchase.
Modern surveyors are interested in the original field notes but the original purchasers only had the plat.
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One Big Problem……. Indiana Statehood 1816 New Purchase 1818 Financial Panic 1819 Caused in part by unrestrained land speculation - AND Result of massive volcano in S.E. Asia (Mt. Tambora, 1815) Ash coverage caused several cold years in Europe Agricultural Chaos – Famine. U.S. Credit Markets froze Land Office Business slowed considerably But Hey! The World got Frankenstein out of it. ☺
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Source: The Land Office Business, Malcolm J. Rohrbough, Oxford University Press, 1968
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The Crawfordsville Land Office
Whitlock Dunn & Ristine
Whitlock and Dunn – see sign. Ristine owned the tavern!
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Soldier from Virginia, rose through ranks to Major Helped construct Fort Washington (Cincinnati) in 1789 Fought under General Wayne at Battle of Fallen Timbers, 1795 Helped construct fort at Fort Wayne after Fallen Timbers Close personal friends with with William Henry Harrison, his fellow officer from Virginia. Witnessed Harrison & Tecumseh meet in 1811, Vincennes. Paymaster of the Army for western operations. Danger! Founded Crawfordsville, 1823 Receiver of Public Lands at Crawfordsville until 1829.
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The big Land Office Auction
Now that is something I would like to see……
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The Pioneers were the first to handle the evidence of the original survey.
Patent Deed in hand, they found their way to their parcel where they found the section corners and lines marked.
What did they do then?
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I think one of the first things they did was cut down the trees along the section lines to make wagon roads for access.
Think about it – by destroying the evidence of the line they preserved the location of the line.
Because the section lines had been so well marked, the wagon roads ended up EXACTLY on the section lines.
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What did they do with that post at the corner….?
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In many cases they likely removed it and replaced it with a rock.
In Boone County we call these PIONEER ROCKS.
Typically Large Oriented in Cardinal Directions Not Marked Reference by measurement, but not description, in records.
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In any case, the wagon roads ended up on the section lines.
Gradually the County Road system developed along the section lines. A Boone County specialty!
And Boy Howdy, they are right on the lines.
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1932 Map
Indiana Department of Conservation
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Michigan Road and National Road
Federally funded
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The Michigan Road – mid 1800s
The track was passable during the eight months of the year when the weather was favorable but throughout the winter season it was a meandering stream of mud practically useless for travel. In the central portion of the State, the Michigan Road crossed a level plain covered with woods so dense that the rays of the summer sun penetrated rarely to the forest floor carpeted with leaf mould which retained the accumulated moisture with the avidity of a sponge……..
Source: www.fhwa.dot.gov/interstate/artgallery.html
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The Michigan Road
The 100-feet-wide right of way for the road through the Pottawatomie Indian lands, between the Wabash River and Lake Michigan, was obtained by a treaty consummated October 16, 1826. The subsequent survey, begun in 1828, located the left-hand right-angled turn at South Bend in order to avoid the soft Kankakee River swamps. Source: www.fhwa.dot.gov/interstate/artgallery.html
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Michigan Road and The Great Miami Reserve
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Early wagon roads tended to be rough, muddy and impassable in certain conditions.
Mid-1800s – Indiana Legislation permitting private companies to seize existing roads with Commissioner’s Authorization. Improve roads and charge tolls – GRAVEL ROAD synonymous with TOLL ROAD.
Not popular with the pioneer landowners.
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1877 – Indiana Legislation enabling the County Commissioners to improve roads with revenues from assessment of land within two miles of the road.
This leads to the FREE GRAVEL ROAD.
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Boone County Road Record – subset of Commissioner’s Record. 8/6/1879 Petition for Free Gravel Road from Lebanon to New Brunswick
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Boone County Road Record – 1892, Clipping of Public Notice included with Petition for Free Gravel Road.
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Eventually some roads are taken over from the county by the state and become STATE ROADS.
Lebanon to New Brunswick Free Gravel Road is now State Road 39.
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Why the fascination with wagon roads and the details of their development?
Because, in many cases, section corner stones are in roads. To find the old corner stone, one must find the old road.
To find the old road, one is well served to know about the development old roads.
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Eventually some roads are taken over from the county by the state and become STATE ROADS.
Lebanon to New Brunswick Free Gravel Road is now State Road 39.
PIC – description of improvement of Crawfordsville Lebanon State Road. Maybe with pic from center of SR 32 with semi bearing down.
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Do gravel roads move?
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Yes, they sure do!
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Meet my friend Charlie
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and his 260,000 dollar, six wheel drive, fully computerized, gravel road displacement device.
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The Magical, Mobile Gravel Road
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But do roads remain reliable evidence of the original section lines?
YES! The very best evidence!
My Mantra: If we can find the wagon road, we can find the section corner.
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