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Cadastral Patterns in Louisiana: a Colonial Legacy

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Cadastral Patterns in Louisiana: a Colonial Legacy Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1978 Cadastral Patterns in Louisiana: a Colonial Legacy. Carolyn Oliver French Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation French, Carolyn Oliver, "Cadastral Patterns in Louisiana: a Colonial Legacy." (1978). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 3201. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/3201 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INFORMATION TO USERS This material was produced from a microfilm copy of the original document. 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Xerox University Microfilms 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106 7815625 FRENCH# CAROLYN OLIVER caoa3Tral patterns i n louxsianai a colonial legacy* t h e LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY AND AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL CQLm PH.D.* 1978 University Microfilm s International 300 n z e e b r o a d , a n n a r b o r , mi 48106 © 1978 CAROLYN OLIVER FRENCH ALL RIGHTS RESERVED CADASTRAL PATTERNS IN LOUISIANA: A COLONIAL LEGACY A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Geography and Antrhopology by Carolyn Oliver French B.A., Northeast Louisiana State College, 1964 M.A., Northeast Louisiana University, 1972 May, 1978 ACKNOWLEDGMENT I am well aware of the debt that I owe to a great many indivi­ duals who contributed directly and indirectly to the completion of this project. Full acknowledgment of their aid and influence is not a simple matter. Patricular expression of appreciation is due Dr. Sam B. Hilliard and Dr. Milton B. Newton, whose encouragement and criticism have been invaluable as a guiding force in my work, and to Dr. Fred B. Kniffen, who first brought me into geography as a profession and whose unwaver­ ing confidence has sustained me. I also want to acknowledge with gratitude the patient and profes­ sional assistance of several persons in the State Land Office, especi­ ally Ory Poret, Joy Davis Eaton, Helen Olivier and Stella Hatten. Their contributions not only made the work possible, but also did much to make it pleasant and personally rewarding. Others in parish court­ houses and numerous archives have also been generous with their help. A special note of gratitude is due my family and friends, whose continued interest and concern are immensely important and deeply appre­ ciated. Perhaps it would be appropriate to follow the example of the Ahtenians, who erected a statue to "the unknown God", to insure that no deity had been omitted. I might likewise offer acknowledgment to those who have influenced my work in general. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENT ................................................... ii ILLUSTRATIONS ................................................... v TABLES ............................................................ vii ABSTRACT ............. viii INTRODUCTION ...................................................... 1 Chapter I. LAND POLICIES IN THE FLORIDA P A R I S H E S ................ 32 A. Political Controversy and Land Policies ......... 34 B. Colonial Land Policies .......................... 41 1. French Land Policy ............................. 41 2. British Land Policy ................ ..... 43 3. Spanish Land P o l i c y ........................... 45 C. United States Land P o l i c y ...................... 49 II. CHARACTERISTICS OF LAND GRANTS ......................... 57 A. Variations in Legal Bases ......................... 57 B. Variations in S h a p e ............................. .. 78 C. Variations in S i z e .............................. 97 D. Correlations in Legal Bases, Shape and Size . 105 III. SPATIAL PATTERNS OF LAND C L A I M S ....................... H O A. Distributional Variance and Topography ............ 112 B. Spatial Variation and Date of Settlement ...... 123 C. Trend Toward Clustering of Types ................... 136 D. Variation of Survey Implementation ................ 139 IV. EVALUATION OF LAND GRANTS AS AN INDEX OF SETTLEMENT ............................................... 144 A. Evidence of Cultivation and Habitation ............ 145 B. Correlation of Place-Names with Claimants' Names . 158 C. Surnames as an Index of Kin-related Settlement . 165 D. Estimates of Extent of Grant-related Settlement . 170 V. CONCLUSION ................................................ 184 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY .......................................... 189 APPENDIX I . ................................................. 198 iii Page APPENDIX I I .......................................................... 202 APPENDIX I I I ........................................................ 203 APPENDIX I V .......................................................... 205 APPENDIX V .......................................................... 207 APPENDIX V I .......................................................... 209 APPENDIX V I I ........................................................ 211 VITA ................................................................. 212 Iv ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page Introduction 1. Extent of the American Rectangular Land Survey System . 5 2. Private Land Claims Within the Public Domain ............ 7 3. Florida Parishes ........................................... 9 4. Private Land Grants in the Florida Parishes .............. 11 5. Land Grants: Numerical Distinctiveness (St. Tammany Parish, T.7S, R.14E) 12 6. Sample Townships ........................................... 27 Chapter 1 1. United States Division of West Florida, 1 8 1 2 ............ 50 Chapter 2 1. Long-lots in Louisiana .................................... 83 2. Long-lots in Ranges, East Baton Rouge Parish ............ 84 3. Rectangular Long-lots (models) ......... 86 4. Trapezoidal Long-lots (models) ........................... 86 5. British Long-lots (St. Tammany Parish, T.8S, R.11E, s. 45, 46, 47, 49, and 50) 88 6. Square Grants Based on Spanish Patents .................. 91 7. U.S. Settlement Grants: Shape (Tangipahoa Parish, T.4S, R.8E) ............................................... 92 8. Irregular Grants (models) ............. 94 9. Shapes of G r a n t s ........................................... 96 10. Unity of Grants Divided by Township Boundaries (East Baton Rouge Parish) ............................... 98 11. Size of G r a n t s ................................................102 12. Fragmentation of Grants ....................................... 104 13. Proportions of Grants (Total Equals 261 Complete: 186 Incomplete: 617 Settlement) ........................ 106 Chapter 3 1. Florida Parishes, Physiography ........................... 113 2. Florida Parishes, Physiography and Grants ................ 115 3. Dates of Origin for Claims (sample) ....................... 127 4. Dates of Claims ................................................130 5. Types of Grants and Dates of Claims ......................... 132 6. Grants Oriented to Roads (East Feliciana Parish, T.1S, R.l and 2 E ) ...........................................138 7. Survey Dates for Townships ................................ 141 v Figure Page Chapter 4 1. F i e l d s .......................................................... 151 2. Fields on the Edge of Floodplain ........................ 152 3. Fields in Second Bottoms .....................................
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