The Establishment of United States Surveys in the Northwest—A Condensed Statement from the Records of the Books in the Surveyor General's Office.
On the twenty-sixth day of January, 1796, when the American Congress was in session at Philadelphia, a bill was reported for establishing land offices in the Northwestern Territory. The bill was ably discussed and there was much variance of opinion as to the disposition of the lands to be surveyed and brought into the market. Some favored a proposition to give the lands to actual settlers, and others favored selling the lands at a stipulated price, applying the proceeds to the payment of the national debt. The bill, when agreed upon, bore the following title: "An act providing for the sale of the lands of the United States in the territories northwest of the river Ohio, and above the mouth of the Kentucky river." The bill was approved by President Washington May 18, 1796.
This law established the office of surveyor general with powers specifically limited. It directed him to run lines north and south according to the true meridian, to be known as range lines, and others, crossing them at right angles, to be known as township lines, the townships thus formed to consist of areas six miles square, the whole to be subdivided into 36 sections, each a mile square, each to contain 640 acres of land, as near as may be, and to be subdivided into quarters, containing 160 acres, and these quarters to be further subdivided into forties. Marks were to be established at the corners of every township and section. These surveys were not to conflict with Indian treaty and military land warrants, or the course of navigable waters.
This admirable device for surveying the public lands grew out of a correspondence between Gen. Rufus Putnam and President Washington, in 1875, in which the former proposed the division of the public lands into townships six miles square, to be marked by township and range lines. Perhaps no more convenient and acceptable plan of survey could have been devised. Gen. Benjamin Tupper was one of a company of surveyors in 1796 that established the first lines under this new system. This survey was made in Southeast Ohio.
The first surveyor general's office was opened at Marietta, Ohio, soon after the approval of the bill, and Rufus Putnam was appointed surveyor general. In 1803 he was removed by President Jefferson and the office was located at Vincennes. A year later it was removed to Cincinnati, in 1814 to Chillicothe, in 1829 to Cincinnati, in 1845 to Detroit, and in 1857 to St. Paul, where it has since remained. The act for the survey of the public lands has since been modified and improved. In 1804 an act was approved providing for the marking of quarter sections on the section lines.
By the same law under which the lands were subdivided and opened to the public, one section, No. 16, in every township was reserved from sale for the support of common schools. Two townships were also set apart for the support of a university. This was the beginning of the donations of land for school and other purposes.
THE UNITED STATES LAND OFFICE.
The first government land office in Wisconsin north of Mineral Point was located at St. Croix Falls in 1848. Township plats were received, lands advertised and offered for sale in September, covering the ground where the cities of Stillwater and St. Paul are now located, and adjacent country. The office was removed to Stillwater in 1849, and the land district divided by the St. Croix river. The land office for the east side was located at Willow River in 1849, and there remained till 1860, when it was removed to St. Croix Falls. The following are the receivers and registers:
1848. Samuel Leach, receiver; Charles S. Whiting, register.
1849. Moses S. Gibson, receiver; T. D. Catlin, register.
1853. Otis Hoyt, receiver; John O. Henning, register.
1857. J. D. Reymert, receiver; J.B. Spencer, register:
1859. Orpheus Evarts, receiver; J. B. Spencer, register.
1861. Benj. W. Reynolds, receiver; Michael Field, register.
1864. Hiram Calkins, receiver; Michael Field, register.
1869. Fayette Allen, receiver; Michael Field, register.
1871. Joel F. Nason, receiver; Michael Field, register.
1884. Alvah A. Heald, receiver; Michael Field, register.
1887. Alvah H. Heald, receiver; Wm. M. Blanding, register.
The first entry in the new district, Aug. 17, 1849, was by W. S. Hungerford. Lot 4, Sec. 19, and Lots 1, 2, 3, Sec. 30, T. 34, R. 18, where the village of St. Croix now stands. The second entry was by George Brownell, Lot 3, Sec. 20, T. 24, R. 18. The oldest record to be found in the office is the proving up by James Purinton of his pre-emption, July 24, 1848. The first recorded correspondence is a letter from S. Leach, receiver, to Geo. W. Jones, surveyor general, Dubuque, Iowa. In June, 1863, under the receivership of Mr. Reynolds, the safe in the office was blown open with powder and the contents stolen. Some time afterward, in 1865, fifty land warrants and a bunch of keys from the articles missing were thrown in at the office window. They had the appearance of having been buried in the ground.