The Land Ordinance
After the American Revolution, the United States claimed most of the land between the Canadian border and the Gulf of Mexico, and from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River. The Land Ordinance of 1785 provided for sale of land in the Northwest Territory at a minimum price of $1.00 per acre. Only surveyed land could be sold, and only in units of 640 acres or more. Although these rules made land too expensive for the small farmer, the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 began the process of organized settlement in what was to become Ohio.
The Seven Ranges
Except for lands under the control of the states of Virginia and Connecticut, Congress controlled all of the Ohio lands. In 1786, employees of the Congress made the first federal survey west of the Ohio River. Lying just downstream from Fort Pitt, the chosen area was the most easily reached part of the western lands for survey and sale. Because of the way in which the survey was done, it was called the "Seven Ranges." This survey was the first to use the system that was established by the Land Ordinance of 1785.
Land Offices
In order to speed up and help the sale of these lands, the federal government opened land offices in Ohio. The first offices were established at Steubenville, Marietta, Chillicothe and Cincinnati. Later, offices were added at Zanesville and Canton (later moved to Wooster). Finally, the government opened offices at Piqua, Delaware and Tiffin in order to sell the remaining Indian lands.
These land offices were very busy and, by 1821, they had sold more than seven million acres, which equaled to more than 45,000 family farms of 160 acres each.
This page is being created by David & JoAnne
You can write us at rockman@1st.net
Back to Connorville, Ohio USA