COPY OF PART OF THE FIELD NOTES AND SURVEY OF THE STATE LINE BETWEEN OHIO AND INDIANA FOR ABOUT SEVEN MILES FROM STARTING POINT. LAND SURVEYS, 1798. The Miami River is ten chains and fifty links wide, and the Ohio, twenty-seven chains wide. Observed the variation of the magnetic needle to be at this place, 5° 10' east. FIELD NOTES OF STATE LINE, OCTOBER 11, 1798. Commenced surveying north on a meridian from a point at Crossed the main channel of the Miami River, on the west Started from the cottonwood on the west bank of the river. Another honey locust, three feet in diameter. Over rich bottom land timbered with honey locust, inun dated in high water. Came to a channel that in a common time the water runs with some degree of rapidity. Crossed the above channel which at this time was nearly dry. Set a stake at the south-west corner of section No. 31, T. 1, R. 1, eastern district, and at the north-east corner of section No. 1, T. 5, R. 1, western district; a honey locust bears N. 9°, E., eighteen inches in diameter, twenty-three links distant; another honey locust, twenty-four inches in diameter, bears N. 581⁄2o, W. 57 links distant, notched and marked by the plan, October 11, 1798. Thence north on a meridian. A box elder tree eleven inches in diameter, a low rich bottom timbered principally with honey locust, soil of the richest quality. A honey locust tree in the line. A small improvement, about twenty acres of corn. A forked honey locust tree twenty-four inches in diameter in the line. Crossed a stream running north-east, another improvement and corn field on the east of the line. A post, from which a black walnut tree sixteen inches in diameter bears N. 32° W., 20 links distant, and another black walnut tree fourteen inches in diameter, bears N. 54°, E. 84 links. Land along this mile level and of the richest quality, timbered thinly with locust, hackberry and black walnut. Three cabins with small improvements, 10 chains to the west. Commenced second mile north on the first meridian, from the south-west corner of the first township, of first range. Rose a bank, high land, timbered with sugar tree, walnut A cherry tree sixteen inches in diameter in the line. Another improvement and cabin. A sugar tree inches in diameter in the line. Two cabins and small improvements, a high hill rises 20 Saturday, 13th October. Commenced third mile. North A sugar tree ten inches in diameter. A water-course runs S. 20°, W.; rich land; timber, ash, elm and sugar tree- much underwood. Rose a hill. Begin to descend a hill. A water-course runs east. A blue ash tree twelve inches in diameter; rose a hill. Crossed a water-course, runs east. Rose a hill and begin to descend. A water-course 10 links wide runs S. 80°, E. and begin to descend a hill. A post from which a blue ash tree fifteen inches in diameter bears S. 57°, E. 20 links, and a white ash twenty inches in diameter bears N. 70%, W., 6 links distant. Commenced fourth mile north from S. W. corner of first A water-course runs east; and begin to ascend. A beech tree eighteen inches in diameter in the line, on the A sugar tree sixteen inches in diameter. A water-course runs east ten links wide and begin to ascend a hill. Rose the hill to a white ash tree thirty inches in diameter and begin to descend. A water-course running S. E. A blue ash tree twenty inches in diameter in the line. A water-course runs N. E.; hill rising W. A water-course runs east and begin to rise on the hill. Commenced fifth mile N. from S. W. corner of first town- Rose a hill and begin to descend. A spring branch. A black walnut tree twenty inches in diameter, ascending. descent. A water-course runs east. A sycamore tree fifteen inches in diameter; a water-course A stream runs S. W.; begin to ascend side of a hill rising W. Rose the hill; land of middling quality. A post from which a locust tree twelve inches in diameter A white ash tree six inches in diameter. Chains. Links. 58 74 80 A water-course running W.; thin land; timbered with oak and hickory. A water-course running W. Set a dog-wood post from which a white oak twenty inches in diameter bears N. 30°, E., 27 links distant, and a locust twelve inches in diameter bears S. 491⁄2o, W., 14 links distant. Trees at the corners numbered according to the plan. The field notes of that part of the State line, together with contiguous sections east and west thereof, which are copied into this book from pages one to fourteen, inclusive, are correctly copied from the original field notes on file in this office. SAMUEL WILLIAMS, Chief Clerk. SURVEYOR -General's Office, CINCINNATI, October 7, 1837. An examination of the foregoing notes and plat reveals no mention of a boundary line save in an incidental manner. The survey of the line as a boundary line was not part of Mr. Ludlow's work. By the year 1802 the population of the eastern division of the North-western Territory had increased to such an extent that application was made for admission into the Union as a State. April 30th, 1802, Congress passed an "Act to enable the people of the said Territory," to form a constitution and a State government. * ** The second section of this act provided that "The said State shall consist of all the territory included within the following boundaries, to-wit: On the east by the Pennsylvania line; on the south by the Ohio River to the mouth of the Great Miami River; on the west by the line drawn due north from the mouth of the Great Miami aforesaid." * * It will be noticed that the act followed the ordinance of 1787 in fixing the boundaries of this State. The people of the eastern division of the Territory, through their regularly elected delegates, in November, 1802, met at Chillicothe, the capital of the Territory, and there formulated a constitution. The sixth section of the seventh article of this constitution of 1802 states that "The boundaries of this State *** shall be * * * on the east by the Pennsylvania line, on the south by the Ohio River to the mouth of the Great Miami River; on the west by a line drawn due north from the mouth of the Great Miami River aforesaid." * * * * Soon after the organization of the Territory of Michigan, doubts arose as to the line between Ohio and Indiana Territory, and between Ohio and Michigan Territory, The lands south of the Greenville Treaty line were thrown open to settlement as fast as they could be surveyed, the surveys beginning as early as 1796; and in that part of the State west of the Virginia Military District and the Symmes' Purchase in 1798 has been noted in this report. This survey used the western boundary as a base line not as a boundary line as far north as this treaty line, a few miles south-west of Fort Recovery and eighty-nine miles north of the mouth of the Great Miami, and to this point the township boundaries were probably so surveyed as early as 1800 or 1802. The General Assembly of Ohio, January 24, 1807, passed a resolution asking "That our Senators and Representatives in the Congress of the United States, be instructed and requested to use their influence to obtain the passage of a law to ascertain and define the northern boundary line of this State and fix the same agreeably to the provisions contained in the sixth section of the seventh article of our constitution." At this time the establishment of the western boundary does not seem to be considered of so much importance and no reference is made to it, but on February 7, 1809, the desired legislation not having been secured, another resolution was passed stating "That great inconvenience has been, and is daily, occurring in consequence of the western and northern boundary of this State not being defined;" * * to have a com "Therefore, be it, etc., etc., missioner appointed on the part of the United States, to act jointly with such commissioner as may be appointed on the part of this State to ascertain, run and mark the western and northern boundaries thereof." The country north of the Greenville Treaty line was still unsettled and partly owned by Indians, who lived chiefly on reservations, hence it was not practicable for Congress to carry out the desires of Ohio. December 21, 1811, a third resolution was passed by the Ohio Legislature, reciting various facts; chiefly that this part of the State being opened to settlement by the ex |