All Congress lands; ex- VII ranges; Ohio compa cepting Marietta and a part ny's purchase; & Symmes of Steubenville district, are purchase; are numbered as numbered as follows: here exhibited:

In addition to the foregoing division, the sections are again subdivided into four equal parts, called the N. E. qr. section, S. E. qr. section. &c. And again, by a law of Congress, which went into effect in July 1820, these quarter sections, are also divided by a north and south line, into two equal parts, called the east half qr. sec. No. and west half qr. sec. No. which con

tain eighty acres each. The minimum price has been reduced by the same law, from two dollars, to $1 25 per acre, cash down.

In establishing the township and sectional corners, a post is first planted at the point of intersection; then on the tree nearest the post, and standing within the section intended to be designated, is numbered with the marking iron, the range, township and number of the section, thus:

R 211
T 3

†R 20

T 3

The qr. corners are marked 1-4 S. merely.

Section No. 16, of every township, is perpetually reserved for the use of schools, and leased or sold out, for the benefit of schools, under the state government. All the others may be taken up either in sections, fractions, halves, quarters, or half quarters.

For the purpose of selling out these lands; they are divided into eight several land districts, called after the names of the towns in which the land offices are kept; namely, Wooster, Steubenville, Zanesville, Marietta, Chillicothe, Cincinnati, Piqua, and Tiffin.

Chillicothe land district is composed of the seven westermost of the XXII ranges of townships of Congress lands, south of the Refugee tract; and therefore extends from said Refugee tract on the north, to the Ohio river south, and from the Zanesville land district and Ohio Company's purchase on the east, to the Scioto river on the west. It includes parts of Franklin, Fairfield, Pickaway, Ross, Athens, Hocking, Jackson, Lawrence, Pike, Scioto, and Gallia counties; but not entirely the whole of either. This is a valuable district of country. The office for the sale of its lands, is kept at Chillicothe; from which circumstance the name is derived.

After the time fixed by law, for the location of U. S. Military warrants, and Refugee claims, had expired, several then vacant sections, and quarter townships, interspersed in various parts of the U. S. Military lands, west of the eleventh range; and also in the Refugee tract; in the year 1803, where ordered to be sold at the Chillicothe land office, and may therefore be considered as attached to, and forming part of said district.

Cincinnati land district comprises that portion of the southwestern quarter of the state, bounded by the old Greenville treaty line on the north, the Ohio river south, the Virginia Military tract and Symmes' purchase east, and the Indiana state line west; and also that part of the state of Indiana, lying east of a line run directly from opposite the mouth of Kentucky river to fort Recovery, at the northwest corner of Dark county. It includes

Green, Warren, Butler, and Hamilton counties in Ohio; besides all Dearborn, and parts of Switzerland, Franklin, Union, Wayne, Randolph, and Adams counties in the state of Indiana.

This district is not, probably, excelled by any other, in the western country, in the fertility of its soil, especially for the production of wheat; and the number and goodness of the various mill seats abounding upon its almost infinitely numerous streams and rivulets. The land office is kept in Cincinnati.

Marietta land district is small, embracing only parts of Belmont, Monroe, and Washington counties. There are no rivers, or streams of any considerable magnitude, excepting the Ohio river, which washes its whole southeastern limits.

It

Piqua land district is in the northwest quarter of the state, adjoining Michigan territory north, the Tiffin district east, Cincinnati district south, and the state of Indiana west. It ambraces the eight first ranges of townships, in the land, purchased of the Indians in 1818. is 48 miles broad, from east to west; and upon an average 85 long from north to south; embracing an area of about 4080 square miles; or 2,611,200 acres of land. This computation, however, includes all the Indian reservations at Wappakonetta, on Blanchard's fork, on the Auglaize, and on St. Mary's rivers; altogether above 120,000 acres; thereby leaving about two and a half millions of acres, sold, and to be sold by the general government, in this district.

It is not yet much settled: but the Ohio Legislature, in 1820, to set at rest, anticipated future trouble in parcelling it out into counties, divided it into seven districts to which they attached the names of Allen, Putnam, Henry, Williams, Paulding, Van Wert, and Mercer, to be organized into separate counties, whenever sufficiently settled. Beside which, about 150 square miles of the district falls within the limits of Shelby county. None of these counties are, however, yet organized; excepting Mercer and Williams.

the contemplated Miami canal, runs centrally through this district. It must, therefore, before many years, become a populous and important section of the state.

Steubenville district includes all Columbiana, Jefferson, and Harrison, and parts of Stark, Tuscarawas, Guernsey, and Belmont counties. It contains extensive bodies of valuable land. A considerable portion of the district, however, is very hilly, and of an indifferently good soil. It has some salt springs, iron ore, and abundance of stone coal.

Tiffin district is composed of the nine easternmost ranges of townships, in the Indian purchase of the year 1818. It extends from Michigan territory and lake Erie on the north, to the old Greenville treaty line south, and from the Connecticut Western Reserve, and the Wooster district on the east, to the Piqua district on the west and comprises about two and a half millions of acres. It is nearly 80 miles long, north and south, and 54 broad, from east to west; and embraces all of Sandusky, Seneca, Hancock, and Wood, and the greater part of Crawford, Marion, and Hardin counties. It is watered by the Maumee, Portage, Sandusky, Scioto, and Whetstone rivers; and by Touisant, Muddy, Muscalunge, Green, Wolf, Tyamochtee, and Honey creeks, and Blanchard's fork of Auglaize river. A considerable portion of the land, in Crawford and Marion counties, is open prairie, called "the Sandusky plains." In Sandusky and Wood counties, bordering upon lake Erie, much of the land is low and marshy. But taking this whole region of country together, it may be considered fertile and valuable. The land office is kept at Tiffin; to which place in 1828, it was removed from Delaware; where it was formerly kept. It was, therefore, formerly called Delaware district.

Wooster district includes the whole of Richland and Wayne, and parts of Stark, Holmes, and Knox counties; and a strip of three miles wide off from the east end of Crawford and Marion counties. This is generally a hilly district of country, and comprises the highest region of land in the state. The land office is kept at Wooster: but during, and previously to the last war, it

was kept at Canton, from which circumstance it was then called Canton district. Salt springs, stone coal, and some iron ore, are found in this district.

Zanesville district embraces the whole of Morgan, and parts of Perry, Muskingum, Guernsey, Monroe, and Washington counties. In Washington county, however, it includes only the six miles square township of Aurelius.

But, as there are a great many quarter townships, in the eastern half of the United States' Military lands, which have not been wanted, to satisfy those warrants, for which they were originally appropriated, these quar ter townships have been surveyed by the general government, into sections of 640 acres each; and such lands situated within the first eleven ranges of said U. S. M. lands, are sold, and to be sold, as other Congress lands are, at the Zanesville land office: and may, therefore, be considered as constituting a part of this district. In this view of the subject, all Muskingum, and Coshocton counties will fall within its limits, and parts of Licking, Knox, Holmes, and the greater part of Tuscarawas, and Guernsey counties.

This district is generally hilly, and comparatively of a poor soil. But, as it is excellently well watered, by the Muskingum river, and its numerous branches, well suited for various mills, has the Ohio grand canal passing through it; and having inexhaustible beds of stone coal, iron ore, and abundance of salt springs, it has already become a populous and wealthy portion of the state; and is rapidly improving.

The seven ranges of townships, are a portion of the Congress lands, so called, being the first ranges of public lands, ever surveyed by the general government, west of the Ohio river. They are bounded on the north by a line drawn due west from the Pennsylvania state line, where it crosses the Ohio river, to the U. S. M. lands, 42 miles; thence south to the Ohio river, at the southeast corner of Marietta township, thence up the river to the place of beginning. It comprises all of Jefferson, Harrison, and Belmont counties, the greater part of