RG 87-153 Surveys of Private Claims, 1807-1877

Object Type: Folder
In Folder: Survey Notes

▲

Expand to Show Metadata

RG 87-153 Surveys of Private Claims, 1807-1877

RG 87-153

Item Data

Title: RG 87-153 Surveys of Private Claims, 1807-1877

Collection Number: RG 87-153

Scope and Content: consists of surveys of private claims by Aaron Greely, conducted in 1809-1810. Included in the notes comprising the series are Greely's descriptions of the boundaries of the various private claims. The data includes claim number, the metes and bounds of the tracts, date, and name of claimant. Each sheet of original notes has been repaired and laminated. The typescript version is a verbatim copy of the original. Arranged in numerical order from 1 to 750, some of the numbers between these extremes are for claims in other parts of the then territory of Michigan. See Appendix 1 for a list of the numbers that are missing from this set and, thus, presumably now located in other states. A list of included claims with details can be found in Silas Farmer's History of Detroit and Wayne County, pages 981-986.

Division: Real Estate

Agency: Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Surveyor: Greeley, Aaron, 1773-1820

Language: english

Type of Resource: text

Genre: survey notes

Digital Origin: reformatted digita

Subject: Michigan -- Surveys

Subject: Land grants -- Michigan

Subject: Michigan -- Claims

Inclusive Dates: 1809-1810

Location of Originals: Archives of Michigan

Use Restrictions: Please contact the Archives of Michigan for permission to publish.

Access Restrictions: To preserve the original items, this collection is only available online.

Notes

Other: Researchers should note this is only a partial representation of the collection.

Biography or Historical Note: Prior to the time the U.S. government gained control over what is now Michigan (July 1, 1796), the territory had been under the jurisdiction of the French and British. These powers had granted lands to many individuals, but records documenting these acts had been lost or destroyed, usually during times of war. Consequently, few people had title to their lands or even knew with precision the boundaries of their tracts. To solve this problem, Congress passed an act on March 3, 1805, authorizing commissioners to examine and report on all land claims in the Detroit district. Six classes of titles were to be evaluated: Grants by French governors confirmed by the King; Grants by French governors not confirmed by the crown; Occupancies by permission of French commandments; Occupancies without permission, but with undisturbed tenure; Occupany or possession from the British or Indians; Occupany or possession from the Americans. After the commissioners had studied the various claims, they passed judgement on the merits of each. Those that had been approved had to be surveyed, which Congress had authorized by an act passed on March 3, 1807. Aaron Greely was hired to do this job. He commenced the surveys during the winter of 1809 and finished in November of 1810. On April 23, 1812, Congress confirmed his findings, making them the authority in matters relating to private claims. The patents for the lands confirmed through Greely's survey reached Detroit just before or during the War of 1812, and they were seized or destroyed by the British. This loss probably required subsequent field work in the areas by surveyors. In addition to grants of land along the rivers, however, the commandants at Detroit made awards of property known as "second," "rear" or "back" concessions. Greely had usually failed to include these informal grants in his survey, so many residents in southeastern Michigan appealed to Congress for relief. Eventually, about a hundred claims were approved. Problems establishing the precise boundaries of these tracts continued for many years. Congress laid the ground rules for confirming the remaining land claims in 1823. The process began in 1823 and was pretty much completed by 1828. The major exception to this was Sault Ste. Marie, where matters were so confusing, no decision could be made. In 1850, Congress authorized new commissioners to investigate and survey the various claims. By April of 1855, 121 of the 157 claims submitted had been confirmed.

System of arrangement: Records are arranged as received.

Technical Access Note: Researchers will need an image viewer to access these files.

Show More ▼