Refugee Tract
Encyclopedia
The Refugee Tract is an area of land in Ohio
, United States
granted to people from British Canada who left home prior to July 4, 1776, stayed in the US
until November 25, 1783 continuously, and aided the revolutionary cause.
, Fairfield
, Licking
and Perry County, Ohio
. It extends for 42 miles (67.6 km) eastward from the Scioto River
along the south line of the United States Military District
. For the first 30 miles (48.3 km) it is four and one half miles wide, and for the easternmost twelve miles (19 km) it is 3 miles (4.8 km) wide.
, there were certain men of Canada
and Nova Scotia
, who sympathized with, and rendered aid to the United States
, some of them joining the American Army. For this lack of loyalty to the Crown of Great Britain
, that government confiscated their possessions. For their co-operation with the colonists, in their struggle for independence, the government of the United States caused this strip of land to be granted them.
In 1783 and 1785, the Congress
promised to compensate the Canadians with land as soon as it was possible to do so. The Land Ordinance of 1785
reserved “three townships adjacent to Lake Erie
” for their use. This land belonged to Connecticut
, and so was not theirs to promise. In 1798, Congress published advertisements in newspapers inviting those with claims to file an account within two years. The Secretaries of Treasury and War examined the testimonies to determine the quantity of land each should receive. Acts of February 18, 1801 and April 23, 1812 named a total of 67 claimants to receive 58080 acres (235 km²), in the amounts of 2240, 1280, 960, 640, 320, and 160 acre (0.6474976 km²). The claimants land was selected by drawing lots. An act of April 29, 1816 authorized the Chillicothe
Land Office
to sell the unclaimed 45477 acres (184 km²) as Congress Lands
. Several men who missed the deadline for claiming land were compensated with land in other parts of the country in the 1820s and 1830s.
In Columbus
the Refugee Grant lies approximately between Fifth Avenue on the north and Refugee Road on the south. The Ohio Statehouse
and most downtown office buildings are located within the tract.
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
granted to people from British Canada who left home prior to July 4, 1776, stayed in the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
until November 25, 1783 continuously, and aided the revolutionary cause.
Location
The Refugee Tract of 103527 acres (419 km²) is located in parts of FranklinFranklin County, Ohio
Franklin County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. In 2010 the population was 1,163,414, making it the second largest county in Ohio and the 34th largest county in population in the United States. Franklin County is also the largest in the eight-county Columbus, Ohio...
, Fairfield
Fairfield County, Ohio
Fairfield County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of 2010, the population was 146,156. Its county seat is Lancaster. Its name is a reference to the Fairfield area of the original Lancaster....
, Licking
Licking County, Ohio
Licking County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 166,492. Its county seat is Newark and is named for the salt licks that were in the area....
and Perry County, Ohio
Perry County, Ohio
Perry County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. Founded on March 1, 1818, it was the 55th county to be formed in Ohio. Portions of Fairfield, Washington and Muskingum Counties were taken to create Perry County. As of the 2010 census, the population was 36,058. Its county seat...
. It extends for 42 miles (67.6 km) eastward from the Scioto River
Scioto River
The Scioto River is a river in central and southern Ohio more than 231 miles in length. It rises in Auglaize County in west central Ohio, flows through Columbus, Ohio, where it collects its largest tributary, the Olentangy River, and meets the Ohio River at Portsmouth...
along the south line of the United States Military District
United States Military District
The United States Military District was a land tract in central Ohio that was established by the Congress to compensate veterans of the American Revolutionary War for their service...
. For the first 30 miles (48.3 km) it is four and one half miles wide, and for the easternmost twelve miles (19 km) it is 3 miles (4.8 km) wide.
History
During the American Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, there were certain men of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, who sympathized with, and rendered aid to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, some of them joining the American Army. For this lack of loyalty to the Crown of Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, that government confiscated their possessions. For their co-operation with the colonists, in their struggle for independence, the government of the United States caused this strip of land to be granted them.
In 1783 and 1785, the Congress
Congress of the Confederation
The Congress of the Confederation or the United States in Congress Assembled was the governing body of the United States of America that existed from March 1, 1781, to March 4, 1789. It comprised delegates appointed by the legislatures of the states. It was the immediate successor to the Second...
promised to compensate the Canadians with land as soon as it was possible to do so. The Land Ordinance of 1785
Land Ordinance of 1785
The Land Ordinance of 1785 was adopted by the United States Congress on May 20, 1785. Under the Articles of Confederation, Congress did not have the power to raise revenue by direct taxation of the inhabitants of the United States...
reserved “three townships adjacent to Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
” for their use. This land belonged to Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, and so was not theirs to promise. In 1798, Congress published advertisements in newspapers inviting those with claims to file an account within two years. The Secretaries of Treasury and War examined the testimonies to determine the quantity of land each should receive. Acts of February 18, 1801 and April 23, 1812 named a total of 67 claimants to receive 58080 acres (235 km²), in the amounts of 2240, 1280, 960, 640, 320, and 160 acre (0.6474976 km²). The claimants land was selected by drawing lots. An act of April 29, 1816 authorized the Chillicothe
Chillicothe, Ohio
Chillicothe is a city in and the county seat of Ross County, Ohio, United States.Chillicothe was the first and third capital of Ohio and is located in southern Ohio along the Scioto River. The name comes from the Shawnee name Chalahgawtha, meaning "principal town", as it was a major settlement of...
Land Office
General Land Office
The General Land Office was an independent agency of the United States government responsible for public domain lands in the United States. It was created in 1812 to take over functions previously conducted by the United States Department of the Treasury...
to sell the unclaimed 45477 acres (184 km²) as Congress Lands
Congress Lands
The Congress Lands was a group of land tracts in Ohio that made land available for sale to members of the general public through land offices in various cities, and through the General Land Office...
. Several men who missed the deadline for claiming land were compensated with land in other parts of the country in the 1820s and 1830s.
In Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
the Refugee Grant lies approximately between Fifth Avenue on the north and Refugee Road on the south. The Ohio Statehouse
Ohio Statehouse
The Ohio Statehouse, located in Columbus, Ohio, is the house of government for the state of Ohio. The Greek Revival building houses the Ohio General Assembly and the ceremonial offices of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Treasurer, and Auditor....
and most downtown office buildings are located within the tract.
See also
- Ohio LandsOhio LandsThe Ohio Lands were the myriad grants, tracts, districts and cessions which make up what is now the U.S. state of Ohio. The Ohio Country was one of the first settled parts of the Midwest, and indeed one of the first settled parts of the United States beyond the original 13 colonies...
- Historic regions of the United StatesHistoric regions of the United StatesThis is a list of historic regions of the United States.-Colonial era :-The Thirteen Colonies:* Connecticut Colony* Delaware Colony* Province of Georgia* Province of Maryland...
| Grant (acres) |
Claimants |
|---|---|
| 2240 | Martha Walker, Widow of Thomas Walker, John Edgar, P. Francis Cazeau, John Allen, Seth Harding, Samuel Rogers, Heirs of James Boyd |
| 1280 | Jonathan Eddy, Col. James Livingston, Parker Clark, Heirs of John Dodge |
| 960 | Thomas Faulkner, Edward Faulkner, David Gay, Martin Brooks, Lt. Col. Bradford, Noah Miller, Joshua Lamb, Atwood Fales, Charlotte Hazen, Widow of Moses Hazen, Chloe Shannon, Heir to Obadiah Ayer, Heirs of Elijah Ayer, Heirs of Israel Ruland, Heirs of Nataniel Reynolds, Heirs of Edward Antill, Joshua Sprague, John Starr, William How, Ebenezer Gardner, Lewis F. Delesdernier, John McGown, Jonas C. Minot, Heirs of Simeon Chester |
| 640 | Jacob Vander Heyden, John Livingston, James Crawford, Isaac Danks, Maj. B. von Heer, Benjamin Thompson, Joseph Bindon, Joseph Levittre, Lt. William Maxwell, John D. Mercier, James Price, Seth Noble, Martha Bogart Heir of Abraham Bogart, John Halsted, Robert Sharp, John Fulton, John Morrison |
| 320 | James Sprague, David Dickey, John Taylor, Heirs of Gilbert Seamans, Heirs of Anthony Burk, Elijah Ayer Jr., David Jenks, Ambrose Cole, James Cole, Adam Johnson, Heirs of Col. Jeremiah Duggan, Daniel Earl Jr., John Paskell, Edward Chinn, Joseph Cone, John Torreyre |
| 160 | Samuel Fales |