Ypsilanti sentinel. [volume] (Ypsilanti, Washtenaw Co., Mich.) 1843-1900, 1847-01-06
Holland Land Purchase i'm the
western part of the State OF New

IOlkstn0 ~ I'M
Western part of the State OF New
York.
BATAVIA, Genesee Co. N. Y. Dec. 5.
To the Editor Of The Tribune:
Dear Sir: | see that you are denounced In
various quarters for advocating the Right OF
Man to the Soil, and for wishing to reserve the
Public Land for the poor and landless citizens
of our country, with limitation to Land mo-
nopoly, so as to secure the coming generations
the possibility OF obtaining portion of the earth
1.-THE common inhertpnce of the Race) not as
tenants at will, but as freeholders.
Allow me to state briefly the history of the
sale of the Western part of the State of New
York, embracing all that section of country
west of line running from the boundary OF
the State ofPennsylvania due North to LakeOn-
tario, which line passes through the center OF
Seneca Lake, Immediately East of Geneva.
This tract contains about 100000 acres OF
land, and comprises the Counties of Wayne.
Ontario, Yates, Steuben, Allegany, Livingston,
Monroe, Orleans, Genesee, Wyoming, Cattar-
angus, Chautauque, Erie and Niagara.
In the year l777 or '78 a Mr.. Phelps of Sa-
lisbury, Conn. then without means or capital,
and engaged in very humble branch of COM
mercial pursuits, conceived the bold project Of
buying this immense tract of territory from the
State of Massachusetts,, which was the owner
of it. The State of Newly held the legal
jurisdiction, but the pre-emptive right to the
soil was vested in Massachusetts. He propos-
ed to Mr.. Graham of Boston, TO join him in
the purchase, he being man oil some capital.
The purchase was made by these two operators
for less it is believed, than six cents an acre.
The lands were purchased on credit, and the
buyers had the right to pay in the certificates
of the State, which were then selling for Is. Cd
in the pound. This fact being known it caused
the certificates to rise to par value, and the
purchasers becoming alarmed relinquished all
the lands lying west of Genosee River, and com
prising four millions and half of acres.
Mr.. Phelps then proposed to Robert Morris
of Philadelphia, wealthy merchant and an
extensive operator, to Join him in the repurchase
of the lands relinqushed. After some negotia-
tons they were unable to buy jointly, and Ro-
bert Morris bought them on his own individual
account through the medium of his agent Sam
uel Ogden of New-Jesey.
I He paid for the 100000 acres $685. 1888, or
"a fraction under seven and half cents per acre.
This purchase was made, | think, in 1892.
The same or the following year, Robert Nor
rls sold three millions three hundred thousand
acres of these lands to company of capitalists
III IlOlldHU IOT CSlilS I'LL tiC
operation about $500, 900, besides reserving l.
100000 acres, which he sold in tracts to vari-
Gus persons.
The Indian title was extingushed in Septem-
Der, 1897, for 100000, which sum was paid
by Robert Morris.
The Holland Land Company had their lands
surveyed into townships in '9S and 80, and
opened them for sale to settlers 10 February,
1901. They were sold to the settlers, who gem
orally were from the New-England States, at
an average of 81 per acre, on credit.
In 1887 the Holland Land Company sold out
the lands remaining on hand, together with the
debts due to them by the settlers, to several
companies. The total receipts of this compa-
ny, including the final sale, amounted to over
Sl2,000,000.
There is debt of several millions still due
from the settlers, secured by mortgages. These
mortgages are held by the companies that pur-
chased in 1887, and by some Trust Companies
in NewYork that loaned the money to make
the purchases.
In reviewing this operation we see that the
State of Massachusetts sold a vast extent of
territory to Philadelphia merchant for 7. cts
an acre. Uet me remark that Massachusetts
received the title to the land by a grant from,
the English Groom, rather questionable title,
we should think, for Americans who, by revo-
luton. had thrown off and trampled under foot
the political claims of that anthority.)
Robert Morris sold the larger part of this ter
ritory to Foreign Company for 37a cents per
acre, and this Company sold it to the actual
settlers to the men who came to cultivate it,
for So per acre.
The men who settled the country, were, as
| said, New Englanders, and many Of them from
Massachusetts; and thus this State saw, in
few years, lands which she had sold for u cents
an acre pass through the hands of a Merchant
and Foreign Company and re-sold to her own
sons for s. Per acre.
And the men and the sons of the men who
had fought so valiantly to disenthral themrelves
from the political yoke of Great Britain, left
their homes, came 10 wilderness, and gave the
profits of their labor during good portion Of
their lives to pay to merchant and Foreign
Company their profits on lands The titleto ichich
,ras derircd from Great Britain!!!
But this is only the beginning of the evil
The sales of these lands on credit proved most
disastrous to the settlers. Previous to the con-
of the Erie Canal, completed in 1925,
produce generally sold extremely low, or there
was no sale for it. l have seen wheat sold
in this town at 49, cents bushe and pay ia
ken IN goods, upon which one hundred per cent
profit no doubt was made.
Interests accumulated on the mortgages of
the settlers, and so enormously was the debt,
resting on the country, increased, that con-
portion of the lands, with the improve
ments put upon them, were not worth the in
The settlers also in many cases
mortgaged the farms, which they had paid for,
to the Merchants with whom they traded, and
in some cases to Lawyers and Banks.
Taking general survey Of the country, we
find large portion of the farms pledged for the
original purchase money, or mortgaged or sold
to Merchants, Lawyers, Banks, &c. five fol-
low the fate of the early settlers, who first came
in and cultivation the lands, it will be found
land state this from the best information /
can obtain on the subject) that not more than
one farmer in ten ever paid for the. farm. whieh
he had taken up and cleared.
Some were obliged to sell at great sacrifices
to those who had the means of paying; the