Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-07-21
A Wagon Road to Lake Superior.

| We are indebted to our Watchful Eepre SEN
tative, Hon Walter D. McIndoe, for copy OF
the law granting lands for the construction
of a Wagon road from Wausau to OntonaSon,
which we transfer to our columns
AN ACT granting lands to the State Of Wis
consin to build a Military road to Lake
! Superior
| Be it enacted 6y tie Senate and House Of Rep
resentatires Of the United States Of america in
| Couoress assembled, That there be and is
| hereby granted to the State eff Wisconsin,
| to aid in the construction of military wagon
| road from Wausau, Marathon county, ,WHeon-
| sin, following the Wisconsin river as far as
! Skonowang. and from thence on the most
! feasible and direct route, to point on the
State line between the State of Wisconsin and
Michigan. in direct line to Ontonagoa, on
Lake Superior, every alternate section OF
public land, not mineral designated by odd
numbers for three sections in width on each
side of said road But in case it shall ap-
pear that the United States have, when the
line or route of said road is definitely fixed,
sold. reserved, or otherwise disposed of any
section or any part thereof, granted as afore
said, or that the right Of pre-emption or
homestead settlement has attached to the
same, then it sha!! be the duty of the Sec
retary of the Interior to set apart from the
public lands of the United States, as herin-
before described, designated By odd numbers,
as near to said even sec ton aforesaid as may
be, and the same Shall be located within six
miles of said road, so much land as shall be
equal to such lands as the United States have
sold or otherwise appropriated, or to which
the right of pre- emption o. homestead set
Element has attached which lands, (thus Sc
Iected in lieu of those sold, reserved, or
otherwise appropriated, and to which the
righ; of presumption or homestead settlement
has attached as aforesaid together with the
sections and parts of sections designated by
odd numbers as aforesaid, and approved as
aforesaid shall be held by the Sttre of Wis
consin for the use and purp ,se aforesaid:
Ptouided, That the lands hereby granted
shall be exclusively applied in the construc-
tion of that road, for and on account of
which such lands are hereby granted, and
shall be disposed Of only as the work pre-
crosses, and the same shall be applied to
no other purpose whatever: P'oyided fi.ltAer,
That any ana all lands heretofore reserved TO
the United States, Or granted by any &C; Of
Congress, or in any other manner by compc.
tent authority, for the purpose Of aiding in
any object Of internal improvement, OR for
any other purpose whatsoever, be and the
same is hereby reserved and excluded from
the operation of this act, except SO far as it
may be found necessary to locate the route
of said road through such reserved lands, in
which the right of way only shall be granted.
Sec. 2. and he it further enacted, That the
said lands hereby granted to the said State
shall be subject to the disposal of the legis-
iature thereon, for the purposes aforesaid and
no other; and the said road shall be and re-
main public Highway for Ii.e Use Of the
Government cf the United States, free from
tolls or other charge upon the transportation
OF any property, troops or mails Of the Cni-
ted states.
Sec. 3 Aad be Il }ur,'er enacted That the
lasds hereby granted to said State, shall be
disposed Of only in the following manner
that is to say, when the said Governor
shall certify to the Secretary of the Inte-
rior that any ten consecutive miles of said
road have been completed under the pro-
visions of this act, and in accordance with
the fourth section of this act stating def
nitely where the said completed section of
said road commences and where it termi-
mates, it shall be the duty of said Sccre
tary to cause patents to issue to said State,
for three sections of land for each mile of
road thus completed aforesaid and so on
until the whole of said ~oad is completed ::
Prouided faftter, That no patent shall be
given for any of the aforesaid lands before
the completion If ten consecutive miles of
road, or for any road, or for any part Of any
road, made before the passage Of this act, or
for any greater quantity than thirty sections
for each ten miles completed according to
the provisions of this act: and if said road
is not completed within five rears no further
sales shall be made, and the ianis unsold
shall revert to the United States.
Sec. 4. A1td be 1t further enacted, That said
military road shall be constructed unde- the
direction Of such agents or commissioners as
the Governor of said State may appoint, and
where it passes through timbered lands shall
be chopped out a uniform width of at least
six rods. The road bed proper to be not less
than thirty-two feet wide and constructed
with ample bitches, on both sides, so as to af-
ford sufficient drains, with good and snbstan-
tiai bridges and proper cuiverts and sluces
where necessary. All stumps and roots to be
thoroughly grubbed out between the bitches
the entire length of said road the central
portion of which to be sufficiently raised to
afford a dry road-bed by means Of drainage
from the centre to the side bitches; the hills
to be levelled and valleys raised so as to
make as easy grade as practicable.
Approved June %, 1864.