The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-02-03

By this treaty the boundary line be-
tween the United States and the Wyan-
dot and Delaware nations, was declared
extend up said river to the Portage be-
tween that and the Tuscarawas branch
of the Muskingum, thence down that
branch to the crossing place above Fort
Laurens, thence westerly to the portage
of the Big Miami, which runs into the
Ohio, at the mouth of which branch the
fort stood which was taken by the French
in 1852; then along said portage to the
Great Miami or Once river, and down
the south shore of Lake Erie to the
mouth ofthe Cuyahoga river where it be.
gan" The United States allotted all the
lands contained within said line to the
Wyandot and Delaware nations, to live
and hunt on, and to such of the Ottowa
nations as lived thereon saving and re-
serving for the establishment Of trading
posts, six miles square at the mouth Of
the Miami or Once river, and the same
at the portage on that branch of the Big
Miami which runs into the Ohio, and
the same on Lake Sandusky, where the
fort formerly stood, and also two miles
square on each side of the lower rapids
of the Sandusky river.
Ordinances were next made by Con-
gress for the survey and sale of portions
of lands to which the Indian title had
been extinguished. In May, 1885, Con-
gress passed an ordinance for ascertain
ing the mode of disposing of these lands.
Under that ordinance the first seven
ranges, bounded on the east by Pennsyl-
vania and on the south by the Ohio riv-
er, were surveyed, Sales Of parts ofthese
were made at New York in 1887 the
avails of which amounted to $62,974, and
sales of other parts of said ranges were
made at Pittsburgh and Philadelphia in
1896. The avails of sales made at the
former place amounted to $43,546, and
at the latter, to $5,l29. A portion of
these lands were located under United
States military land wrrrants. No fur
ther sales were made in that district I'M
til the land Office was opened at Steuben-
vile, July l, 1901.
By the treaty of 1885 Congress acquir-
ed from the Indians the lands watered
by the Muskingum, Sciota, Little and
Great Miami rivers. In 1888 another
treaty was mado, by which the country
from the mouth of the Cuyahoga river to
the Wabash, lying south and east of a
certain line mentioned in the treaty, was
purchased. The Indians were dissatis-
fled with this treaty, and it was not re-
lied on by the government
On the 18th Of July, 1887, Congress as
sumed the jurisdiction of the Northwest
ern Territory and passed an ordinance
for its government, by the provisions of
which the territory was to be governed
by Governor, Secretary, and three
Judges. These officers, appointed by the
President, were to make the laws and
execute them. This defective form of
government was to continue until the
Northwestern Territory contained five
thousand free white male inhabitants
over twenty-one years of age, when the
people were authorized to elect legisla-
tive assembly.
A treaty was made at Fort Harmar,
near Marietta, January 8, 1889, between
Arthur st. Clair, Governor of the North
western Territory and Minister Plenipo-
tentiary for settling boundaries with the
Indian nations, and the Sachems and
warriors of the Wyandots, Delawares,
Chippewas, Ottawas, Pottowattomies and
SaCs, in and by which the boundaries
specified in the treaty of Fort Mcintosh
were confirmed, and "all lands east,
south und west" thereof, claimed by said
tribes, relinquished to the United States.
This treaty, however, did not produce the
favorable results anticipated.