Daily globe., 1883-07-21
IT COSTS NOTHING.
A Claim "a a Large Part of the Business
Property of Chicago by Member Oft the
Smith Family.

A Claim 10 a Large Part of the Business
Property of Chicago by Member of the
Smith Family.
Especial Telegram 10 the Globe.l
CHICAGO, July ia family in Ridley,
Butte county, CAL, have discovered within
the last two or three weeks that they own
large part of the land on which Chicago
now stands. There is scarcely city from
Boston to San Francisco part of which
has not at some time been claimed by
some person whose father came over with
the Pilgrims. John Smith purchased land,
moved West, nislaid, died, the land be-
comes the commercial center of the city,
sQuatter sovereignty asserted, when i'm
posing buildings rise upon the site of the
once barren tract, the heirs Of the original
purchaser are discovered and lay claim to
the property and fail TO get it. The story
is an old one, but it has found a rehearsal
in the case Of Chicago. The
claimant, as usual. is named
Smith. First name Nehemiah. The cir
cumstances leading to his sudden posses
sion OF large part of the city are related
by the Ridley Herald of recent date, are to
the effect that the father of Nehemiah,
who now is wood chopper in Pine slopes
of Butte, whose name, also Smith. settled
at Fort Dearborn in 1910. At that time
the fort was the present site of Chicago,
and was garrisoned by a company of
United States troops. Shortly after he
took up his residence, Smith purchased
$50 acres of government land. 1t lay
near the fort, but was inhabited by Indians
and game, and probably on that account
the former Smith did not cultivate it. but
allowed it to lie idle. He had deed to it,
however, kept it locked up in an old
trunk, and had wife and four sons. In
1850 he died and left the deed with his
wife. Two years later Mrs. Smith fol-
lowed him. Her death was sudden and
unexpected. Her children separated and
drifted away. There is such a noble army
Of Smiths that it is i'm apostolic to trace but
one OF four particular ones of that name.
He is now Nehemiah Smith, who chops
wood in the pine forests of Butte county,
California. He had two cousins, J. E.
Ninson and VIM. Bond, both of Ridley.
The former, having heard rumors of his
uncle's early purchases near Fort Dear
born, surmised there might be something
in it, and therefore instituted a search
among the records at Springfield through
an attorney. After three years his efforts
were successful. The lawyer dis
covered titles to 153 acres of land
in the heart Of Chicago. The
purchaser was Smith. The record shows
the hour, minute and second the land was
bought and the price paid. The tract is
between Washington and Kenzie streets.
from Clark to Desplanes. Among other
remarkable things the lawyer found was
that it is occupied and professedly owned
by parties who have 70 legal right. The
value of the land is from $1OO,0OOO00 to
$l30,000,00O. It is expected that the
estate will be settled up and each Of the
heirs receive just share in six months.
The evidence is sufficient to settle the
question of ownship. The only thing the
heirs have to do is to prove relationship.
This, the article says, they can readily do,
as there are several others beside Mr..
Wilson'S aged father still living who can
testify from personal knowledge and sub
stantiate the lineage of the heirs