The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1886-04-14
AN OLD SPANISH GRANT.
Miss Eliza Abbott, of This City, an Heir to
Certain st. Louis Property.

Miss Eliza Abbott, seamstress residing at
13s East New York street, IS party to GER
tam proceedings about to be instituted in
the Interior Department at Washington, and
which will be OF more than ordinary inter-
est to some of the large property owners OF
ST. Louis. Just prior to the final cession OF
their territory in America to the French, the
Spanish Government made a grant of land
lying near st. Louis to Captain Will
liam Armstrong IN payment for certain
services rendered by him. The grant en-
braced a number of acres living in the
Prairie Des NOyes' common field) and in
1921, the United States having in the mean
time purchased the territory from France,
Congress confirmed the grant to him and his
heirs. Captain Armstrong died intestate
several years later, and his property was ad-
miniStered upon by the court, his papers
reaching the hands of his brother, but no
action being taken to dispose of the grant,
OF which indeed the court administrator did
not know he was possessed. While looking
through some of his fathers papers, Judge
c. I. Armstrong, of Kentucky, a grand
nephew OF Captain Armstrong, and a cousin
of Miss Abbott discovered a parchment
copy OF the old Spanish grant, and instituted
an inquiry into the matter. From records
In the department at Washington it was
found that the identity of the grant had
been lost in subsequent surveys, and an APP
plication for re-survey of the land was
filed with the department.
The land consists of a n7mber of acres
lying in the southeast part of st. Louis. and
is included in a section which embraces
some Of the important avenues and many
palatial residences. All the necessary
evidence regarding heirship has been OBJ
tanned, and as this Is a condition precedent
to ordering resurvey of the land. ii will be
presented to the Department at once. Judge
Armstrong is in possession of number of
papers relating to the grant, and exhibits as
family heirloom an elegant sword pre-
sented to Captain Armstrong by the Spanish
Government
The property, which at the time the
grant was made was of little value, is now
within the boundaries of one of the largest
cities OF the West, and possesses a value that
can only be cOnjectured. 1t is safe to
say that 1t will prove handsome fortune to
each of the heirs il recovered uEder the pro-
ceedipgs about to be instituted. During an
investigation in st. Louis Judge Armstrong;
attorney discovered that something more
than square in the portion OF the city al
luded to is now held by one man, and in
tracing back this title il is found that it rests
alone upon squatter's title. The exact To-
put this clrcun stance is regarded as evidence
that the Armstrong grant ana the highly i'm
proved square are identical
There are now fouI heirs to the grant
Judge Armstrong and brother, who reside in
Kentucky; Miss Eliza Abbott Of this city.
and a sister of the latter who is married and
lives at Winchester. Miss Abbott came from
Greensburg to this city some years ago, and
is now engaged in earning livelihood with
her needle while property which is hers by
right is held by another in the future great.