Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-05-28
THE OLD CARVER GRANT.

"There's Millions In IT, for WIndham
County Heirs---Discovery Of the OrIgI-
nal Deed REEVES Interest In an Old
story Ofthe Northwest.
From the Brattleboro letter in the Springfield
Sunday Republican,
The Brattleboro and other Windham
county heirs to the famous Carver grant
have reason to believe that their claim of
title to the Minnesota realty is now more
valuable than at any time since the death
of the original grantee in 1850. The state
ment that there has been discovered in the
town of Chillicothe, o., an old deed which
is supposed to establish the title to about
1000, 900 acres of land known as the Car
yer grant can scarcely help renewing an
interest in the matter, at least among the
heirs to the grant. jonathan Carver, to
whom the land was originally granted by
the Naudowessie Indians, was a native of
Connecticut. His grandfather, William
Carver, was born in England and was a
captain in King Williams army during the
campaign in Ireland. Jonathan's father
was justice of the peace in the new world,
and in 1872 Jonathan was born. He was
of o rowing disposition and when Is years
old he bought an ensgn's commission in
one of the regiments raised during the
French war.
In 1851 he was captain under Col Will
Jams in the battle near Lake George, where
st. Pierre was killed and Carver narrowly
escaped with his life. After peace had
been declared between France and Eng
land in 1868 Carver conceived the idea of
exploring "ths vast continent" for the
benefit of posterity and left Boston in 1866.
He spent the winter of 1867 with the
Naudowessie Indians in what is now Hen
nepin county, Minnesota, He was made a
chief by the Indians, and during the winter
they visited the great cave, which has since
been known as Carver's cave. 1t was at
this cave that Carver, on May l, 1867,
made his farewell speech to the Indians
and it was on that day that the Indians,
because of their respect for Carver and of
his many kindnesses toward them, decided
to him the Carver grant, of which they
held undisputed possession. a copy of
the deed is an heirloom of one of the Brat
tleboro defendants. This tract of land in
cludes within its limits the whole of st.
Paul, much of Minneapolis, the cities of
Saltwater and Hastings and many subur-
ban towns. 1t is impossible to estimate
the value of this land, but it is worth many
millions of dollars.
After the death of Jonathan Carver his
heirs set up claim for the land, but as the
original deed was never exhibited by the
assignees of the Carver heirs, it was i'm
possible 20 establish their title. 1t was
generally conceded that there was an In
dian grant to Jonathan Carver; and Eng
land and parts Of America were secured in
search of the deed, but without avail.
To ,f 10
without regard for possibly conflicting
claims, although this old Carver grant was
frequently run against. In 1906 Samuel
Peters, who had been a tory and a minis
ter during the Revolutionary war. petit
toned Congress for an absolute deed to the
grant on the ground that he had bought Of
Carver's heirs their right to the grant.
Various other claimants have appeared,
but because of the absence of the original
deed they have been unable to establish
their claims.
1t is stated that the original deed has
now been found on record in Chillicothe, o.,
aud here is where the BrattlebOro interest
in the matter comes in. Jonathan Carver
married, in 1916, Abigail Robbins, whose
grave is in Brandon. They had seven
children. A daughter, Sarah, married Sam
uel Church, and one of their children,
Martha Church, married Thomas Butter
field. Julia Buttertield, a daughter of
Thomas, married Edward A. Graves, and
their surviving children are: Mrs. Erastus
Tyler of Vernon, Mrs. j. Z. Gale of Gull
ford, Mrs. f. w. Weeks of Brattleboro,
Frank Graves of Indian Orchard, Mass,
and Edwin F. Graves of South Vernon.
Besides Martha Church only one of Sarah
! Carver Church's children married, and
the only living descendent, so far as known,
is Cyrus Church of Walpole, n. H., who is
an old man. Sarah Carver Church. a
| great-grandmother of the Windham county
heirs to the Carver estate, once sold 49, 0C
acres of her share of the grant for l0C
| Spanish mill dollars, but because she could
not prove her title to the land the buyer
would not accept the transfer and the land
now belongs to her heirs.
1t is an interesting story and an effort tc
| prove their right to the grant is being made
by the Carver heirs, but what will be the
result of their efforts is a matter of con
| lecture.
N