The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1938-02-10
SURVEY OF THE MILITARY LOTS
Col. Francis Deakins' Report


In compliance with a Resolution OF
the General Assembly of the State OF
Maryland of the Goth day of May
1887, and Commission from the Gov.
ernor and Council to me directed
Bearing date the 18th of June, 1887
for the purpose of surveying and lay.
ing out the Reserve Lands to the
Westward of Fort Cumberland into
convenient lots of so acres each, &c
l Hereby Certify that l have care
fully Surveyed for the State aforesaid
4163 lots Of so acres each lying anC
being in Washington county and State
aforesaid, and on the Manors, reserves
and Confiscated lands to the Westward
of Fort Cumberland, as will appear by
a general plat thereof and certificates
numbered in Rotation from 1 to 416f
in this Book and another titled Led
ger 3.
(Signed) FRANCIS DEAKINS
This is Colonel Deakins' preface tc
his report to the Governor and Coun-
ell of Maryland, followed by survey
notes of each lot-courses and dis.
tances. The complete report fills two
bound, hand-written volumes which
are now on file in the Land Office at
Annapolis. A plat of the lands "West-
ward of Fort Cumberland" accompan-
led the report, showing the older sur
veys as well as the lots surveyed.
The total area of the Military Lots
was 208,150 acres. About 10000 acres
of this was already occupied by set
tlers-"squatters"-who had settled
on the reserve lands without any legal
right or title. In a supplementary re-
port Deakins gives the names Of 1923
such settlers and the 636 lots they
claimed. This is the first list we have
of the inhabitants of western Allie
gany and Garrett counties. 1t is a
fairly complete Census" of the heads
of families in 1887, since it appears
that the surveyors included the land of
nearly every squatter in the lot sur
vey; even those living on older sur
veys, such as Jesse Tomlinson and
Richard Hall, laid claim to adjoining
lots. The list also includes some who
never resided here-Normand Bruce
Paul Hoye and others-but who
owned land adjoining the lots. Of the
1923 settlers reported less than half
became permanent residents; doubt
less some came that same spring and
summer of 1887, when they heard of
the survey, hoping to get free or very
cheap lands; many were of rowing
and moved on to the great
West.
Nevertheless the survey and open
ing up to settlement of this State land
gave a great impetus to the settle
ment of the extreme western part of
Maryland. The growth of Cumberland
which became an organized town that
same year, and the rapid settlement OF
the reserved lands made it possible
two years later to organize the new
county of Allegany. The ten years
following the survey of the Military
Lots was a period or rapid growth
westward of Fort Cumberland"
History of the Survey of Military Lots
The Military Lots westward OF
Fort Cumberland" are unique in the
land history of Maryland. They con-
stitute the most important survey
made in that locality and are the basis
of most of the land titles in western
Allegany and Garrett counties.
In order to encourage enlistment
and continued service in the Revolu.
tionary Army, the General Assembly
by an act approved October 81, 1777
provided bounty of fifty acres oil
land for each Maryland soldier who
should serve at least three years IL
the Continental Army, the State mill
tiamen were not included in the prom
Used bounty.
An act of the General Assembly Of
1881 reserved all the unpatented lands
westward of Fort Cumberland" fol
Revolutionary soldiers, i. e., almost al
of the extreme western part Of Wash
ington county, which included all Of
Lord Baltimore's extensive manor'
here-all the Proprietors lands which
the State had confscated in 1776; but
beginning in 1855, the State issuet
patents to citizens to whom Baltimore
had issued warrants and who had made
surveys under these warrants in IVA
Six years after the war, in 1887, the
State finally took steps to fulfil. 1T
promise to the veterans; on the lit
of June the Governor and Council ap
pointed Col. Francis Deakins, o.
Georgetown, to survey the reserve:
lands into suitable lots.
Col. Deakins selected as his assis
tants ten surveyors, viz: Henri!
Kemp, Daniel Cresap, Lawrence Brin
gle, Benjamin Price, John Tomhnson
Io,os Uoorire Thomas Oln1. job.