Proclamation Creating Adams County, 1797


ADVERTISEMENT`

PROCLAMATION CREATING ADAMS COUNTY

[OHS:Sargent Papers:ADS]

[July 10, 1797]

Territory of the United States Northwest of the river Ohio

By Winthrop Sargent acting as Governour— [L. s.]

To all persons unto whom these Presents shall come. Greeting

Whereas by an Ordinance of Congress bearing Date—the thirteenth of July one thousand seven hundred and Eighty seven for the Settlement of the Territory of the United States Northwest of the river Ohio it has been provided that for the due Execution of Process civil and criminal the Governour shall make proper Division of the said Territory and proceed from Time to time as Circumstances may require to lay out the parts of the same into Counties and Townships

And whereas it has been represented to me that the population in the County of Hamilton has so increased as to render a Division thereof necessary, for the purposes before mentioned66—And that a new County should be erected, including therein some of the Lands appetaining to Washington County—Now know ye therefore—That in Virtue of the powers vested in me by the United States, I do by these Presents order and Ordain (any Ordinances of the Governour heretofore published notwithstanding) that all and singular the Lands lying and being within the following Boundaries Viz:

Beginning, upon the Ohio river at the upper Boundary of that Tract of twenty four thousand acres of Land granted unto the French inhabitants of Gallipolis by an Act of the Congress of the United States bearing Date the third of March one thousand seven hundred and ninety five—thence down the said Ohio river to the mouth of Elk river (generally known by the name of Eagle Creek) and up with the principal Water of the said Elk river or Eagle Creek to its Source or head—thence by a due north Line to the Southern Boundary of Wayne County and easterly along said Boundary so far that a due South Line shall meet the interior point of the upper Boundary of the aforesaid Tract of Land of twenty four thousand Acres, and with said boundary to the place of Beginning

Shall be a County Named and hereafter to be known and called by the Name of the County of Adams—which said County of Adams shall have and enjoy all and singular the Jurisdictions, rights, Liberties and Immunities whatsoever to a County appertaining, and which any County that now is, or hereafter may be erected and Laid off shall or ought to enjoy Conformably to the ordinance of Congress before mentioned—

In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the public Seal this tenth Day of July a.d. one Thousand seven hundred and ninety seven and of the Independence of the United States the twenty second67

Winthrop Sargent

[Endorsed] Ord. erecting the county of Adams

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66See Nathaniel Massie to Sargent, May 1, 1797, Sargent Papers (MHS), embodying recommendations as to the boundary of the proposed new county and enclosing a petition from settlers in the vicinity of Brush Creek relative to the location of the county seat. The enclosure is in the same collection. See also, loc. cit., petitions of July 27 relative to the seat of government from four other centers in the same county, signed respectively by 209, 126, 35, and 15 different persons. See also, loc. cit., Worthington to Sargent, Apr. 22 and May 8, 1798, and James Scott to Sargent, Apr. 30, 1798.
67See under same date, Journal Exec. Procs., post, III, 472.


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