On eBay Now...Illinois Federal Land Grant , 1840 , Martin Van Buren For Sale
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Illinois Federal Land Grant , 1840 , Martin Van Buren:
$150.00
A Federal Land Grant , dated October 10, 1840, a true artifact of early Illinois history. Land grants were authorized by an Act of Congress to provide a bonus to members of the military who had fought in the War of 1812. The lands were located in an area of western Illinois that became known as the Military Tract. Most veterans were anchored in the New England states and the states of the East coast, and had little desire to become pioneers out in the wilderness beyond centers of civilizations. Accordingly they sold their grants to land speculators who in turn sold to persons willing to travel to claim the land.Here is an original U.S. Federal Land Grant for 109 acres located in Adams County, Illinois. The legal description says that Samuel Reed had beenassigned land in the West HHHHalfof the Northwest Quarter of Section Seven in Township Two North of Range SixWest of the Fourth Principal Meridian the District of Lands subject to sale at Quincy, Illinois containingone hundred and nine acres and eighty hundredths of an acre. This document is printed on heavy velum,which many people call sheep skin. It is dated October 10, 1840, and it purportsto have been signed by President Martin Van Buren. My guess is that this land is in what today is HoustonTownship of Adams County, Illinois.
Of course, so muchland was being sold by this date that Congress had relieved the President ofthe burden of personally signing the actual document. Therefore, this would have been signed by oneof VanBuren’s personal secretaries with Van Buren’s name.Nonetheless, these pioneer era land grantsare rather elusive now.
The document is 10\" x 16\". It has been folded for about 185 years into six folds 3\"x10\". Flatened and straightened and framed it would make a handsome decoration in a man-cave or legal office.