FROM THE ARCHIVES

(By Stephen Kelley from the People’s Defender 1984)

The Adams County Historical Society recently was given an early surveyor’s journal that had disappeared from the county courthouse many years ago. The journal was found in the possession of a central Ohio antiques dealer. Through the efforts of a third party, the journal was purchased and graciously given to the historical society by Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Lanner of Blue Creek.

This journal is the earliest of at least four such logs kept by the Adams County Surveyor, now known as the Adams County Engineer. These journals consist primarily of corrective surveys made by the county surveyor where there was a question as to the accuracy of the original surveys.

It must be remembered that the earliest surveys were made when this area was an unbroken wilderness inhabited by the warring Shawnee. The first surveyors worked under armed guards in some of the most trying situations. So it is understandable that some of their work was not the most precise and mistakes were certainly made. It was therefore the duty of the County surveyor to re-survey many of the original lines when questions arose between two disputing landowners.

Probably the most interesting of the entries in the newly recovered survey journal the very first entry recorded within its leather binding. It begins by stating, “Surveyed by virtue of an agreement made between the commissioners of the Counties of Adams and Brown in the State of Ohio bearing date March 16th, 1819 directing to Run the line between the said counties..”

Brown County had been officially created on March 1, 1818 by an act of the Ohio General Assembly dated December 27, 1817. This act was signed by Duncan McArthur, Speaker of the House and Abraham Shephard, Speaker of the Senate. Brown County was formed by taking territory from the east side of Clermont County which had been established in December, 1800 and from the west side of Adams County. Prior to the creation of Brown County, the western boundary of Adams County was a line drawn due north from the mouth of Eagle Creek. Before Ohio statehood, Arthur St Clair, Governor of the Northwest Territory, suggested this line should be used as the western boundary of the then-proposed state of Ohio. The Territorial Legislature apparently agreed with the governor so far as having this line re-surveyed in the spring of 1802 in preparation for the creation of Ohio. This line was politically unacceptable to many legislators, however, and eventually, the western boundary of Ohio was set at a point west of Cincinnati.

Upon the creation of Brown County, the new western boundary of Adams County was established by a special act of the Ohio Legislature by a line drawn north and south at a point eight miles west of the Adams County Courthouse. This special act stipulated that this line be surveyed by compass without making any allowance for the variation of the needle. In other words, this boundary follows a line drawn on magnetic North, not true North. This accounts for the eastern and western boundaries of Adams County being non-parallel. The western line was apparently surveyed in the winter of 1818 in preparation of the official establishment of Brown County on March 1 of that year.

There was evidently a question of the accuracy of this line. This prompted the entry in the survey book aforementioned. This entry continues, “In pursuance of the said agreement, I proceeded on the 25th day of March, 1819 to run the line between the counties of Adams and Brown in company with James Pilson, Surveyor of Brown County having but one set of Instruments between us.” (They apparently had county financial problems in those days too!) “Beginning at the Courthouse in West Union and running thence West crossing a branch of the East fork of Eagle Creek at 304 poles. Thence to the end of the1st Mile in a William Rowe’s meadow. Thence to the end of 2nd mile in a White Oak flat. Thence crossing a branch of Eagle Creek at 2 Miles 164 poles. Thence to the end of 3 Miles. Thence to the end of 4 miles by McCagg’s field. Thence to the end of 5 miles at Hills Fork of Eagle Creek near a Saw Mill. Thence to the end of 6 miles at Copple’s. Thence to the end of 7 miles in Reastine’s field. Thence to the 8 mile point being 1.7 poles East of Pilson’s old line.”

“Thence running South coinciding with the magnetic Needle to a large Sycamore & White Elm on the bank of Ohio River a little above the mouth of little three mile creek. Thence running North to a White Oak tree & Two dogwood saplings in the line of Highland County marking the sight trees for and after with three hacks and a blaze and the grazes with three hacks on that side next that line. Variation of the Needle N 4 degrees 38 minutes E.”- (Signed) Richard Cross, Adams County Surveyor

From what information that can be gleamed from this entry, the original dividing line surveyed in 1818 was drawn about twenty eight feet too far west and was corrected by this survey in the following year.