SURVEYORS CAME HERE IN 1797

Second Year Survey

The second surveying crew consisting of a physician, eight surveyors and 54 men to act as laborers, road men, chainmen and axmen, arrived in Ohio in May of 1797 and established a new camp on the Cuyahoga River at Old Portage. They built a combination Warehouse and hospital.

The surveyors set a point on the survey line they had run down from Lake Erie and thus established a north and south base line for all future operations. 

The point they set on the north and south base line was set by longitude and latitude bearings and was exactly 10 miles north of the south line of the Western Reserve holdings as defined by latitude bearing as the 41st parallel. 

The longitude and latitude bearing point was set by what surveyors call "Shooting the moon." This point on the north bank of the Cuyahoga River just into the western boundary on the state of Pennsylvania, and thus establish an east-west line parallel to the 41st parallel and 10 miles north of it.

That original survey line east and west is still very evident today as it defines boundaries of townships and cities, except the City of Cuyahoga Falls and parts of the Village of Munroe Falls which straddle the old line.

Starting from the original point on the north-south line at Old Portage, the south and Northampton Township on the north, until it comes to the west boundary of Cuyahoga Falls whereas before stated the city straddles the line. 

The line is still very evident as it passes through Cuyahoga Falls as in 1927, it was used entirely across the city as a base line for re-numbering the entire city.

All the houses on north and south streets were numbered at 2100 on the line and numbers up going north and run down going south.

Also, the old survey line is the center line of Ohio Street from the State Road to 14th Street and also center line of School Street from Newberry Street to Bailey Road.

A real point on this original line of interest to Cuyahoga Falls People is to be found, halfway between Fifth Street and Sixth Street on the south line of St. Luke's Lutheran Church property.

There is a stone at this point at ground level that was set in 1797 by the original surveyors. This stone marks the original and common corner of Portage, Tallmadge, Stow and Northampton Townships. It is easily found today now that the city has set up a concrete witness post beside it that stands about three feet high and is marked with the township names. This old stone is exactly by survey 50 miles west of the west boundary of the state of Pennsylvania with 10 townships in the distance on each side of the line.

In following the original line east from Bailey Road, we find both Cuyahoga Falls and Munroe Falls straddle the line until we get to S. Main Street (Rt 91). 

Going east from Rt. 91, the old line is the center line of S. River Road until the road turns south, then the old line continues east as the corporation line between the cities of Stow and Tallmadge to the Portage County line.

The old line crosses Portage County as the common line between Brimfield and Charlestown Townships and then Palmyra and Paris Townships.

On the east line of Portage County, the line is the common line between Trumbull and Mahoning Counties with each having five townships bounding the old line until it ends at the west line of the state of Pennsylvania.

By October, 1797 all surveys of townships east of the Cuyahoga River boundary were completed and in December 1797, the survey party returned to their homes in Connecticut.

The parties had lost four men by drowning and three more from dysentery.

Not until after the July 4, 1805  Indian surrender of all lands in Ohio did the surveyors complete the section of the Western Reserve holdings west of the Cuyahoga River boundary. The townships west of the boundary were opened for settlers in 1806.

The final survey showed the Western Reserve territory owned by the Connecticut Land Company to be as planned, 95 miles from east to west on the 41st parallel. It was 30 miles from Lake Erie to the 41st parallel on the west end and 68 miles along the west boundary of the state of Pennsylvania.

The entire area was surveyed into townships of five miles square with the exception of the townships along Lake Erie and along rivers where they vary in shape and size.

Mappers Evans and Hutchins were instrumental in establishing the townships' lines in 1797.

The final survey showed the Connecticut Land Company holdings contained 3,366,921 acres while the original estimate was only 3,000,000 acres.

The state of Connecticut also owned the 30-mile by 25-mile area directly west of the Connecticut Land Company holdings This area the state designated as the Fire Lands to be given to Connecticut residents who lost their Connecticut homes by effects of the Revolutionary War.

The Fire Lands area became the counties of Huron and Erie.

Trumbull County was established in 1800 and contained the entire Connecticut Land Company holdings. It was a part of the state of Connecticut until 1803. It was named in honor of an early Connecticut governor, Jonathan Trumbull, who was also a member of President George Washington's cabinet.

"Brother Jonathan Trumbull" is said to have been the original "Brother Jonathan," the forerunner of today's "Uncle Sam", as a symbol of the United States. 

George Washington as president of these United State, began this tradition by his custom of asking Mr. Trumbull at high level meetings, "Let's see what Brother Jonathan has to say?"

February 19, 1803, Congress approved the Constitution and admitted Ohio as a state in the United States, the 17th in order of admission.

Edwin Tiffin was elected first governor of the state of Ohio; Chillicothe was the state capital and the population of the state was estimated to be 50,000. 

Ohio had been divided into counties long before it became a state; By proclamation, Arthur St. Clair, governor of the whole Northwest Territory, formed the area into 10 counties. They were large and, in some cases meaningless as governmental units.

Wayne County, for example, was all Indian territory, and under the Greenville Treaty, was not open to settlement on August 15, 1796 when it was proclaimed a county.

 - Eric Thompson