Cincinnati Land Office Records 
Cincinnati Land Office Records
About this collection
The Federal Land Office in Cincinnati was established in 1800 as part of what was known both as the Act of May 10, 1800 and the Harrison Land Act of 1800. This Act included many provisions, such as establishing receivers and registers, permitting the lease of parcels of land under certain conditions, and setting a minimum price of $2.00 per acre. The Act also allowed for the purchase of land on credit and payable in quarters annually, with the first quarter-payment due upon the date of purchase. Lands sold by the Cincinnati office were located in the south-western corner of Ohio and included a portion of Indiana, as well as part of the Symmes Purchase (also known as the Little Miami Purchase).
Ranging from 1806 to 1828, the items in this collection provide a glimpse into the history of the Federal Land Office in Cincinnati and its role in carrying out the Harrison Land Act's provisions. Included are purchase certificates, letters, and power-of-attorney documents, many of which provide the name and county of origin of the purchaser, the name of the receiver of payments and the land office register, the location of the land purchases, and the price of purchase. In the case of the power-of-attorney documents next-of-kin information is occasionally included, as well. In certain instances it has been impossible to determine the correct state of origin of the purchaser; generally this is due to the fact that both Indiana and Ohio have identically-named counties, such as Franklin County. In these cases, both Ohio and Indiana have been listed as the state of origin.
