In a message dated 1/11/02 12:53:02 PM Pacific Standard Time, [email protected] writes: > Connecticut is a very small state, I guess. With me, if I want to drive to the county seat of the adjacent county (Tonopah, Nye county), it's a 4 1/2 hour, - 225 mile drive. And there ain't a whole lot in between! Seriously, Merilyn, you seem to have a good grasp on CT. Could you, or anyone on this list, comment on Connecticut's "Western Reserve", especially the Ohio area that so many of my CT ancestors removed to in the very early 1800s?? Ray Downing Las Vegas, NV

> Seriously, Merilyn, you seem to have a good grasp on CT. Could you, or > anyone on this list, comment on Connecticut's "Western Reserve", especially > the Ohio area that so many of my CT ancestors removed to in the very early > 1800s?? Here are some sites that have information on the Western Reserve: http://academic.csuohio.edu/clevelandhistory/Issue2/articles/earlydev.htm http://www.ultranet.com/~deeds/ohio.htm http://www.oplin.lib.oh.us/products/build/regions/ctwr.html http://www.wrhs.org/ Jane http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~jdevlin/

I am very familiar with that trip between Las Vegas and Tonapah. My daughter lived there and was the owner of the Little Green House floral business for a number of years. I spent several Christmas seasons there delivering flowers. The trip is indeed without a lot of distractions other than range cattle and wild donkeys that may wonder out on the road. I was raised on the South boundry of the Western Reserve in the corner of Portage County, OH. You will find some very good data on the web as to the history, but in a nut shell, the territory that became Ohio was "owned by viritually all the states in the origional colonies. The Kings gave Connecticut, Virginia, New York, Mass.PA and others the right to the territory as far West as they could negotiate or displace the natives. After some hard negotiation, a treaty was reached circa 1790 such that the states gave up their claims so Ohio and other states could eventually become states. Connecticut managed to hold onto rights to develop an area North of the 42nd parallel between the Eastern boundry of Ohio almost to the Western line. This was New Connecticut, later identified as the Western Reserve. It was politiacally part of the territory that became Ohio. This area was doled out or sold by the Connecticut Land Company. The Secretary of Treasury of Connecticut was at one time charged or convicted of managing part of these transactions as his own personal real estate deals. He really didn't understand why he was so severely chastised. (Not much new in politics, is there?) Much of the area was surveyed into 5 square mile townships (6 square miles in some areas). There was a land grant reserved for a school and church in the center of each square and generally a square at the town square. My Uncle used to claim that the land grants were given to "St. Peter" and the "Devil", with Presbyterian churches and Methodist Churches established like checkerboards. ( won't identify which he though went to the Devil.) These towns still exist on this grid system. The Western 120 miles (if I remember correctly) were identified by Connecticut as the "Fire Lands". The property available for land grants to those Connecticut residents that were burned out during the Revelutionary War, and were not sold by the Connecticut Land Company. I recommend that you check me on the dates and exact boundry, but perhaps this will give you some interesting aspects of the history. My GG Grandfather arrived in Atwater, Portage Co., OH in 1806 with three children. The first road had reached Atwater about 2 years earlier. It is said that he built the first frame house in the township. He had sold several properties in Durham, CT just before he moved. Life was a little tough for him as one child died, another was born and his wife didn't like the frontier and went back to Durham. He served twice in Ohio during the British invasion of Ohio and then enlisted for the duration in 1814. He died at Black Rock, near Buffalo in November 1814. His wife died in Durham, CT., the same year. My Great Grandfather was bound out to a farmer in Deerfield and later became a successful farmer. I've probably told more than you wanted to know by now. Hope my rambling is interesting. I appologize if I have strayed too far off the subject. Ralph Strong Glen Burnie, MD.