Patricia, I am presently working on a project relating to Florida's 1826 Preemption Law and have learned quite a bit about the Deaf and Dumb Asylum of Kentucky in the process. That institution was never located in Jackson County or anywhere else in Florida and was never intended to be. It is a one location school in Danville, Kentucky established April 10, 1823. With the influence of Henry Clay, two Federal land grants were obtained from Congress to support the school. The first was on April 5, 1826, for one township of land to be located in one of the territories by the Secretary of the Treasury. Florida was selected. (Arkansas was selected for the second grant made in 1836.) Then the fun began. Was the township to be one single unit encompassing sections 1 through 36 like the one granted to the Marquis de Lafayette on the edge of Tallahassee? Or could the agent for the Asylum pick and choose smaller tracts of prime land spread around? Meanwhile, within days of Congress passing the grant for the Asylum, it granted preemption rights to those who were already inhabiting and cultivating land in Florida prior to January 1, 1825. Until those claims were disposed of, it was impossible for the Agent for the Asylum to identify a large tract of available land or even several smaller tracts. In the end, the Asylum "had" to take its land in many small tracts, with 53 patents issuing to it. I say "had" in quotes because there is considerable advantage to choosing many small tracts, rather than one or two large tracts that would surely include considerable swampland. The result no doubt pleased the Asylum. Most of the land chosen by the Asylum was in Jackson Co., but there was some located in other counties of Florida. The object was not to use the land for the Asylum, but to sell it or rent it to provide financing for the Asylum. To induce Congress to make the land grant, it was pointed out that the Asylum could accommodate pupils from all over the West and South. Ironically, one of the few states that never sent any students there was Florida. I plan to put together web pages on both the Asylum's grants and the preemption law. For several reasons the preemption law produced some difficult issues. The preemption right was a right to buy (not a free grant) one quarter section of land. The General Land Office liked to keep land tracts in sections and quarter sections because it facilitated surveying. That meant that a settler in the corner of say the Northeast quarter of Section 3 would have the first right to buy the entire Northeast quarter. But remember, the settling that entitled him to preemption rights occurred before the land was surveyed. He had no idea where the boundaries of his quarter section were when he settled there. So, his brother-in-law who settled down the road a piece might also be located in the same quarter section and also have preemption rights to that quarter section. That is where it became fun. But that is a subject for another time. Duke Vickrey

This is so interesting...thanks Duke,and will want too see that web page when you get it... Best Regards, Shirley ----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, March 24, 2002 11:26 AM Subject: [FLJACKSO] Deaf and Dumb Asylum of Kentucky > Patricia, > > I am presently working on a project relating to Florida's 1826 Preemption Law > and have learned quite a bit about the Deaf and Dumb Asylum of Kentucky in > the process. That institution was never located in Jackson County or > anywhere else in Florida and was never intended to be. It is a one location > school in Danville, Kentucky established April 10, 1823. With the influence > of Henry Clay, two Federal land grants were obtained from Congress to support > the school. The first was on April 5, 1826, for one township of land to be > located in one of the territories by the Secretary of the Treasury. Florida > was selected. (Arkansas was selected for the second grant made in 1836.) > Then the fun began. Was the township to be one single unit encompassing > sections 1 through 36 like the one granted to the Marquis de Lafayette on the > edge of Tallahassee? Or could the agent for the Asylum pick and choose > smaller tracts of prime land spread around? Meanwhile, within days of > Congress passing the grant for the Asylum, it granted preemption rights to > those who were already inhabiting and cultivating land in Florida prior to > January 1, 1825. Until those claims were disposed of, it was impossible for > the Agent for the Asylum to identify a large tract of available land or even > several smaller tracts. In the end, the Asylum "had" to take its land in > many small tracts, with 53 patents issuing to it. I say "had" in quotes > because there is considerable advantage to choosing many small tracts, rather > than one or two large tracts that would surely include considerable > swampland. The result no doubt pleased the Asylum. Most of the land chosen > by the Asylum was in Jackson Co., but there was some located in other > counties of Florida. > > The object was not to use the land for the Asylum, but to sell it or rent it > to provide financing for the Asylum. To induce Congress to make the land > grant, it was pointed out that the Asylum could accommodate pupils from all > over the West and South. Ironically, one of the few states that never sent > any students there was Florida. > > I plan to put together web pages on both the Asylum's grants and the > preemption law. For several reasons the preemption law produced some > difficult issues. The preemption right was a right to buy (not a free grant) > one quarter section of land. The General Land Office liked to keep land > tracts in sections and quarter sections because it facilitated surveying. > That meant that a settler in the corner of say the Northeast quarter of > Section 3 would have the first right to buy the entire Northeast quarter. > But remember, the settling that entitled him to preemption rights occurred > before the land was surveyed. He had no idea where the boundaries of his > quarter section were when he settled there. So, his brother-in-law who > settled down the road a piece might also be located in the same quarter > section and also have preemption rights to that quarter section. That is > where it became fun. But that is a subject for another time. > > Duke Vickrey > > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > >

Duke, Do you by any chance have any information on who were the agents representing the Kentucky Deaf and Dumb Asylum in Jackson County? Where in Kentucky was this Asylum located? Specifically, I was wondering if there might have been one named Neely. I have been trying for years to find information on my ancestor George C. Neely, who is listed in the Jackson County 1850 census as having been born in Kentucky. He was born abt. 1812; George Neely was a farmer and probably moved to Florida and purchased a plot of land at Section 15 Township 6N Range 12W on 5/1/1855. Jackson County probate records indicate he died 3/8/1858. There were a couple of other Kentuckians listed in the Jackson County census; P.M. Parker (1850 census) and W. H. Price (1860). I have been wondering for a long time what might have brought someone all the way from Kentucky to Jackson County in the early 1800's and when I read your post it rang a bell. Thanks for any help you can give. ----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, March 24, 2002 12:26 PM Subject: [FLJACKSO] Deaf and Dumb Asylum of Kentucky > Patricia, > > I am presently working on a project relating to Florida's 1826 Preemption Law > and have learned quite a bit about the Deaf and Dumb Asylum of Kentucky in > the process. That institution was never located in Jackson County or > anywhere else in Florida and was never intended to be. It is a one location > school in Danville, Kentucky established April 10, 1823. With the influence > of Henry Clay, two Federal land grants were obtained from Congress to support > the school. The first was on April 5, 1826, for one township of land to be > located in one of the territories by the Secretary of the Treasury. Florida > was selected. (Arkansas was selected for the second grant made in 1836.) > Then the fun began. Was the township to be one single unit encompassing > sections 1 through 36 like the one granted to the Marquis de Lafayette on the > edge of Tallahassee? Or could the agent for the Asylum pick and choose > smaller tracts of prime land spread around? Meanwhile, within days of > Congress passing the grant for the Asylum, it granted preemption rights to > those who were already inhabiting and cultivating land in Florida prior to > January 1, 1825. Until those claims were disposed of, it was impossible for > the Agent for the Asylum to identify a large tract of available land or even > several smaller tracts. In the end, the Asylum "had" to take its land in > many small tracts, with 53 patents issuing to it. I say "had" in quotes > because there is considerable advantage to choosing many small tracts, rather > than one or two large tracts that would surely include considerable > swampland. The result no doubt pleased the Asylum. Most of the land chosen > by the Asylum was in Jackson Co., but there was some located in other > counties of Florida. > > The object was not to use the land for the Asylum, but to sell it or rent it > to provide financing for the Asylum. To induce Congress to make the land > grant, it was pointed out that the Asylum could accommodate pupils from all > over the West and South. Ironically, one of the few states that never sent > any students there was Florida. > > I plan to put together web pages on both the Asylum's grants and the > preemption law. For several reasons the preemption law produced some > difficult issues. The preemption right was a right to buy (not a free grant) > one quarter section of land. The General Land Office liked to keep land > tracts in sections and quarter sections because it facilitated surveying. > That meant that a settler in the corner of say the Northeast quarter of > Section 3 would have the first right to buy the entire Northeast quarter. > But remember, the settling that entitled him to preemption rights occurred > before the land was surveyed. He had no idea where the boundaries of his > quarter section were when he settled there. So, his brother-in-law who > settled down the road a piece might also be located in the same quarter > section and also have preemption rights to that quarter section. That is > where it became fun. But that is a subject for another time. > > Duke Vickrey >