Perhaps we can get a discussion going on this list about the evolution of property surveys and susbsequent land ownership in Garrett County. The 1787 Deakins survey laid out several thousand 50-acre lots, including land across much of what is now Garrett County. Deakins surveyed those lands westward of Fort Cumberland that had been owned at the time of the Revolution by the Maryland government loyal to King George III and by Loyalists. This land was seized by the new revolutionary government of Maryland, and Deakins was charged with surveying it into Lots so that it could be awarded as bounty to American veterans of trhe Revolutionary War. While this land included much of today's Garrett County, it did not include all of it. My guess is that the land that the Deakins survey did not cover was owned by citizens who had sided with the Americans in the War, and thus their titles were retained and were recognized. Deakins found over 300 settlers already living on the lands he was charged to survey. Most of these folks lived in what is today Allegany County, rather than what is today Garrett County. A very informative list of the heads of households found by the Deakins survey is presented on the following web site: http://www.rootsweb.com/~mdgarret/land/deakin_list.html These settlers were given a chance to buy the land on which they lived. I am writing today, however, about the other Lots--those which were not already occupied. Deakins laid out most, but not all, of these other Lots as perfect rectangles with two edges running due north and south, and two edges running due east and west. This suggests to me that for the bulk of the land, Deakins paid no regard to natural boundaries. My guess is that his survey party never actually set foot on a large number of the Lots. Really, the task of surveying all these Lots by a small team in the wilderness over just one year or so was an impossibility from outset. Rather, my guess is that the survey of the rectangualr Lots amounted to nothing more than grid lines drawn on a map. My question is, what became of these rectangular Lots? Did subsequent settlement of this land honor the boundaries defined by Deakins? Walt Warnick

Rather, my guess is that the survey of the rectangualr Lots amounted to nothing more than grid lines drawn on a map. My question is, what became of these rectangular Lots? Did subsequent settlement of this land honor the boundaries defined by Deakins? Walt, I am not sure if this answers your question but these Lot numbers are recorded in many deeds when the land transferred in later years. I don't know if the boundaries are the same as noted in Deakin's survey. I have a map of the Military Lots in Garrett County but it only shows boundaries with lines, not a written description using degrees, perches, etc Pat-T

Fourteen lots (1104,1151-1163) in the extreme southwest corner of the state do not have property lines running north-south, east-west (I am sure there are others). The general direction of that plot of land was SW to NE which is the same general direction as the North Branch of the Potomac River. Benjamin Brown, Surveyor of Allegany County, resurveyed those lots, plus lots 1101, 1102,1150,1164 for Richard Drane and Mesach Browning on Sept 3, 1832. Richard Drane and Mesach Browning obtained title for the 18 lots (901 1/8 acre valued at 15 cents an acre) by way of an escheat granted by the Land Office for the Western Shore. The tract of 18 lots was then named "Elysiansylvania ." My great-grand father, George Mosser, lived on lot 1153 and used adjacent lots from about 1860 to June 1872 when he purchased 150 acres of what was lots 1153,1162 and 1/2 each of lots1152 and 1163 fromWilliam and Sarah A. Combs. About 100 acres of that 150 acres is still owned by family members. I am not certain but I think William Combs was the executor of Mesach Browning's estate. Richard Mosser