Hello I am new to the list and have a specific question regarding the "Firelands". I was recently informed that parts of Lorain Co. were originally Huron Co. and I am looking for records for Brownhelm in Lorain Co. The main question here is . . . Was Brownhelm originally in Huron Co. and part of the Firelands as opposed to the Western Reserve? I know the Western Reserve was established first and then the Firelands, but none of the information I have found has delineated for me the boundaries. It appears that Brownhelm could be in either Huron or Cuyahoga county that early. My second question is - if it was originally in Huron where would the early land records for that area be? The following is a query letter I wrote recently to Cuyahoga Co. trying to resolve the above questions. It also gives specific information about the pers ons I am looking for. > I am looking for land records for the Connecticut Western Reserve.  The > Ohio Historical Society indicated that your facility might have the records as > these lands were directly conveyed by Congress to single entities. The trouble > with finding these records has been that I have been bounced from one > library or archive to another, in Ohio and Connecticut, and no one seems to know > for sure where the records are housed. > > The information I have is as follows. > > Area: Congress Lands US Military District > Property Owner: James Newberry/Newbery/Newbury > County: Currently Lorain/unsure if earlier county wasn't Cuyahoga or Huron >           > Range: Firelands/Western Reserve > Township: Brownhelm > Section: first ridge >     > Additional Description or General Information: >   > This is the information that I have found so far. > > First Settlers of Brownhelm, Ohio > From History of Lorain County Ohio, Williams Brothers, Philadelphia 1879  > pg. 220 > > "There were originally five lines of settlement in town, the lake shore > (Erie) and the four ridges parallel to it.  On the lake shore there were Brown, > Seymour, James, Shepard, Weed, Dr. Brown, Goodrich, Hart, SLY, Wells, Graham > and Sheldon Johnson; and at the later day, Hawley Lathrop and Leach.  Between > the shore and the first ridge, Cooley, Barnum, Scott; and later Perly Moulton > and Rankin.  Along the first ridge Whittlesey, Alverson, Peter P. Pease, > Cooper, Orrin Sage, Moulton, Joseph Scott and Ketchum; and later Baker, Ewing, > Lyon, Culver, Hiram Pease, Hamilton, Perry, Parkhurst, Hastings, Barlett, > Hosford, Dimmock, Graves, Blodgett, Hemmingway, JAMES NEWBURY and Job Smith." > > I have spoken to several other organizations in the  state of Ohio trying to > locate land records on this. I am interested to know more about the specific > parcel owned by JAMES NEWBURY, and how it was acquired. He was probably on > the reserve fairly early, as he left N.Y. around 1819. Most of these were > acquired via land bounty rights, but I am having a devil of a time finding > anything to coroborate this notion on this particular individual.  I believe he may > have been exercising his father's Revolutionary War land bounty rights, but > haven't been able to come up with original documentation on this to know for > sure.  It may be some of the records were lost or burned in archival fires. > I have already contacted the Western Reserve Library and courthouses of > several counties where the records were supposed to be housed. i.e. Lorain Co. > Historical Society. Trumbull County Recorder, Litchfield Historical Society > and the Connecticut State Library.  None were able to help. > > Any direction or assistance you can render in locating these records would > be greatly appreciated.  Please inform me of research and copy fees etc., if > you do have the records. I have read your research and policy procedures.  If > more indepth research is required to find these records, I would be willing > to pay a researcher if you could suggest someone. If the records are not in > your facility, could you suggest further avenues for inquiry? > > Thanking you in advance. > Sue Simonich, Researcher/Author >

Hi Sue, The query you sent to Cuyahoga has conflicting data. Congress Lands, the U.S. Military District and the Western Reserve were all very different surveys and located in different parts of the state of Ohio. There is a booklet, published in 2002 by the Auditor of the State of Ohio, called "The Official Ohio Lands Book", written by Dr. George W. Knepper. It is available at any Ohio county recorder's office. Earlier editions were free, but I do not know if this edition is free. If there is a charge it will be small. It provides a lot of information about how Ohio lands were originally surveyed and sold. It is well worth having for the help it provides to those who are researching land records in Ohio. Based on the map in this book, it appears that the western most townships of today's Lorain Co. were a part of the Firelands. This would include Brownhelm Township. If you are not in Ohio, check www.auditor.state.oh.us You should be able to find out how to go about obtaining a copy of this book at the auditor's website. I believe you will find the answers to just about all your questions about the survey and sale of Ohio lands in this book. It covers each section separately. It includes data about Congress Lands, the U.S. Military District, the Western Reserve and all the others. Once you know the whys and wherefores of the division of Ohio lands it should be easier to track down the deed records you seek. The book also explains how range and township numbers work which will also make it easier to locate the property. The description you have included in the message you sent to Cuyahoga Co. indicates you are not familiar with how ranges and townships were established. The Western Reserve and Firelands are surveys, not a range. Brownhelm is a township. A section will be a number not a geographical description such as "first ridge". I have seen some of your posts on other lists. The information you received from Nancy on the Lorain Co. list is accurate. The Firelands are a part of the Connecticut Western Reserve. The original sale of the land in the Firelands was handled differently from the original sale of the other land in the Western Reserve. The Western Reserve was not *bounty land* in the same terms as we think of *bounty land* in other parts of Ohio or the U.S. This is where the "Ohio Lands" book will again be helpful. From page 26 of the book: "On May 10, 1792, the Connecticut state legislature set aside the western most 500,000 acres of the Western Reserve to compensate, in proportion to their loss, the 1,866 Connecticut residents whose property had been damaged by the British coastal raiders during the American Revolution." This was *not* for military service. This was for loss of private property. Bounty land was awarded for military service. As to where to find the actual deed records, they should be in the deed records of the county in which the land was located at the time the deed was *recorded*. Note that I say *recorded* not sold. The date of recording may or may not be the same as the date of the sale. You may have to search in more than one county to locate the deed record you seek. If I were doing this, I would first look in Lorain Co., as that is where the land is today. Chances are that even if the land was officially part of another county at the time you ancestor's deed was recorded, the deed has been copied from that county's record books into Lorain County record books. It is not absolute, but the chances are good that it has. You will need to contact the Lorain County Recorder. Sorry, I do not have a number. I do not know if they will do genealogical research in their records. Be very much aware that even though your ancestor may have first purchased the land as early as 1819, the deed may not have actually been recorded until much much later. The longest I have seen so far is a span of over 100 years. This was for land in today's Wayne Co., OH. This land was purchased in 1818 and was not sold out of the family until 1925, which was when the original U.S. land patent was first recorded. Of course if the land was in Brownhelm township, Lorain Co. where will not be a U.S. patent for this land. Most likely you are looking for a warranty deed. As you are aware, it will be necessary to look under *all* possible spelling variations. Something else to consider is that not all early settlers actually bought the land they lived on. Many did, but not all. I hope this information will be of help to you. Do get a copy of the "Ohio Lands" book. It can tell you much more than I have here. Donna