A few months ago we had a discussion on this list about the meaning of the term "School Land" on early Tennessee tax lists. At that time, I located several references on the subject but have only now been able to acquire copies of them and review what they say. A quick summary of the situation is that land listed under an individual's name on a tax list could be either School Land that he had purchased or School Land that he leased. This is elaborated in some detail below. Below is a short summary of the history of "School Land". This is based on the following reference: Tennessee Public School Lands Virginia Williams Tennessee Historical Quarterly Volume 3, Mar-Dec 1944, pp 335 - 348 1) There are actually three classes of school land: lands set aside for common (public) schools, lands set aside for academies, and lands set aside for colleges. We are concerned here with only "lands set aside for common (public) schools", hereinafter called "School Land". 2) On 18 April 1806, the US congress passed an act authorizing the State of Tennessee to issue grants and perfect title to certain lands including land still vacant. A condition of the act was that a certain amount of land (640 acres in each 6 square miles for the use of common schools) should be set aside for schools and colleges. It was intended that proceeds from the sale of these lands be held in a fund for the use of schools. 3) When Tennessee made arrangements to carry out the act, it took a different approach. Each county court was to appoint a commissioner who was to lease out the School Land in that county on the best terms, collect the rents, and apportion them properly. 4) This process was not raising enough money to fund public schools since far less land that expected had been actually set-aside as School Land. In 1823, the State of Tennessee passed an act that provided that "the proceeds from the sale of and from state taxes on certain vacant lands north and east of the Congressional Reservation line" should go into the school fund. The land was authorized for sale at 12 ½ cents an acre. The act also required that taxes on School Land be kept separate from other taxes collected by each county and be reported separately to the state. Some counties (Maury, Montgomery, and Perry) failed to separately account for and report tax in School Land. 5) In 1825 the sale of School Land was authorized. Blocks of School Land were to be surveyed off into tracts of 160 acres each for sale at 12 ½ cents an acre. But sales were suspended "until the determination of any suit or suits now pending in the courts". 6) An 1831 accounting of the money in the school fund showed that by that date some lands had been sold at the 12 ½ cents and acre rate and the proceeds added to the school fund. Additional information below on why some school land took a long time to sell is based on the following reference: The Public Lands of Tennessee Thomas B. Jones Tennessee Historical Quarterly Volume 27, Spring - Winter 1968, pp.13 - 36 1) In the late 1820's, the issue of land set aside for the use of schools was a key component in debates within the US Congress regarding settling disputes over remaining vacant land in Tennessee. 2) A large amount of acreage was needed to meet the "640 acres in each 6 square miles" goal. James Polk submitted data to Congress saying that out of 444,444 acres that should have been set aside for the use of schools, only 22,705 acres had actually been properly set aside. He also noted that most of the remaining land was in scattered and detached parcels and was "refuse" land worth little more than 12 ½ cents and acre (the minimum price that Congress wished as the sale price). It seems that the best land was settled (or grabbed by speculators for future sale) first, and the remaining land was less desirable. 3) Representative David Crockett said in one debate in Congress that the remaining land was often worth far less than 12 ½ cents an acre in his opinion. He claimed this land was often heavily timbered (and therefore expensive to clear and farm) or subject to frequent flooding. 4) Another issue was that some un-deeded land was "occupied" by early settlers who wanted a way to perfect their title to the land. David Crockett implored Congress to give each such settler 160 acres of the land they already occupied. Eventually (in 1841) early settlers were allowed to purchase the land they resided on for 12 ½ cents an acre. 5) This matter continued before Congress throughout the 1830's and was not finally settled until 1846.

Steve, This is the most useful info that I have seen on the subject of school land. Thanks for sharing it with us. Harold Gobbell ----- Original Message ----- From: "Steve Carson" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, April 17, 2005 1:37 PM Subject: [TNBEDFOR] Tennessee Public School Lands >A few months ago we had a discussion on this list about the meaning of the > term "School Land" on early Tennessee tax lists. At that time, I located > several references on the subject but have only now been able to acquire > copies of them and review what they say. A quick summary of the situation > is that land listed under an individual's name on a tax list could be > either School Land that he had purchased or School Land that he leased. > This is elaborated in some detail below. > > Below is a short summary of the history of "School Land". This is based on > the following reference: > > Tennessee Public School Lands > Virginia Williams > Tennessee Historical Quarterly > Volume 3, Mar-Dec 1944, pp 335 - 348 > > 1) There are actually three classes of school land: lands set aside for > common (public) schools, lands set aside for academies, and lands set > aside > for colleges. We are concerned here with only "lands set aside for common > (public) schools", hereinafter called "School Land". > 2) On 18 April 1806, the US congress passed an act authorizing the State > of > Tennessee to issue grants and perfect title to certain lands including > land > still vacant. A condition of the act was that a certain amount of land > (640 > acres in each 6 square miles for the use of common schools) should be set > aside for schools and colleges. It was intended that proceeds from the > sale > of these lands be held in a fund for the use of schools. > 3) When Tennessee made arrangements to carry out the act, it took a > different approach. Each county court was to appoint a commissioner who > was > to lease out the School Land in that county on the best terms, collect the > rents, and apportion them properly. > 4) This process was not raising enough money to fund public schools since > far less land that expected had been actually set-aside as School Land. In > 1823, the State of Tennessee passed an act that provided that "the > proceeds > from the sale of and from state taxes on certain vacant lands north and > east of the Congressional Reservation line" should go into the school > fund. > The land was authorized for sale at 12 ½ cents an acre. The act also > required that taxes on School Land be kept separate from other taxes > collected by each county and be reported separately to the state. Some > counties (Maury, Montgomery, and Perry) failed to separately account for > and report tax in School Land. > 5) In 1825 the sale of School Land was authorized. Blocks of School Land > were to be surveyed off into tracts of 160 acres each for sale at 12 ½ > cents an acre. But sales were suspended "until the determination of any > suit or suits now pending in the courts". > 6) An 1831 accounting of the money in the school fund showed that by that > date some lands had been sold at the 12 ½ cents and acre rate and the > proceeds added to the school fund. > > Additional information below on why some school land took a long time to > sell is based on the following reference: > > The Public Lands of Tennessee > Thomas B. Jones > Tennessee Historical Quarterly > Volume 27, Spring - Winter 1968, pp.13 - 36 > > 1) In the late 1820's, the issue of land set aside for the use of schools > was a key component in debates within the US Congress regarding settling > disputes over remaining vacant land in Tennessee. > 2) A large amount of acreage was needed to meet the "640 acres in each 6 > square miles" goal. James Polk submitted data to Congress saying that out > of 444,444 acres that should have been set aside for the use of schools, > only 22,705 acres had actually been properly set aside. He also noted that > most of the remaining land was in scattered and detached parcels and was > "refuse" land worth little more than 12 ½ cents and acre (the minimum > price > that Congress wished as the sale price). It seems that the best land was > settled (or grabbed by speculators for future sale) first, and the > remaining land was less desirable. > 3) Representative David Crockett said in one debate in Congress that the > remaining land was often worth far less than 12 ½ cents an acre in his > opinion. He claimed this land was often heavily timbered (and therefore > expensive to clear and farm) or subject to frequent flooding. > 4) Another issue was that some un-deeded land was "occupied" by early > settlers who wanted a way to perfect their title to the land. David > Crockett implored Congress to give each such settler 160 acres of the land > they already occupied. Eventually (in 1841) early settlers were allowed to > purchase the land they resided on for 12 ½ cents an acre. > 5) This matter continued before Congress throughout the 1830's and was not > finally settled until 1846. > > > > ==== TNBEDFOR Mailing List ==== > Visit the Bedford County Archives at Rootsweb: > > http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/tn/bedford.htm > > Please contribute! > > ============================== > Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the > last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: > http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx > >