01033.xml Jonathan Carver land grant-related deeds: An Inventory of the Collection at the Minnesota Historical Society National Historical Publications and Records Commission. Minnesota Historical Society
St. Paul, MN.

Manuscripts Collection

Finding aid encoded by David B. Peterson February 2012 Finding aid written in English. September 2012 Accessions 1725E-8665 added by Rachael Fealy-Layer OVERVIEW Minnesota Historical Society Jonathan Carver land grant-related deeds. 1813-1860. Materials in English. Deeds and other legal papers relating to sales and purchases of tracts of land located in present-day western Wisconsin that were once part of some four million acres supposedly granted to Jonathan Carver by the Dakota chiefs Hawnopawjatin and Otohtongoomlisheaw on May 1, 1767. 3 folders in partial box. 138.E.4.8: See Detailed Description for shelf locations. HISTORICAL NOTE

The Jonathan Carver heirs claimed after his death that Dakota Indians had granted Carver a tract of some four million acres of land on the east side of the Mississippi River running from St. Paul to the mouth of Wisconsin's Chippewa River to points east and northeast. A grant document or deed signed by two chiefs at Carver's Cave at present-day St. Paul on May 1, 1767, is said to have subsequently disappeared. Some question whether or not such a document ever existed.

 CATALOG HEADINGS

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics: Carver Grant. Dakota Indians -- Minnesota. Dakota Indians -- Wisconsin. Land grants -- Mississippi River Valley. Land speculation -- Mississippi River Valley. Persons: Carver, Jonathan, 1710-1780. Carver, Rufus, 1755-1840. Chesbrough, Isaac M., fl. 1817. Haines, Elijah M. (Elijah Middlebrook), 1822-1889. Harmon, Zebulon, fl. 1817. Hawnopawjatin, fl. 1767. King, Martin, fl. 1839. Otohtongoomlisheaw, fl. 1767. Sly, Benjamin, fl. 1839. Walls, John, fl. 1818. Document Types: Deeds. ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Jonathan Carver land grant-related deeds. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Location of Originals:

The location of the originals of photocopies can be found in various repositories.

 Accession Information:

Accession number: 1725E; 1782A8; 2025B; 2623; 3037; 3089; 3667; 4614; 4956; 5852; 5943; 6373; 6598; 7131; 8072; 8665; 13,294; 14,265

 Processing Information:

Processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with a Basic Project grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).

Catalog ID number: 007475122

 DETAILED DESCRIPTION 138.E.4.81 Indenture, made... between Elijah Middlebrook Haines, of the town of Hainesville, county of Lake, and State of Illinois..., and _____,undated. 3 copies, each [1] leaf; 31.5 x 38.5 cm.

These unused, blank quit-claim deeds were printed for use in the sale of all or part of an unspecified 5000 acres owned by Haines. The deed indicates that the Haines land had once been owned by Martin King. These deeds each cite the text of the May 1, 1767 grant.

Digital version

 Pencil drawings of the marks belonging to Hawnopawjatin and Otohtongoomlisheaw, undated.[2] leaves, 22 x 17 cm. Indenture made... between Samuel Peters of the city of New York... and Mary Wright of the same place, August 25, 1813.[8] leaves bound at the top with green ribbon; 20 x 31 cm. Rufus Carver's Deed to Leavens Carver, April 30, 1816.[3] pages; 20 x 31 cm. and [1] letter; 20 x 15 cm.

Includes handwritten note, dated July 22, 1887, that speculates that this deed was the beginning of the real estate boom in that region.

 Deed of conveyance from Zebulon Harmon to Isaac M. Chesbrough, September 16, 1817.[1] leaf: parchment; 32 x 46 cm.

Handwritten deed conveying 1000 acres located in Township 18N Range 21E in present-day Manitowoc County, Wisconsin from Harmon, a Baltimore bookseller to Chesbrough, a Baltimore innkeeper for the sum of $400.00.

Digital version

 Deed of conveyance from John Walls to Isaac M. Chesbrough, March 31, 1818.[2] pages: parchment; 39 x 50 cm.

Handwritten deed conveying an unspecified number of acres located in Township 12N Range 1W in present-day Richland County, Wisconsin from Walls, of Baltimore County, Maryland to Chesbrough, of the city of Baltimore, for the sum of $1000.00. The deed indicates that the Walls tract was once part of the real estate inherited by Jonathan Carver's son Rufus.

Digital version

 Indenture made between Henry S. Cozens of the... county of Philadelphia and the state of Pennsylvania and Maximilian Lefever, May 3, 1819.[1] leaf; 79 x 45 cm. 2Indenture made... between James Elliot Junior of the city of Philadelphia... and Richard L. Lloyd, October 23, 1821.[2] leaves: photocopy; 38 x 29 cm. Letter from John Marsh to D. P. Campbell, April 17, 1831.[2] leaves: photocopy; 22 x 32 cm.

This letter discusses the territory involved in the Carver land grant.

 Warranty deed from Azel Howard to Henry Morgan, April 16, 1836.1 leaf; 32 x 40 cm. Bond executed by James Maxwell... a resident of Wisconsin territory... to William L. Toole... of Iowa territory for 1,000 acres of land in the Carver grant, March 1, 1838.[4] pages; 39 x 31 cm. Indenture made... between Martin King of the town of Lima, county of Livingston and the state of New York... and David Shepard, April 20, 1838.[1] leaf; 40 x 32 cm. Indenture made... between Martin King of the town of Lima, county of Livingston and the state of New York... and Ichabod A. Holden, June 13, 1838.[4] leaves: photocopy; 21 x 26 cm. Indenture made... between Thomas Edwards M.D. of Lancaster, Fairfield County, State of Ohio... and George I. Hardy M.D. of Chillicothe Ross County, July 5, 1838.[5] pages: photocopy; 27 x 37 cm. Indenture made... between Martin King of the town of Lima county of Livingston and state of New York... and Benjamin Sly, February 2, 1839.[1] leaf; 18 x 42 cm.

This printed deed conveys 250 acres of the Carver grant from King to Sly for the sum of $150.00. The deed indicates that Martin King was a descendant of Jonathan Carver's daughter Mary and also cites the text of the May 1, 1767 Carver grant.

Digital version

 Indenture made... between William B. Peabody of the city of Rochester, county of Monroe and state of New York... and Leonard Vanalstine of the town of Victory, county of Cayuga and state of New York, October 4, 1839.[1] leaf; 20 x 31 cm. 3Letter from Thomas Prosser to his brother John, December 21, 1841.[2] leaves: photocopy; 22 x 27 cm.

Includes a photocopy of a deed of transfer from James Pennoyer to Thomas Prosser for 11,520 acres of land (November 13, 1818, [3] leaves), a map detailing land involved with the Carver grant with a written explanation (undated, [1] leaf), and a typewritten list of the owners of the Carver Grant, 1767-1818 (undated, [1] leaf).

 Indenture made between W. G. Mastin of the county of Cayuga and the state of New York... and George J. Mastin [of Genoa, New York], April 5, 1845.[1] leaf: photocopy; 38 x 32 cm. Deed from Russell Gage and his wife... of the state of Michigan... to William W. Arnold, July 13, 1846.[2] pages; 34 x 43 cm. Indenture made... between Henry Anisanel of Canonsburgh, Washington County, Pennsylvania and ______, February 10, 1860.[4] pages; 57 x 42 cm.

No recipient is listed as this is a fill-in form that was never completed.