Symmes Purchase #2 - Southwestern Ohio

Back to the story of  Symmes Purchase in Southwestern Ohio.
This is Part II on Symmes Purchase (see Sept 21, 2010 entry) for Part I

I found a wonderful sight written from the perspective of Surveyors. It is by  C. Albert White and from "Backsights" Magazine published by Surveyors Historical Society.   http://www.surveyhistory.org/symmes_purchase.htm

" John Cleve Symmes, from New Jersey, contributed much of his private resources in support of the Continental Army during the Revolution.  He held a large quantity of certificates of indebtedness and wanted to turn them into something of value, namely, real estate."

Apparently he jumped the gun on settlement before the purchase was finalized and, also, a terrible job of surveying was done on the land.  The survey was so bad that he, probably unknowingly, sold land that was not part of his purchase. (Giving him the benefit of the doubt).

In Symmes Purchase #1, I discussed the connection with New Jersey, so it should come as no surprise that the people who came to settle the land were mostly from New Jersey.
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The first communities settled were:

Columbia in November 1788, at the mouth of the Little Miami River was established by Benjamin Stites the man who had originally fallen in love with the area.

Losantiville was the settlement led by Matthias Denman, Robert Patterson, and John Filson (the first surveyor). After Filson died, his place was taken by  Israel Ludlow. The date given for settlement is December 28, 1788.

North Bend was the location picked for John Cleves Symmes own settlement.ion February 2, 1789. He envisioned it becoming the chief city in his purchase and bequeathed it the name of Symmes City. He even laid out a one square mile plot, but ti never materialized.

When Fort Washington was build near Losantiville in the summer of 1789,  the other towns lost their chance to be the central point of the Symmes Purchase. It's name was changed to Cincinnati by The Territorial Governor Arthur St. Clair in honor of George Washington, who was a fellow member with him in the Society of Cincinnati.

A great essay on Cincinnati - http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=681


http://books.google.com/books?id=hhObs4HhLlEC&pg=PA37&lpg=PA37&dq=Columbia+Symmes+purchase&source=bl&ots=5vaod6qRvO&sig=kHfndU1HlaAQjaUPKbDcWa0UX48&hl=en&ei=V0mjTMmnHIL6lweZ6tT3BA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBUQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Columbia%20Symmes%20purchase&f=false