RobbHaas Family Pages
Foulke - Haas - Robbins - Worthen  Families

Marjorie had worked on trying to determine who George Free was and how he was connected to our family.  She had determined where the land was located.  Marjorie sent a letter and the maps she had used to me.  S11,
   "I got the George Free land grant from Mother and knew it was the original, that was why I sent it to you, thought you would be the one to appreciate it. I checked for a long time, birth and death certificates, etc., but never found a thing. For some reason I always assumed it was maybe a relative of Harold Atha, but if that was it I cannot imagine why Mother would have it in her "very special papers" box. Wilma [ID0379] helped on it a little also but we never came up with anything. I just cannot imagine who it is. At one time I knew where the property was but can't remember now, that was many years ago."

I later used the Bureau of Land Management database to locate the Land Grant and also online maps detailing the location of the land.  S3, 

The original Land Grant is held by me (Acc000070).  I also have the maps used by Marjorie as described above (Acc002935).

9 Sept 2013:  I still have no idea who George Free might be and how he is connected to the family. 

Since it stated on the land grant that George Free was of Miami County, Ohio I have looked for documentation for George Free in the Ohio area
I have found 5 Census records that could possibly be this George Free (23 Sept 2008)   S4, S5, S6, S7, S8, 

CERTIFICATE No. 7765

To all to whom these Presents shall come, Greeting:

WHEREAS George free, of Miami County Ohio Has deposited in the GENERAL LAND OFFICE of the United States, a certificate of the REGISTER OF THE LAND OFFICE at Cincinnati Whereby it appears that full payment has been made by the said George Free According to the provisions of the Act of Congress of 24th April, 1820, entitled "An Act making further provision for the sale of Public Lands," for the East half

Of the South West quarter and the North West quarter of the North East quarter of Section twenty nine In Township twenty two of Range fifteen East, of the second principal meridian in the District of Lands Subject to sale at Cincinnati, Ohio, lying in Indiana containing one hundred and twenty acres,

According to the official plat of the survey of the said Lands, returned to the General Land Office by the SURVEYOR GENERAL, which said tract has been purchased by the said George Free NOW KNOW YE, that the

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, in consideration of the Premises, and in conformity with the several acts of Congress, in such case made and provided, HAVE GIVEN AND GRANTED,

and by these presents DO GIVE AND GRANT, unto the said George free

and to his heirs, the said tract above described: TO HAVE AND TO HOLD the same, together with all the rights, privileges, immunities, and appurtenances of whatsoever nature, thereunto

belonging, unto the said George Free and to his heirs and assigns forever.

IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I, Martin Van Buren

PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, have caused these letters to be made PATENT, and the SEAL of the GENERAL

LAND OFFICE to be hereunto affixed. [The seal, which once contained red, is affixed directly below the above wording] Recorded, Vol. 16 [or 1b] Page 13 [characters to right not readable]

[To the right of the above SEAL]: GIVEN under my hand, at the CITY OF WASHINGTON, the tenth day of November in the Year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty and of the INDEPENDENCE OF THE UNITED STATES THE SIXTY FIFTH

BY THE PRESIDENT:    Martin Van Buren
                                        By M. Van Buren Jr, Sec'y

Jos. L. Wilson, Secy RECORDER OF THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE
                                                                        ad interim
                                                                        7765

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Legal Description:  East Half of the SW Qtr of the NW Qtr of the NE Qtr of Sec 29 of Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana. 
Images of maps I used to locate the land:  I1 - I2 - I3 - I4

Source Citation

Image
(Click for larger View)
(To Magnify larger image - use CTRL + )

BLM Land Grant Web Page

Maps:
001]  A Photocopy of the original Land Grant

002]  Index to Topographic Maps of Indiana - USGS, Aug 1977

003]  Cosmos Quadrangle, Indiana-Ohio Topographic Map
   - George Free Land indicated at left center

004]  Deerfield Quadrangle, Indiana Topographic Map

005]  Jay County, Indiana

006]  Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana (Source: The New Atlas of Jay County, Indiana, 1901, page 49 (2 copies)
   - One of the copies has a legal description of the Land Grant attached to it
   - Both maps show the location of the Land Grant land

007]  Letter from Marj, 13 July 1978 - See Acc002936/Doc1869.pdf

Transcription:
Answered 8/17/78 7/13
Dear Shirley & Cliff,
Your Mom & Dad are basking in Hawaiian sunshine about now. We took them back to the hotel at 6 o'clock Tues. morning & saw them off at 9. IT was so good to see them again but the time was so short it seemed like we no sooner said hello than it was time to say goodbye. They are talking about coming back to Colorado & Calif. Next year - sure hope they do. They both have such a good sense of humor. The tour started out with a comedy of errors but they just took it in stride. First of all two people on the tour got lost, I guess they never did find them. Then they lost one man's entire luggage & he was so mad he was ready to punch the tour man, he said he was going back to Cleveland - he was a little more than upset. Then the airlines ruined your Mom & Dads garment bag, probably on the conveyor, so they took it for they airlines to replace it. And of course they never got it so we gave them one of ours. Then as the bus took off & was half-way down the block the 2 tour men came out & went running down the middle of the street shouting & waving their arms, it was so funny, like a Laurel & Hardy movie. So they did finally get their bag - a little late but better late than never I guess. I'm not sure I would want to take a trip with a tour group. I don't think my good humor could hold up that well.
   Olive was in surgery for 3-1/2 hrs. yesterday & is doing just fine. I saw her at 4pm & she was still half asleep. When I see her today she will probably be already moved from ICU back to her room. She's taking 6 wks. off work to get really back on her feet again.
   I'm sending you a copy of the land grant certificate & a copy of the Madison Township map. I got the map from the Indiana Historical Society Library but had to wait for a geodetic map from Denver to get the street numbers. I also sent a copy to William & gave him the location of all the towns around it, hoping he will be able to tell us who Geo. Free is or which of our relatives might have lived there. It is so interesting. I hope he can tell us something about it. I hear anything about it I'll let you know.
   Hello to Kelly & Kevin - will write more later.
                                  Love, Marj. & Frank