The cession of Louisiana to the American government by France was known in Saint Louis in the evening, at seven o'clock, some time in the month or August, A. D. eighteen hundred and three. Major Amos Stoddard arrived in Saint Louis on the fourth of March, A. D. eighteen hundred and four, to take possession of Upper Louisiana for the United States. "Vuide Poche" was founded by Mr. Delor Detergette, A. D. seventeen hundred and sixty-seven, and was named Carondelet in seventeen hundred and ninety-six. "Florisant" was founded by Beaurosier Dunegan, A. D. seventeen hundred and sixty-nine, and called St. Ferdinand in seventeen hundred and ninety-six. "Les Petites Cotes" was established (founded) by Chasseur, A. D. seventeen hundred and sixty-nine, and called St. Charles in eighteen hundred and four. The Illinois Indians claimed the land where Saint Louis now stands when this deponent first came here. This deponent has known that Andrew Landreville has possessed the lot claimed for thirty-six years. It has been fenced in and had a house on it for upwards of thirty years, in which the claimant has lived. Sworn to and subscribed April 18, 1825, before AUG. CHOUTEAU. THEODORE HUNT, Substance of testimony taken by Recorder Hunt in 1825, and noted in his minute-books of that year. That Joseph Vachard, senior, legal representative, claims a common field lot in the Cul-de-sac field near St. Louis. Auguste Chouteau, being duly sworn, says that A. D. seventeen hundred and sixty-six there were grants made in a common field near the town of St. Louis for a common field, then called "Petite Prairie," which is south of the town on the bluff, and was called the "Little Prairie." Some few years after, a band of the Peoria Indians obtained permission to build a village, and they did build one immediately where Judge Bent's house now stands, and in after times this prairie or common field was called Prairie du Village Sauvage. At the time the Indians built their village, their principal chief's name was "the Petit Dinde," or Little Turkey. A. D. seventeen hundred and sixty-nine, or about that time, there was a grant made for a common field called Prairie des Noyers, to be divided into lots. The bounds are as follows: on the south were the common field lands of Carondelet as they now are, or were when the government of the United States took possession of this country, and north by a division between the Big Prairie and the Prairie des Noyers, at the end of the mill tract called Cul-de-sac. He further states, that of his own knowledge the Grand Prairie was laid off as a common field about the year seventeen hundred and sixty-six, and is bounded on the north by the little river called Marais Castor, and as the land or lots were granted, they extended south until they eventually joined on the Cul-de-sac, which separated it from Prairie des Noyers; and he also states of his own knowledge that A. D. seventeen hundred and ninety there was a common field fence that connected with the fence of the common field of Carondelet and extended so as to go around and include Prairie des Noyers. Cul-de-sac and the Big Prairie, and the land enclosed within this, was very generally under cultivation for several years. Pierre Chouteau, sr., being sworn, says that he often acted as surveyor by order of the Spanish government, and that Ă. D. seventeen hundred and eighty-eight he did survey the Prairie Des Noyers, by order of the same government, and he knows the bounds as described in the testimony of Auguste Chouteau to be correct and true. John Baptiste Riviere de Baccané, being duly sworn, says he was taken a prisoner at the attack on St. Louis by the Indians at Cardinal springs, and was tied by the Indians at the spring. He was asleep in the house at the spring, which house was built by and belonged to John Marie Cardinal. At the time the attack commenced, (and this deponent was taken prisoner by the Indians,) Cardinal was wounded by them in attempting to make his escape; and he lived until he got to the Beaver Ponds, about two or three miles, where he, Cardinal, died. That the inhabitants lost in killed or taken prisoners fifty-eight or fiftynine by this attack, which commenced in the Grand Prairie about the middle of the day. He was taken prisoner by the Indians to Chicago, where he made his escape, and returned to St. Louis, after which he removed to St. Ferdinand, where he has lived ever since. When he lived in this town he was well acquainted with the different field lots and the owners of them, and knows the lots claimed by Alexis Marie. Baptiste Riviere, being duly sworn, says he came to the town of Saint Louis in the first boat that came to this town, with Auguste Chouteau. This deponent says his father left Kaskaskia (at the same time he left Fort Chartres) with a cart, in which was Mrs. Chouteau and her children, and this cart was accompanied by Laclede Liguest, who arrived about the same time the boat did from Fort Chartres. That when he came to this town he was about twelve years of age, and immediately where the town stands was very heavily timbered, but back of the town it was generally prairie, with some timber growing; but where the timber did grow it was entirely free from undergrowth, and the grass grew in great abundance everywhere, and of the best quality. He further says, that immediately after their arrival at this place they commenced fencing for a common field, and the first fence built commenced at the place called "Demi lune," and went back of the town, following the top of the hill down to the Indian village. After that the common field fence was so altered as to take in the pond, and extended to the Pain de Sucre, near the present village of Carondelet; and after this time it was so altered as to be connected with the enclosure of the people of the village of Carondelet, which extended to the mouth of the river des Peres. The fence was made in various modes; some was made picket-fashion, some worm fence, some with trees of their full length and small stakes with riders on the top; and the whole line of this fence was completed upwards of fifty years ago. JOHN LA VALLE'S LEGAL REPRESENTATIVES CLAIM A SQUARE IN THE VILLAGE OF NEW MADRID. Robert McCay being duly sworn, says he knows the lot or square claimed; that, A. D. seventeen hundred and eighty-six, he, McCay, was on his way to New Orleans from post St. Vincennes, and in the month of December of that year he stopped at that place where the village of New Madrid now stands, at which time there was not any person living there, it being a perfect wilderness. He further states that in the spring of the following year, A. D. one thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven, when he returned, there were about twelve persons living on the spot where the village now stands, being employed in trading with the Indians; among the number was Joseph Lesieur. He also states that in seventeen hundred and eighty-nine he was again at New Orleans, when the governor sent for him, &c., made inquiries as to the situation of the place, &c., and in the year of A. D. seventeen hundred and ninety Pierre Fouché arrived at the place and took command of the same, and named the village New Madrid, and then built Fort Celeste, which was named thus in compliment to the wife of Don Stephen Mero, the governor of Louisiana; from this time this deponent has made the village of New Madrid his place of residence. He further states that the place where Colonel Morgan located himself, A. D. seventeen hundred and eighty-eight, was below Lake St. Ann, being about one mile below the site of the present village of New Madrid; and he also states, that A. D. seventeen hundred and ninety-four or five, the village of Little Prairie was settled by Francis Lesieur; A. D. 1793 Don Pierre Fouché was relieved by Don Thomas Portell, as commandant; A. D. 1796 Don T. Portell was relieved as commandant by Don Carlos Dehault Delassus, and A. D. 1798 Don C. D. H. Delassus was made lieutenant governor of Upper Louisiana, and that this deponent, who commanded in the Spanish naval service, remained in command of the village until the arrival of Don Andre Pereux, who remained in command until a short time before the country was receded, when John B. La Valle had command, and that to his knowledge the regulations of Morales were published about A. D. eighteen hundred by the beat of the drum and reading it at the corners of the streets, and afterwards putting up the order at some public place, as was always done when royal orders were made public. He also states that on the morning of the seventeenth of December, A. D. one thousand eight hundred and eleven, the first earthquake was felt, which was the one that destroyed the Little Prairie; but the one that did the material injury to the village of New Madrid was not until the seventh of February following. That earthquakes have continued from that time to this during the fall and winter; that prior to and on the twentieth of December, eighteen hundred and three, this square was possessed and occupied by John La Valle, and that he occupied this same square until his death, A. D. eighteen hundred and nineteen. Auguste Chouteau, being sworn, says that in the year of A. D. seventeen hundred and sixty-four he surveyed the site for the town of St. Louis, and made a plat of the same; that the main streets were all of them laid out to be thirty-six feet, French measure, wide; all the cross streets were laid out to be thirty feet, French measure, wide; that the blocks were generally laid out to be two hundred and forty feet, fronting on the main streets and running back three hundred feet to the other main street, and the grants to the town lots were always intended to be bounded by the plan or plat above mentioned, so as not to encroach upon the streets. He states that he is well acquainted with what was the custom as to the grants to the lots fronting on the Mississippi in this town, which was always sanctioned by the custom of the country, viz: that there was always a space left below the lots so situated, (and fronting on the Mississippi,) and the Mississippi for a tow or road, and that he never did know (during the time the French or Spanish authorities governed this country) of any lots being fenced in down to the river Mississippi, either to high-water or low-water mark. Further, that A. D. seventeen hundred and eighty, he again surveyed the town according to the original plan, a copy of which survey has this day been shown him by Theodore Hunt, the United States recorder of land titles; and he further says, that since the first laying out of the town, the Mississippi has washed away some land in front of said town as it was laid out. The following is a comparative statement adopted by the surveyor general's office at St. Louis, Missouri, of the land measures of the United States, and the French measures formerly used in the late province of Louisiana : Land States and Terri tories. No. 1. Tabular statement showing the number of acres of public lands surveyed in the following land Stales and Territories up to June 30, 1865, during the last fiscal year, and the total of the public lands surreyed up to June 30, 1866, and also the total area of the public domain remaining unsurveyed within the same. Washington Territory. Colorado Territory. 14,762, 581 13, 170, 301 27,008,317 451, 407 5,448,866 3,333, 902 1, 197, 321 2,425, 239 779, 139 34, 511, 360 35, 228, 800 728, 119 5,730, 186 3,530, 645 414, 509 52,043, 520 48, 636, 800 120, 947, 840 52, 184, 960 60, 975, 360 44,796, 169 66,880,000 68,084, 480 80, 730, 240 81,318 75,995 188,981 81,539 95, 274 69.994 104, 500 106, 382 126, 141 2,293, 142 | 75, 275, 498 | 468, 666, 252 |1, 227, 2624, 267, 037 474, 160, 551 991, 308, 249 1,465, 468, 800 2,289,795 The State of Nevada was enlarged by adding 1 degree of longitude-detached from the west part of Utah-11, 79, 815 acres; also by the addition of that portion of Arizona lying between the 37th degree of north latitude and Colorado river on the south, and the 37th degree of longitude west, to the eastern boundary of California, amounting to 7, 823, 936 acres, which will increase the area of Nevada to 71,737,741 acres. This is, however, subject to the approval of the legislature of Nevada, of which this office has not been advised at the date of this report. Per act of May 5, 1866. A strip of 1 degree of longitude being taken from Utah on the west, for the purpose of adding to Nevada, equivalent to 11.728,845 acres, the area of Utah thus diminished will be 56,355,635 acres. Vacated Indian reservations in Utah (77,225 acres) were surveyed during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1866, but as this area forms part of that formerly surveyed as the public lands, and is included in 2,425,239, the area is not repeated. The area of Arizona being diminished by the entting off the northwest corner and alling to Nevada, amounting to 7,823,936 acres, its area will be 72,206,304 acres. GENER LLAND OFFICE, October 2, 1866. |