Have you ever tried to track down land deeded in a will, especially when the will doesn’t provide a specific description of the land? That’s my case when trying to identify the land Zebulon Foster received thru the will of his father, Richard Foster.
I will and bequeath unto my
Indiana, Warren. Deed Records, 1827-1901. Film #1977054 DGS 8071879. Richard Foster, June 1831 Vol 11: page 420; digitized images, Family Search http://www.familysearch.org : viewed online 17 March 2022.
third son Zebulon Foster all the lands I have in the State
of Indiana on the waters of the Wabash River as follows
to wit: That if it should be considered that the said lands
at first cost should be more than his equal share of my
estate hereafter then he shall pay back the overpaid to the
said estate, and I also give to him one sorrel mare in
consideration of services rendered since he was of age, not
to be accounted as any part of his legacy.
Fortunately, Richard Foster made it easy to find this land since he purchased the land from the U.S. government. In all Richard Foster purchased four pieces of land
West Half of the Southeast Quarter of Section 10 Township 21 Range 9
Certificate
No. 6762The United States of America
To all to whom these presents shall come, Greeting:Whereas, Richard Foster, of Pike county, Ohio
has deposited in the General Land office of the Untied States, a certificate of the Register of th Land Office at Crawfordsville
whereby it appears that full payment has been made by the said Richard Foster
according to the provisions of the act of Congress of the 24th of April, 1820, entitled, “An act making further provision for the sale of the Public Lands,” forthe West half of the South East quarter of Section ten, in township twenty one North of range nine West in the District of Lands offered for sale at Crawfordsville, Indiana, containing eighty 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 pur-
chased by the said Richard Foster
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 Richard Foster,
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 Richard
Foster, and to his heirs and assigns foreverIn testimony whereof, I, Andrew Jackson
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.
Given under my hand, at the City of Washington, the tenth day of April in the year of our
Lord, one thousand eight hundred and twenty nine, and of the Independence of the United States the
fifty-third
By the President, A. J.
[G.G.] Commissioner of the General Land Office
Northeast Quarter Section 10 Township 21 Range 9
Certificate
No 6763The United States of America
To all to whom these presents shall come, Greeting:Whereas, Richard Foster, of Pike county, Ohio
has deposited in the General Land office of the Untied States, a certificate of the Register of th Land Office at Crawfordsville
whereby it appears that full payment has been made by the said Richard Foster
according to the provisions of the act of Congress of the 24th of April, 1820, entitled, “An act making further provision for the sale of the Public Lands,” forthe North East quarter of Section Ten, in township twenty one North of range Nine West in the District of lands offered for sale at Crawfordsville, Indiana, containing one hundred and sixty 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 pur-
chased by the said Richard Foster
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 Richard Foster,
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 Richard
Foster, and to his heirs and assigns foreverIn testimony whereof, I Andrew Jackson
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.
Given under my hand, at the City of Washington, the tenth day of April in the year of our
Lord, one thousand eight hundred and twenty nine, and of the Independence of the United States the
fifty-third
By the President, A. J.
[G.G.] Commissioner of the General Land Office
West 1/2 Northwest 1/4 Section 14 Township 21 Range 9
Certificate
No. 8511The United States of America
To all to whom these presents shall come, Greeting:Whereas, Richard Foster, of Pike county, Ohio
has deposited in the General Land office of the Untied States, a certificate of the Register of th Land Office at Crawfordsville
whereby it appears that full payment has been made by the said Richard Foster
according to the provisions of the act of Congress of the 24th of April, 1820, entitled, “An act making further provision for the sale of the Public Lands,” forthe West half of the North west quarter of Section fourteen in Township twenty-one, North
of Range nine West, in the district of lands offered for sale at Crawfordsville
containing eighty acresaccording 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 pur-
chased by the said Richard Foster
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 Richard Foster,
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 Richard
Foster, and to his heirs and assigns foreverIn testimony whereof, I Andrew Jackson
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.
Given under my hand, at the City of Washington, the first day of October November in the year of our
Lord, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-nine thirty, and of the Independence of the United States the
fifty-fourth fifth
By the President, A. J.
G. G. E. H. Commissioner of the General Land Office
West 1/2 NE 1/4 Section 15 Township 21 Range 9
Certificate
No. 8512The United States of America
To all to whom these presents shall come, Greeting:Whereas, Richard Foster, of Pike county, Ohio
has deposited in the General Land office of the Untied States, a certificate of the Register of th Land Office at Crawfordsville
whereby it appears that full payment has been made by the said Richard Foster
according to the provisions of the act of Congress of the 24th of April, 1820, entitled, “An act making further provision for the sale of the Public Lands,” forthe West half of the North East quarter of Section fifteen in Township twenty-one, North
of Range nine West, in the district of lands offered for sale at Crawfordsville
containing eighty acresaccording 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 pur-
chased by the said Richard Foster
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 Richard Foster,
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 Richard
Foster, and to his heirs and assigns foreverIn testimony whereof, I Andrew Jackson
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.
Given under my hand, at the City of Washington, the first day of November in the year of our
Lord, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-thirty, and of the Independence of the United States the
fifty-fifth
By the President, A. J.
E. H. Commissioner of the General Land Office
A search of the First Landowners Project helps me place this land on a map.
Then a look at an 1877 plat map of Warren County reveals that Zebulon Foster still owned the land in Sections 10 and 15. However, the plat map does not indicate an owner of the NE quarter of section 10. Nor does Zebulon Foster own the land that was in section 14.
Now that I’ve identified the ‘Land on the Wabash’, I need to figure out what happened to the land during Zebulon Foster’s lifetime.