MAY 10, 1814 200 years ago today, Joseph and Susannah Steen Latta were engaged in negotiations over the renewal of their lease in School Section 16 located immediately west of Royse’s Lick and south of Moses Hoggatt’s horse mill. In the Land Ordinance of 1785 enacted by the Continental Congress, Section 16 in each congressional township was to be set aside as public land for the support of public education. Section 16 in each congressional township was to be set aside as public land for the support of public education. These lands were leased out by government agents with the rental income to pay maintenance of schools. The first recorded real estate transaction in the Harrison County real estate records was on March 9, 1809 for the lease of the NE quarter of Section 16 in T2N, R4E to Joseph Latta for a term of 5 years. One of the early acts of Jonathan Lindley as the First Judge of the recently created Washington Circuit Court was to appoint Samuel Lindley and Godlove Kamp as trustees to establish the terms of a new lease with the Lattas for that part of the quarter section “located east of the partition fence between the 2 cleared fields”. Lindley and Kamp recommended that the Lattas have their lease renewed for this part of the original lease for 2 years for no compensation in consideration of extra improvements made on the real estate. The Court then authorized the Trustees to offer the rest of the quarter section to the Lattas for terms that were “fair and just”. If the Lattas declined, then the Trustees could lease the remainder of the quarter section to anyone at their discretion for terms “thought best”. The fact that 2 of the Latta sons, William and John, had served in the Indiana Militia under Captains John Royse and William Hoggatt was probably also taken into consideration.

...These lands were leased out by government agents with the rental income to pay maintenance of schools. The first recorded real estate transaction in the Harrison County real estate records was on March 9, 1809 for the lease of the NE quarter of Section 16 in T2N, R4E to Joseph Latta for a term of 5 years. One of the early acts of Jonathan Lindley as the First Judge of the recently created Washington Circuit Court was to appoint Samuel Lindley and Godlove Kamp as trustees to establish the terms of a new lease with the Lattas for that part of the quarter section “located east of the partition fence between the 2 cleared fields”. Lindley and Kamp recommended that the Lattas have their lease renewed for this part of the original lease for 2 years for no compensation in consideration of extra improvements made on the real estate. The Court then authorized the Trustees to offer the rest of the quarter section to the Lattas for terms that were “fair and just”. If the Lattas declined, then the Trustees could lease the remainder of the quarter section to anyone at their discretion for terms “thought best”. The fact that 2 of the Latta sons, William and John, had served in the Indiana Militia under Captains John Royse and William Hoggatt was probably also taken into consideration. See More