The Ephraim Kimberly Grant was a land tract in eastern

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

that was granted to an

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

veteran by Congress late in the 18th century. It was located in the

Seven Ranges The Seven Ranges (also known as the Old Seven Ranges) was a land tract in eastern Ohio that was the first tract to be surveyed in what became the Public Land Survey System. The tract is across the northern edge, on the western edge, with the so ...

along the

Ohio River The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its river mouth, mouth on the Mississippi Riv ...

Background

The

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

had little money to pay the soldiers who fought for independence. They made promises of land to induce army enlistment. By resolutions of September 16 and 18, 1776, and August 12, September 22, and October 3, 1780, they proposed to give each officer or private continuously to serve in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

army until the close of the war, or until discharged, or to the representatives of those slain by the enemy, tract sizes dependent on rank. Capt. Ephraim Kimberly, (October 22, 1738, September 8, 1795) (Company of the 2nd

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

) is recognized as a patriot by the

Daughters of the American Revolution The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (often abbreviated as DAR or NSDAR) is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a patriot of the American Revolutionary War. A non-p ...

Society. After the war, Kimberly

squatted Squatting is the action of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied area of land or a building (usually residential) that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have lawful permission to use. The United Nations estimated in 2003 that there wer ...

at the mouth of Indian Short Creek, now Short Creek, along the Ohio River. On April 8, 1794, Congress granted Kimberly in an act entitled “AN ACT to authorize Ephraim Kimberly to locate the land warrant issued to him for services in the late American Army” - Text of Act of April 18, 1794

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...

The Tract was surveyed by Absalom Martin, and was the first deed recorded in

Jefferson County, Ohio Jefferson County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 65,249. Its county seat is Steubenville, Ohio, Steubenville. The county is List of Ohi ...

, located in Warren Township. The tract was in Township 4 of range 2 of the Old Seven Ranges. In modern times,

Rayland, Ohio Rayland is a village (United States)#Ohio, village in Jefferson County, Ohio, United States, along the Ohio River. The population was 395 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is part of the Weirton–Steubenville metropolitan area. H ...

lies at the mouth of Short Creek.

Notes

References

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External links

* Geography of Ohio Pre-statehood history of Ohio Jefferson County, Ohio {{JeffersonCountyOH-geo-stub

Background

See also

Notes

References

External links