Purchase on the Muskingum facts for kids
The Purchase on the Muskingum was a large area of land in what is now Ohio. It was also known as the Ohio Company's Second Purchase. The Ohio Company of Associates bought this land from the United States government in 1792. This happened in the Northwest Territory, a big region that later became several states, including Ohio.
How the Ohio Company Got Land
In 1787, a group called the Ohio Company of Associates made a deal. They planned to buy about 1.5 million acres (6,070 square kilometers) of land in southern Ohio. However, they could only raise half a million dollars.
So, they bought a smaller area instead. This first purchase was about 750,000 acres (3,035 square kilometers). It also included special lands set aside for schools, a college, and religious leaders. In total, this first land deal covered about 913,833 acres (3,700 square kilometers). This land was located where the Ohio River and the Muskingum River meet. The town of Marietta, Ohio was started there in 1788.
The Second Purchase of Land
After the Revolutionary War, the United States government didn't have much money. To pay soldiers for their service, they often gave them land instead. The amount of land depended on their military rank.
In 1792, the Ohio Company of Associates gathered these land payments from veterans. They collected enough to cover about 142,900 acres (578 square kilometers). The government gave the Ohio Company a special discount of one-third on land purchases. This meant the company could buy a total of about 214,285 acres (867 square kilometers).
These new lands, known as the Second Purchase, were located north and northwest of the first purchase. They are now part of Morgan, Hocking, Vinton, and Athens Counties in Ohio. This Second Purchase was surveyed using the plan from the Land Ordinance of 1785. Unlike the first purchase, this second area did not have land set aside for schools or religious purposes.
