Land Hunting

“One day last week a gentleman from Michigan was in the Register’s and Clerk’s offices here searching for the location of a tract of land supposed to be in this country, named “elk Head.” Like all such cases, it is very hard to get such a version of the claim as would make it full and plain to the reader in all its parts. The main points are, that many years ago three brothers of the name of Anderson came to this country from Ireland. Somewhere, on the then line from Philadelphia to Washington, they purchased a large tract of land, which is named in certain papers as “Elk Head.” They were sporting gentlemen and unmarried. Finally, one of them died and left his share to the two remaining brothers, one of whom shortly also died leaving the other possessor of the whole. This brother at his death willed the property to a surviving brother in Ireland. Here we have to drop the line of descent. Recently, however, the gentleman now engaged in this search, and who is connected by marriage, we believe, with the lineal descendants of the Irish brother, has been made acquainted with the facts, and has gone to work. Those having the papers in the cause reside in Canada; and the object of the visit here was to ascertain whether there were any records that would locate the land. As far as the search was carried there was no mention found of land by the name referred to above. As the Heirs in this case reside in a foreign country, right by possession will not hold. It has been suggested as probable that the land lies in Chester country, near where the Big and Little Elk creeks form a junction. Elkton was formerly known as “Head of Elk,” but we believe the tract of land on which it is situated was called “friendship,” so we are not frightened. The case is a complicated one; but there is evidently a strong belief on the part of the heirs that there is a property somewhere in the country the rightfully belongs to them.”

First, at the time of the supposed purchase, it is very possible that the United States had not yet been formed. The article was written in 1867 and the inquirers were decedents of the original purchasers. Should but 100 years be between them, Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon would just be finishing up their historic survey. This is interesting because the article mentions reference to the land being in Chester County which lies along the Mason-Dixon Line. Prior to the survey, there was a heated competition between, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland for rights to the land and so it is possible the original purchasers bought the land in Maryland but it was later deemed to be part of Pennsylvania.

Also interesting to note is named reference to land tracts. Prior to the formation of states, the governors of the colonies, who were themselves given the land from the English King bestowed smaller land grants or patents (sections) of their land to individuals and companies. After the formation of the states those patents remained enforce and entities (such as the General Land office) were created to document acquisition of further public lands.

In both cases each land patent had a title or a name and folks could get very creative in naming the lands. It can also make it very difficult to track due to spelling mistakes, similar names or misleading titles. Additionally a person might patent the land as one name and then nickname it something else further misleading rights holders or historians. In this article there are mention of two patents; Elk Head and Friendship (colloquially known as Head of Elk). Those two patents demonstrate the above mentioned complications of title naming very well and could have a pretty significant impact on Elkton’s past indeed.

Lastly, as far as this author knows the Big and Little Elk Creeks only meet up at the Elk River. Thanks to satellite imagery and more precise maps it is easy to trace the sections of the rivers up through Chester County, and while the two come near each other by Oxford, PA they don’t ever seem to form a junction. This assumes, however, that the creeks have not severely changed direction over the past 150 years.

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