Surveyor General Office, Robert Butler.
This large map (8 1/2" X 23 1/2") was issued by Butler as part of the regular updating of the plats of theTerritory*.
The United States General Land Office was established in 1812. Its duties were to survey and manage
the public lands of the federal government.
In 1824, the post of Surveyor General of the United States for the Territory of Florida was established to survey
the public lands in Florida using a township and range system.
Florida is divided into nearly 1,700 townships, each of
which is a square six miles by six miles. Township is also the name of the east-west axes (similar to latitude),
range is the name of the north-south axes (similar to longitude). Each township is subdivided into square mile sections,
numbered consecutively from 1 to 36. Notice the principal system of reference: the base parallel and the principal meridian
(intersecting on the southwest corner of the former Lafayette land grant).
The 300 000 acres large 1817 (Arredonde) Arredondo land grant covering most of Alachua County is still operative.
Notice also the huge uncharted (over one million acres) Forbes purchase in the quadrant south west of Tallahassee.
In 1776, Panton Leslie & Co in which John Forbes was a partner, established in Pensacola a trading company which became
extremely successful, so much so that it was permitted to continue operating by the Spaniards after Spain retook control
of Florida in 1783. The firm was even permitted to turn Indian debts into land titles. This "Spanish grant" was denounced
by the US once Florida was ceded by Spain to America in 1819. It took 14 years of legal wrangling to re-establish
the ownership rights of Forbes (the sole surviving associate), hence validating his land sale to Colin Mitchell's
“Appalachicola Land Company” which operated the grant till 1858.
No text on verso.
* known updates of Florida plats: see table
Florida Early Plat History
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Year |
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Size at "neat line" in inches |
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Name |
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Include Peninsula |
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1837 |
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8 1/2 X 23 1/2 |
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Robert Butler |
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TERRITORY |
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1838 |
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13 5/16 X 24 1/2 |
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Robert Butler |
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1838 |
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9 7/8 X 22 |
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Robert Butler |
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1839 |
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17 X 25 |
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Robert Butler |
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1839 |
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15 13/16 X 25 1/2 |
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Robert Butler |
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1840 |
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9 13/16 X 21 13/16 |
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Robert Butler |
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1840 |
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12 X 26 |
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Robert Butler |
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1840 |
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14 X 24 |
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Robert Butler |
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1841 |
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11 1/2 X 23 1/2 |
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Robert Butler |
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1841 |
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21 1/2 X 22 1/2 |
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Robert Butler |
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1845 |
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22 1/2 X 25 1/2 |
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Robert Butler |
x |
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1848 |
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24 X 26 13/16 |
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Robert Butler |
x |
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1849 |
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22 5/16 X 25 |
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Benjamin A Putnam |
x |
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STATE |
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1850 |
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7 X 12 1/8 + 8 5/16 X 13 13/16 |
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Benjamin A Putnam |
x |
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1851 |
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23 X 25 |
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Benjamin A Putnam |
x |
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1851 |
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24 11/16 X 21 5/8 |
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Benjamin A Putnam |
x |
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1852 |
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22 1/2 X 25 |
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Benjamin A Putnam |
x |
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1853 |
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21 X 25 |
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John Wescott |
x |
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1854 |
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24 X 25 |
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John Wescott |
x |
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1854 |
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22 13/16 X 25 |
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John Wescott |
x |
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1854 |
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24 X 26 1/2 |
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John Wescott |
x |
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1855 |
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26 9/16 X 24 1/2 |
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John Wescott |
x |
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1856 |
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24 X 26 5/16 |
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John Wescott |
x |
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