Dohrman Tract or Dohrman’s Grant was a land tract in eastern

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

granted by Congress to Arnold Henry Dohrman (1749–1813), who helped the

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

cause in the Revolutionary War. At the beginning of the war, Dohrman, of the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

, was a wealthy merchant in

Lisbon, Portugal Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administrative limits w ...

. He supplied the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

with clothing and war material, and fed and looked after American seamen who the British had captured and released to his custody. In June, 1780, the Committee on Foreign Affairs in Congress reported to that body on his humane acts. A resolution was passed appointing him agent for the United States in the Kingdom of Portugal, an unpaid position. They authorized him to extend relief to US citizens, and to bill them for his expenditures. They assured they would refund him at their earliest opportunity. Dohrman presented a bill on July 19, 1786 for $26,084.24. He only had vouchers proving $5,806.80 in expenses. Congress paid the smaller amount on October 1, 1787. The $20,277.44 shortfall was not paid, but Congress paid him a salary of $1600 per year from the time he started his assistance, and allowed him to make a choice of any

township A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Ca ...

of land out of the fifth through seventh ranges of the first seven ranges surveyed in Ohio. Dohrman had not seen Ohio, and acted on the advice of others when he chose the thirteenth township of the seventh range, now half in Harrison County and half in

Tuscarawas County Tuscarawas County ( ) is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 93,263. Its county seat is New Philadelphia. Its name is a Delaware Indian word variously translated as "ol ...

. President

John Adams John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Befor ...

issued a patent for the land to Dohrman, or his legal representatives, on February 27, 1801. Dohrman lived in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

for many years, engaging in business. Various misfortunes lead to him having to mortgage his land to his creditors, preventing him from subdividing and selling at a profit. After his

business failure __NOTOC__ Business failure refers to a company ceasing operations following its inability to make a profit or to bring in enough revenue to cover its expenses. A profitable business can fail if it does not generate adequate cash flow to mee ...

, he moved to

Steubenville, Ohio Steubenville is a city in and the county seat of Jefferson County, Ohio, United States. Located along the Ohio River 33 miles west of Pittsburgh, it had a population of 18,161 at the 2020 census. The city's name is derived from Fort Steuben, a 1 ...

to be nearer his land. He died there in 1813. In 1817, Congress granted his widow, Rachel Dohrman, an annuity of $400 per year and $100 per year for each of his children until age 21.

The Grant in Modern Times

The grant consists of the a three-mile (5 km) wide by 1 ½ mile high parcel in the southwest corner of

Monroe Township, Harrison County, Ohio Monroe Township is one of the fifteen townships of Harrison County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 1,241 people in the township, 827 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township. Geography Located in the northwestern ...

, a three-mile (5 km) wide by 4 ½ mile high western half of

Franklin Township, Harrison County, Ohio Franklin Township is one of the fifteen townships of Harrison County, Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census the population was 603, of whom 524 lived in the unincorporated portion of the township. Geography Located in the western part of th ...

, a three-mile (5 km) wide by four mile high strip on the east side of

Mill Township, Tuscarawas County, Ohio Mill Township is one of the twenty-two townships of Tuscarawas County, Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 mil ...

, and a three-mile (5 km) wide by two mile high strip on the east side of

Rush Township, Tuscarawas County, Ohio Rush Township is one of the twenty-two townships of Tuscarawas County, Ohio, United States. The 2020 census found 867 people in the township. Geography Located in the southeastern part of the county, it borders the following townships: * Mill ...

for a total of approximately . The corners of the grant are at , ,, . The community of Stillwater and the dam and part of the reservoir of

Tappan Lake Tappan Lake, also known as Tappan Reservoir, is a reservoir in Harrison County, Ohio, United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily locat ...

are in the tract and

Ohio State Route 800 State Route 800 (SR 800) is a north–south state highway in the eastern portion of the U.S. state of Ohio. Its southern terminus is at SR 7 in Jackson Township near New Matamoras, and its northern terminus is at its interchange with Inter ...

and

United States Highway 250 U.S. Route 250 (US 250) is a route of the United States Numbered Highway System, and is a spur of U.S. Route 50. It currently runs for from Richmond, Virginia to Sandusky, Ohio. It passes through the states of Virginia, West Virginia, and Ohio. ...

pass through.

Notes

References

* *

External links

Ohio History Central- Dohrman’s GrantArnold Henry Dohrman. Papers, 1749-1813
housed in the University of Illinois Library at Urbana-Champaign's Illinois History and Lincoln Collections {{Ohio-Lands Former regions and territories of the United States Geography of Ohio Pre-statehood history of Ohio Dutch-American culture in Ohio History of the Midwestern United States 1786 in the United States Harrison County, Ohio Tuscarawas County, Ohio History of Ohio

The Grant in Modern Times

See also

Notes

References

External links