John Organ’s Survey Notes on Poplar Forest Boundary Lines, 27 November 1817
I. John Organ’s Survey Notes on Poplar Forest Boundary Lines
A Copy of Courses and distances Run the 27th of November 1817 for Thomas Jefferson Esqr
Begining at Tomahack Creek, and Runing
S 24° E 19 poles to Thompsons Corner red oak. thence along Thompson lines
S 16° E 205 poles to his Corner on a branch,1 thence
N. 78° E 60 poles to his Corner post oak.
S 1° W. Crossing a small branch at 93 po. another at 136 po. and 183 poles in all to 3 Chesnut trees.—Corner to Thompson
S 83° E 82 poles to his Corner blackjack, thence
S 4° E. Cross Thompsons road at 11 po. Cross the place of the new road at 44 po. Cross a branch at 105 po. and 244 po in all to his C. pointers
S 55° E 91 po. to John Mitchells Corner forked blackjack thence along mitchels line—
S 22° E 35 po. to his Corner blackjack. thence
S 58° W. Cross an old road at 42 po. & 74 po in all to pointers on Calew. road and Corner to Speece, thence along Speeces line
S 16° W. Cross water lick branch at 36 po. & 43 po in all to his Cor. W. oak
S 58 W. Cross a branch at 80 po. a Corner at 188 po. Sups to be Speeces. Cross another branch at 220 po. another Corner at 272 po. & 350 po. in all to Clarks Corner pointers. thence along Clarks lines
N. 12° E. Cross a branch2 of Buffalow at 64 po. & 70 po in all to his Corner W.O.
N. 72° W. 150 po. to his Corner white Oak. thence
N. 16° W. Cross a branch at 87 po. Cross an old road at 92 po. Cross another old road at 125 po. an unknown Corner at 232 po. and in all, 298 po. to a red oak3 on Calleways Road. thence4 along the road
N. 72° W. 57 po. to a5 Spanish oak on the West Side of the Road. thence6
S 58° W. 85 po. to pointers. thence
N 52° W. 125 po. to a fore and aft post oak. Supsd to be near Cobbs line
N. 45° E 79 po. Supsd to be the place of Cobbs Corner. thence—7
N. 55 W. 64 po. to a Corner Supsd to be in the field. thence8 Runing through the field—
S 60 W. 68 po. to a Supsd Corner near the yard & lane. thence
N. 45 W. 122 po. to Corner double Chesnut tree on the Forrest road thus ends Our lines
NB. Again Begining at the fore and aft post oak and Runing
N 62° E Cross Calleways road at 45 po. & 74 po. Supsd to be the P.F. line
N. 35 W. 44 po. to the road leading to the western gate
John Organ Survr
MS (ViU: TJP, TB [Thurlow-Berkeley] no. 1499); at head of text in TJ’s hand: “1817. Nov. 27.”; with check marks added next to each entry, possibly by TJ; endorsed by TJ: “Majr Organ’s notes of the land lines of Pop. For.”
John Organ (1770–1826), farmer and surveyor, lived in Campbell County by 1799 and served as a major in the Virginia militia, 1813–14. Organ owned a mill complex and two slaves at the time of his death in Campbell County (William Wade Hinshaw and others, Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy [1936–50; repr. 1969–77], 6:844; register entitled “Records of Men Enlisted in the U.S. Army Prior to the Peace Establishment, May 17, 1815,” p. 303, record no. 912 [DNA: RG 94, RUSAE]; Campbell Co. Will Book, 5:264–5, 281–2; Lynchburg Virginian, 23 Feb. 1826; gravestone inscription in Mount Calvary Baptist Church, Gladys, Campbell Co.).
1. Manuscript: “brach.”
2. Manuscript: “brach.”
3. Manuscript: “oad.”
4. Manuscript: “the.”
5. TJ here interlined “marked corner white oak near to an unmarked.”
6. Manuscript: “thenc.”
7. Manuscript: “thenc—.”
8. Manuscript: “thenc thence.”
Index Entries
- Callaway, Richard; and survey of Poplar Forest search
- Clarke, Mr. (Bedford Co. landowner); and survey of Poplar Forest search
- Cobbs, William; and survey of Poplar Forest boundaries search
- Mitchell, John (Bedford Co. landowner); and survey of Poplar Forest search
- Organ, John; identified search
- Poplar Forest (TJ’s Bedford Co. estate); roads search
- roads; at Poplar Forest search
- Speece, Mr.; and survey of Poplar Forest search
- Thompson (Thomson), John (Campbell Co. landowner); and survey of Poplar Forest search