Symmes, as has been indicated, was already a distinguished and successful man. Born in Long Island in 1742, he had gone to New Jersey and
was prominent during the Revolution as colonel of a militia regiment in active service.
He was for one year lieutenant-governor of New Jersey, for six
years member of the Continental Congress and for a period a judge of the
New Jersey Supreme Court. In addition to the outstanding ability which was
recognized by these positions, Symmes had the pioneer instinct — the vision
of a newer and still better America in what was then the great northwest.
His plan, quickly formulated, was to petition Congress for the entire tract of land between the two Miamis, using for payment to Congress the Federal certificates and military warrants which would be accepted by his group from settlers buying the land. The holders of these certificates and warrants—most of them former soldiers now at loose ends, would, of course, be the very persons most likely to settle in the new territory.
He was able to interest other influential men—General Jonathan Dayton, Elias Boudinot, Dr. Witherspoon, and of course Benjamin Stites. In the spring of 1787 Symmes, with Stites and others of the group, made a trip down the Ohio River to survey the extent of the proposed purchase. They went down, it seems, as far as Louisville and even up the Wabash River, having in mind the possibility of selecting a place for a colony north of what is now Vincennes, Ind. But realization of the danger from Indian attack made them dismiss this idea. It was on this trip, however, that they interested some of the Kentucky leaders— John Filson and Robert Patterson — in the Miami settlement.
Promptly on his return to New Jersey Symmes organized, in his own name, a land company, with a personnel of 24 men, those above mentioned included. It is true that Congress had not yet been formally petitioned and so their company was as yet without necessary sanction. But nobody seems to have bothered about that at the time.
In the winter of 1787-88 Symmes sold to Mathias Denman of Springfield, N. J., a tract of 740 acres opposite the Licking River. Now we are getting close to the actual settlement of Cincinnati, for Denman’s specific plan was to lay out a town at the location of his purchase and to establish a ferry to the Kentucky shore. But Denman was not to have the distinction of actually making the first settlement. Neither, for that matter, was Symmes. Lady Luck was to have a hand in the game.
For a time chance seemed to be favoring Judge Symmes and his group very highly. Symmes had gotten his petition to Congress in August, 1787. It was referred to the Board of the Treasury. It was provisionally accepted.
Symmes made a provisional payment — $82,000, most of which had been advanced by his friends.
Of course the matter was by no means settled—but Symmes saw no reason why he should not issue land warrants. He issued one—marked “speshul” in the original document—to Benjamin Stites for 640 acres of land at the
