July 13, 1787 - The Northwest Ordinance

Following the American Revolution, the Congress of the Confederation of the United States established the Northwest Territory on July 13, 1787.       Prior to the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the Northwest Territory includes what is now often referred to as the upper midwest.

Known as 'An Ordinance for the Government of the Territory of the United States North-West of the River Ohio', the newly founded government's action opened the door for settlement of the territory encompassed by the area that would eventually become the states of Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin and the eastern portion of Minnesota.

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The 3rd article (page 2) provided a guideline for establishing education and religion in the new territory.

Two years earlier, the Land Ordinance of 1785 provided for a grid system of townships to divide up the territory.   A plat map for DeKalb county, Illinois from July 24, 1843 can be found on the Federal Township Plats of Illinois (1804 - 1891) by clicking here. 

In 1850, the grid system provided DeKalb county with 13 townships.

1850 - DeKalb county, Illinois township map

By 1860 the plat map for DeKalb county shows the county had grown from 13 to 18 townships.  Sandwich township would eventually be split in two, creating a 19th township, Somonauk.

1860 - DeKalb county, Illinois township map

This grid system explains why the area is broken into one square mile blocks as shown on a plat map.

1860 - Milan township, DeKalb county, Illinois plat map

The Browne school, yet to be built, would eventually be located in the southwest corner of section 1, owned by Richard Pearse.    The plat map spelled Richard's last name as Pierce; according to his descendants the last name was legally changed to Pierce after arriving in the United States from England.   William Browne, for whom the Browne school would be named, owned property as indicated in section 11, southwest of section 1.

Section 1 of Milan township contains 650.13 acres.    The southwest 1/4 portion of section 1 contained 163 28/100 acres.    The Browne school would occupy 1/4 acre of the southwest corner of this portion of land.

This is one of the first plat maps for Milan township which was founded in 1857 unless you read Wikipedia which states it was founded on February 23, 1858 from portions of the townships of Malta and Shabbona.

Additional information regarding public lands history can be found at the Bureau of Land Management.