Land Ordinance of 1785 – Seven Ranges – mineral rights
The Land Ordinance of 1785, under which the Seven Ranges in Ohio were surveyed, reserved for the federal government a fractional share of certain mineral rights:
“There shall be reserved the lot No. 16, of every township, for the maintenance of public schools, within the said township; also the one-third part of all gold, silver, lead and copper mines, to be sold, or otherwise disposed of as Congress shall hereafter direct.“
Does this part of the law apply today in any way? That is, if a current landowner within the original Seven Ranges discovered copper and began to mine it today, would a third of that income go directly to the federal government?
– Doug
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