The Original Plan: 1833

On May 6, 183?, Daniel Gray, the Surveyor for Monroe County, recorded the original layout of Miltonsburg. Part of the page on which the plan was described was destroyed when the court the Court House burned in (?); however, the text that survived was re-recorded in 1861. The last digit of the year is missing but other documents indicate it was 1833¹. This description was almost certainly accompanied by Daniel Gray’s plan, which was probably lost in the fire. However, another ledger which contains a plan entitled “Plot of a Town” includes the following note: "Supposed to be part of Miltonsburg. The no’s [numbers] of lots and bearings correspond with said town². I believe this is a copy of the original 1833 surveyor’s plot.

The damaged record dated May 6, 1833? is followed by this complete entry:

State of Ohio, Monroe County … Personally appeared before me the subscriber an acting Justice of the Peace in and for said County the within named David Pearson who acknowledged […] within […] lot of Miltonsburg for the purposes therein expresseth. Also personally appeared before me Mary Anne Pearson wife of the within named David Pearson who being by me examined separate and apart from her said husband and the contents thereof being by me made known unto her did declare that she did acknowledge the same for the purposes therein expressed, and is still satisfied therewith and I further certify that from personal knowledge I am well satisfied that the said David Pearson and Mary Anne Pearson his wife above named are the persons whom they represent themselves to be. Given under my hand and seal this ninth day of May eighteen hundred and thirty three.
Entered and recorded May 13th, 1833 Re-recorded Jan 12th, 1861.
(SEAL)
Henry Mason
Justice of the Peace

The Wieneke³ Addition: 1845

The following record describes Christian Wieneke’s 1845 addition to Miltonsburg:
p(taxrecords). Addition of Miltonsburg by Christian Wieneke
Description of the Addition made to the Town of Miltonsburgh in Monroe County, Ohio by Christian Wieneke on the third of December, 1844. Commencing at the north end of Miltonsburgh at a stone at the north end of Main Street on the east side thereof extending Main Street North […: surveyor’s description of lots continues].
The lots are numbered by commencing at the South end of said Addition on Main Street numbering north along Main Street on the west side through seven lots to the north end thereof, numbering south on the east side of the Back Lots making three Back Lots; in all 10 lots on the West side of Main Street. Crossing the street at the South end and numbering north on Main Street four Lots thence numbering one Back Lot in all fifteen Lots: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 14, and 13 being 60 feet inside on Main Street extending back to the alley. Lots 2, 3, 4, 6, 14, and 13 are 60 ft inside at the back end from Main Street. Lot 7? Is 99 ft inside at the back and Lot 5 is 66 ft inside at the back and Lot 1 is 86 feet inside on Main Street and 44 [sic] ft on the back end and Lot 10 is 110 ft inside on the east end and 63 ft on the west […description of lots continues].
Thereby certify that the above Plot and description of the Town of Miltonsburgh in Monroe County, laid out by Christian Wieneke as surveyed by Nathan Hallister on the 3rd day of December A. D. 1844
Witness Nathan Hallister the day and year aforesaid.
State of Ohio, Monroe County … Be it remembered that on the twenty-second day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty five, personally before me, the subscriber and acting Justice of the Peace within and for the county aforesaid, Christian Wieneke of the County aforesaid who appeared (?) before me thus (?) (?)(?)(?). Plot of an addition by him laid out and maid [sic] to the Town of Miltonsburgh in said county on the 3rd day of December A. D. 1844 is correct and that the same is his _ for the purposes therein mentioned and for all legal purposes whatsoever in Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this twenty second day of March A. D. 1845.
Wm. A Willard, Justice of the Peace⁴

The Greiner Addition: 1846

The following record describes the Jacob Greiner 1846 addition to Miltonsburg. This addition is different in that it follows the north-south lines of the Sections and Ranges of the Jeffersonian grid, whereas the original layout and the Wieneke Addition was probably aligned with an earlier road or trail that followed a natural ridge line.

Plat of Survey of Greiner’s Addition to the Town of Miltonsburgh in Monroe County and State of Ohio situated on a part of the South half […: surveyor’s description of lots continues]. […] Surveyed for Jacob Greiner on the 3rd day of February, A. D. 1846 by William C Walton under my directions (?) Mason (?), Surveyor, M.C.O.
State of Ohio Monroe County SS (?) 0n the Tenth Day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty six personally appeared before me the subscriber an acting Justice of the Peace within and for said County, the above named Jacob Greiner proprietor of the foregoing described Greiner’s Addition to the Town of Miltonsburgh and (?) the said addition (?) land according to the foregoing plot and certificate of said surveyor herewith my hand and seal (?).
Entered and recorded February 10th, A. D. 1846.
(seal)
Henry Mason, Justice of the Peace⁵

Subdivision of Lot No. 11 of Wieneke’s Addition: 1847

Plat of subdivision of Lot No 11 Wieneke’s addition to Miltonsburgh
Pat of a Subdivision of Lots No. 11 of Wieneke’s Addition to the Town of Miltonsburgh directed by Henry Houckey, March 29, 1847. The length of the different lines is place on them in feet and incuse. The course of Main Street given and the other lines at right angles except the north line.
Fees $2.50
A True Plot
J. Patterson Mason
Dp Surveyor M. C. O.
Entered and Recorded December 1847

Apparently Greiner’s addition was re-surveyed in 1847 and re-recorded in 1848

Plat of Greiner’s Addition to the Town of Miltonsburgh
Plat of Greiner Addition to the town of Miltonsburgh in Monroe County situate on a part of the south half of the north west quarter of Section Not 10, Township No 6 of Range No 6 which plot is laid down by a scale of 80 feet to the inch. (Surveyor’s description follows)
Main Street is 60 feet wide, Malaga Street is 30 feet wide. Cherry Alley is 12 feet wide. The lots are numbered on the plan beginning at the north west corner and the lengths of each is marked on them respectively.
Surveyed March 31st, 1847
J. Patterson Mason
Dp? Surveyor
Entered January 1st, 1848
Recorded January 12th 1848⁶

Annexation: 1889/89

This addition, which resulted from a petition signed by nine Miltonsburg property owners, annexed various outlots within the corporate boundaries of the town. The plan accompanying the legal documents related to this annexation is the first that I found which identifies an essentially square tract of land as the corporate boundary of the town. This plan and the text related to this annexation also addresses a confusing duplication of lot numbers by renumbering lots the Wieneke Addition, the Greiner Addition, and the subdivision of Wieneke Lot 11 and assigning Roman numerals to the outlots.

Petition for Annexation of Adjacent Territory
To the honorable Board of Commisioners of Monroe County, State of Ohio. We the undersigned admit free holders, residing on the territory adjacent to the Incorporated Village of Miltonsburgh, Monroe County, Ohio, and in territory sought to be annexed respectfully petition you to grant the annexation of the following described territory, of which the following is an accurate description- (suveyor’s descriptions of tracts owned by following individuals follows)
Tract I N. Stalder
Tract II George Feiock
Tracts III&IV P. Wengert
Tract V A. Hardesty
Tract VI S. B. Luly
Tract VII Magnus Farhenbuch
Tract VIII P. Wengert
Tract IX A. Aulter (Culter?)
Tract X (School House)
Tract XI P. E. Keller
Tract XII M. Reller
Tract XIII (XV?) George Schell
Tract XIV B. A. Yunkes (P. Keller on Plan)
We hereby authorize and appoint O. A. Hardesty our agent empowering him to act and do all things necessary required of us by law, in the premises. Wherefore Petitioners pray that such proceedings may be taken by the board for the annexation part of said Incorporation as is authorized by law. Date Sept 5th, 1888.
Names
Michael RellerAlex Hardesty
B. A. YunkesPh. Wengert
P. E. KellerMagnus Farhenbach
Samuel GrouxS. B. Luly

The following entry precedes the County Commissioner’s action regarding the Miltonsburgh residents’ petition:

Description and References
References
Volumes of Deeds, “C,” 401; “D,” 217; “E,” 215 and 225; “7,” 256 and “8,” 46
Surveyors
Daniel Gray J. P. Mason, Christioan Wieneke, G(?)
Laid out in 1844 and 1847
The original Town of Miltonsburg was laid out on a tract of land sold to David Pearson by Willard. (William A?) The South East and North East corners extend over the lines. Mason resurveyed the town and since the Lot No 20 eastern part of said Lot 20 and the owner of said lot desires that the same shall remain 20 on this plat. Wieneke Addition was (laid?) out on a tract of land North of the Pearson tract and extending 20 rods farther East. The measurement of this addition does not hold out for the alley marked “vacated.” Greiner’s Addition was still north of Wieneke’s Addition, the lots numbered 1, 2, 3,&4 in the Survey of 1847 are marked 126 “4.” Lots 1=4=2 are55 ft in width and 152 in length while lot 3’ 4" has only 46 ft front. (?) For full description, see plat.
This is a correct part of the Town of Miltonsburgh as it is now divided.
W. S. Jones
Surveyor, M.C.O.
Woodsfield August 16th, 1888

The County Commissioner’s action regarding the petition to annex outlots to Miltonsburgh corporation:

Transcript of Commissioners Proceedings. Commissioner’s Journal Monroe County. Regular Session Sept 5th, 1889? (Date probably should be 1888)
In the matter of the petition for the annexation of adjacent territory in the Incorporated Village of Miltonsburg Monroe County Ohio, the petitioners having made application for the annexation of the territory to the incorporated Village of Miltonsburg Malaga Township and it appearing that said petition is signed by a majority of the adult freeholders residing on the territory to be annexed and said petition being accompanied by a mp of the territory to be embraced in said Incorporated after the annexation of said territory together with an accurate description of the lands included in said annexation, an that O. A. Hardesty is to be the agent for the petitioners. It is ordered that the time fixed for hearing said petition in the December 7th 1888, and the Auditor’ Office the place said time and to be announced to the agent for the petitioners.
Commissioner’s Journal Monroe Co. Regular session Dec 7th, 1888
In the matter of the petition for the annexation of adjacent territory to the Incorporated Village of Miltonsburgh, Monroe County, Ohio, this being the day fixed for the hearing of the petition for the annexation of adjacent territory to the Incorporated Village of Miltonsburgh, Monroe County, Ohio, and it appearing that the duly appointed agent in the petition, O. A. Hardesty, has caused a notice containing the substance of the petition and the time and place where said petition was to be heard, published in the Spirit of Democracy a newspaper of general circulation in said county for the period of six consecutive weeks, and caused copies of said notice to be posted in conspicuous places within the limits of the Corporation, and also on the territory sought to be annexed six weeks pryor (sic) to the hearing. We therefore find that said petition contains all the matter required that its statements are true, that the petition contains an accurate and full description of the territory sought to be annexed, and the said petition is accompanied by an accurate map or plat of the said territory, and that said petition is signed by a majority of the adult freeholders residing on said territory. It is therefore ordered that the prayers of said petitioners be granted and that the territory described in said petition may be annexed and made a part of the Incorporated village of Miltonsburgh, Monroe County, Ohio. I certify the foregoing to be a full and complete Transcript of the Proceedings had on said petition by the County Commissioners.
H. R. Muhlinary (sp?)
Auditor M.C. O.
Transcript of Council Proceedings
Council Journal Monore co. Regular Meeting Febr. 8 1889. On motion of H. L. Rosenberry, seconded by Joseph Weisend that the territory sought to be annexed to the Incorporated Village of Miltonsburgh Monroe County Ohio be accepted as per plat and description made by Shannon Jones, County Surveyor of Monroe County Ohio. Carried by a unanimous vote.
O. A. Hardesty (Clerk)
Received July 25th, 1889
Recorded August 8th, 1889
E. J. Graham, Recorder

As best I can determine, this action established the plan of Miltonsburg as it exists in April, 2007. The original plat of land was recorded once again on December 6, 1870. In this entry Miltonsburg is described as a "plat of land conveyed by William A. Willard to David Pearson dec. by deed bearing date January 5th AD 1836 with the town of Miltonsburg laid out on said land. Resurveyed on April 28th and 30th AD 1842, said lot of land contains ten acres straight measure together with enough to complete Lot No 11. (Monroe County Deed Ledger Vol 27, page 582). A legend accompanying this entry indicates that William A. Willard, John Thompson, and Wm. Read were chainmen for James P. Mason, Deputy Surveyor, Monroe County.

The town plan that almost certainly was filed with these recordings was probably lost in the fire; however, the plan in Figure 1 is titled, “Plot of a Town,” and a note at the bottom of this plan states that it is. Probably because the lot numbers in the original plot of Miltonsburg were duplicated in later additions and because the early plans made no distinction between in-lots and out-lots, in 1888 the following information was recorded and the plan shown in Figure xx, was prepared to clarify the previously recorded information.
p(taxrecords). Description and References
Reference
Volume of Deeds, “C,” 401; “D,” 217; “E,” 215 and 225; “7,” 256; “8,” 46
Surveyors
Daniel Gray, J P. Mason, Christian Wieneki, Grimm (sp?)
Laid out in 1844 and 1847
The original Town of Miltonsburg was laid out on a tract of land sold to David Pearson by Willard. The South East and North East corners extend over the lines. Mason resurveyed the town and since the Lot No 20 eastern part of said Lot 20 and the owner of said Lot desires that the same shall remain 20 on his plat, Wieneke Addtion, was laid out on a tract of land North of the Pearson t r act and extending 20 rods farther east. The measurement of this addition does not hold out for the alley marked “vacated.” Griner’s Addition was still north of Winecki’s Addition, the lots numbered 1, 2, 3&4 in the survey of 1847, are marked 126. “4.” Lots 1=4=2 are 55 ft in width and 152 in length, while Lot 3’ 4" has only 46 ft front, for full description see plot.
This is a correct plat of the Town of Miltonsburgh as it is now divided.
W. S. Jones
Surveyor M. C. O.
Woodsfield August 16, 1888

¹ : Monroe County Deed. Vol. D,

² : Monroe County Deed. Vol. C,

³ : It is difficult to determine the correct spelling of this name from the official handwritten records. An internet search reveals that Henry Wieneke was born in Monroe County on August 8, 1837; therefore, I assume that “Wieneke” might be the correct spelling of this German name. I found no reference to Christian Wieneke.

⁴ : Monroe County Deed. Vol. 6,

⁵ : Monroe County Deed. Vol. 6,

⁶ : Monroe County Deed. Vol. 8,