1839
The public land sale of 1839 ended the practice of claim "gouging"; a numerously attended meeting was held on Jefferson Prairie beforehand to arrange claim protections.
The evidence
“Picket, near Jobnstown, where Mr. Adams also officiated, On funeral occasions then, people would assemble from far and near, thus indicating their sympathy for bereaved and sorrowing hearts, The first numerously attended public meeting, at which I was present, was held on Jefferson prairie, to make arrangements in reference to the approaching land sale of 1839. The objects of the meeting were to fix upon the amount of land which each settler might be allowed to claim; and in the effort to secure this quantity (whether it was a quarter or a half section, I will not pretend to say), they agreed to protect each other on the day of sale, should any attempts be made to overbid them.”
1856-history-of-rock-county/04-correspondence-pioneer-letters.md, PDF p. 52 / book p. 34
Guernsey, Orrin, and Josiah F. Willard, editors. History of Rock County, and Transactions of the Rock County Agricultural Society and Mechanics' Institute. Janesville, Wis.: William M. Doty & Brother, 1856. Cornell University Library via the Internet Archive, archive.org/details/cu31924028871593.
Grade A: Found on a page of one of our sources
On the printed page (PDF p. 52 / book p. 34) · open the whole page “The first numerously attended public meeting at which I was present was held on Jefferson Prairie, to make arrangements in reference to the approaching land sale of 1839. The objects of the meeting were to fix upon the amount of land which each settler might be allowed to claim ; and in the effort to secure this quantity (whether it was a quarter or a half section, I ■will not pretend to say), they agreed to protect each other on the day of sale, should any attempt be made to overbid them.”
1879-history-of-rock-county/09-rock-county-ch03-pioneer-reminiscences.md, PDF p. 346 / book p. 350
Butterfield, C. W., et al. The History of Rock County, Wisconsin: its early settlement, growth, development, resources, etc. Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1879. Cornell University Library via the Internet Archive, archive.org/details/cu31924028871585.
Grade A: Found on a page of one of our sources · may repeat 1856-history-of-rock-county, so not counted as independent
On the printed page (PDF p. 346 / book p. 350) · open the whole page
