A Patch of Earth and a Point of Pride: A Message from 1853

this is to notify you not to cary out This Survy You Have made Latly as you must Know These Lands Is not Subject to Entry

Pull up a chair, friends, because I’ve found something special in the archives today that takes us right back to a chilly December day in 1853. It’s a humble little letter written by a man named John Guinn, and holding it feels like shaking hands across the centuries. The paper is a soft, cream color, aged by time but still holding strong, though you can see the wear and some staining along the lines where it was folded tight to fit into a pocket or a desk. On the back, someone—maybe the surveyor himself—scribbled down columns of math and little notes, the kind of everyday calculations that remind us these were real people trying to make sense of their world.

The letter is addressed to Mr. James White, the county surveyor. It seems there was a bit of a stir over some land in Fayette County. John Guinn had heard word that a survey was being run on ground he’d already bought from Thomas Toney and John A. North. With a firm but polite hand, John was putting his foot down. He wanted James to know that this land wasn’t up for grabs or “subject to entry” as they said back then. In those days, land was everything—it was your livelihood, your legacy, and the very ground beneath your family’s feet. Protecting your boundaries wasn’t just about property; it was about your word and your hard work.

When we look at this ink on paper, we’re seeing more than just a business dispute. We’re seeing the birth of a community and the careful, sometimes messy process of drawing lines on a map. It’s a reminder that even in 1853, folks were looking out for what was theirs and making sure the records stayed straight. Today, we might use digital maps and GPS, but the heart of the matter remains the same: we all want a place to call our own. This old letter, with its math-covered back and determined message, reminds us that our history is built on the quiet, steady resolve of people like John Guinn, just trying to protect a little piece of home.

Original Transcription

Fayette County Desembr 12 day 1853

Mr James White The Survyor
Dr Sir I under stand by Samuel Tyree that
you have made a Survy on The Land I Bought of Thomas
Toney & The Land I Bought of John A North The Sheles
Survys this is to notify you not to cary out This Survy
You Have made Latly as you must Know These Lands
Is not Subject to Entry yours truly &
John Guinn

[Page 2]

1842 443
2588
6

4 43 49 25
15 35 10
2 85 55 255
4 58 84
7 44 39
12 00 00
5 14 39 70 40
6 0 7 9 40 2 1/2
3 6 0 9 29 54
6 11 2 5 70 40
1 20 90 29 00
7 3 1 9 5 19 37
$11 0 77
50 00
60 77

[Written sideways on the left]
By Survey 99
Year 6 19
34.09

This one
to Keep