Carver's claim covers much of area

     There can hardly be a discussion of Jonathon Carver's travels in the Chippewa Valley without some mention of the so-called "Carvers Grant."
     Heirs and friends of Carver sought before the King of England and later the Congress of the Unites States to have a so-called grant ratified.
     According to testimony, those representing Carver after his death attempted to gain control of thousands of acres of land, mostly within this area.

Granted lands by Sioux

     They claimed that while Carver was wintering with the Sioux nation around St. Anthony's Falls (the Twin Cities area) the Sioux chiefs granted Carver lands in Wisconsin.
     Those lands were bordered by a straight line from St. Paul to Manitowish in northern Wisconsin, then straight south to about Pittsville in Wood County, westward to the Chippewa River where it empties into the Mississippi and up the Mississippi back to St. Paul.
     Representatives quoted comments from Carver about the grant and also sought compensation for the land or title to it. However, the "scheme," as it has been noted by some historians, was never pulled off.
     For one thing, Carver in the original edition of his travels dated 1778, never made mention of any such grant. Although throughout the narrative he talked of his fine relationship with the Indians.

Carver made no mention

     It was not mentioned until the third edition came out in 1781, shortly after Carver's death in 1780. This edition contained a map describing the area, a copy of the deed and quotes from Carver noting that the Indians had indeed given him such a grant.
     Carver never wrote of his claims nor his disappointment in failing to obtain assistance of the government to settle them. His only comment dealt with the fact he didn't feel he had been justly compensated for expenses.
     The British government never ratified, much more confirmed, the grant. The British did not set any remuneration.
     Since Capt. Carver rendered no service to the United States, a claim the British did not recognize certainly would not have binding on the new government of the United States.
     Thus, what has been termed a fraud by some never materialized, and "Carver's Grant" then, as today, makes only good reading.

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Extracted from the Eau Claire Leader Telegram
Special Publication, Our Story 'The Chippewa Valley and Beyond', published 1976
Used with permission.