1820 Land Lottery

The 1820 Land Lottery was initiated by the Acts of December 15, 1818 and December 21, 1819 to distribute land in the recently formed counties of Appling, Early, Gwinnett, Habersham, Hall, Irwin, Rabun and Walton. These counties were created from lands ceded to Georgia by the Creek and Cherokee Indians. Qualified Georgia citizens could register for the Lottery in their county of residence, and their names were forwarded to the State Capitol in Milledgeville. Each name was then matched by random draw with either a blank ticket or a specific lot of land containing either 250 or 490 acres. Fortunate drawers could take out a grant on their lot for a fee of $18.00. Not everyone who drew a lot took out a grant, and the ungranted lots reverted to the State.

Only the names of fortunate drawers were recorded by the State of Georgia. However, a list of all eligible drawers who resided in Major Strong's Battalion in Oglethorpe County was preserved at the county courthouse.

Persons entitled to draw:

  • Bachelor, 18 years or over, 3 year residence in GA, citizen United States – 1 draw
  • Soldier of Indian War, residence in GA during or since military service – 1 draw
  • Invalid or indigent officer or soldier in Revolutionary Army or War of 1812 – 2 draws
  • Married man with wife and/or minor son under 18 and/or unmarried daughter, 3 year residence in GA, citizen United States – 2 draws
  • Widow, 3 year residence in GA – 1 draw
  • Widow, husband killed in Revolution or War of 1812 or Indian Wars, 3 year residence in GA – 2 draws
  • Family of minor orphans, father dead, mother living, 3 year residence in GA – 1 draw
  • Family of three or more orphans, father and mother both dead, 3 year residence in GA – 2 draws
  • Family of one or two minor orphans, father and mother both dead, 3 year residence in GA -1 draw
  • Minor orphan, father killed in the Revolution or War of 1812 or Indian Wars, 3 year residence in GA – 2 draws
  • Minor orphan, father dead, 3 year residence in GA – 1 draw
  • Invalid or indigent officer or soldier in the Revolutionary Army who had been fortunate drawer in either previous lottery – 1 draw

Persons Excluded:

  • Any fortunate drawer in any previous Land Lottery.

List of Eligible Drawers

This list of eligible drawers includes persons who resided in Elisha Strong's Battalion, which was comprised of five districts in the southern part of the county. There does not appear to be a list available for the districts in the northern part of the county. Since this list was prepared prior to the lottery drawing, it does not indicate which individuals drew lots.

Georgia, Oglethorpe County
We do hereby certify that the foregoing is a true list of the names of those persons entitled to draws in the present contemplated land lottery together with the number of draws each is entitled too for Major Elisha Strong's Battalion Dist.

March 10, 1819
Elias Beall
Yelvinton Thaxton
Egbert B. Beall