b'The Settlement at Gallipolis property. When they arrived, however,The name Gallipolis means city they discovered that the papers theyof the Gauls (the Gauls were people held, deeds, were completely unusable.during the Roman era who settled in As it turned out, the Scioto Companywhat is now France). While most of the did not actually own any land at all. Oneland companies in America were busy of the members of the company took alltrying to get Americans to settle the the money, and the federal governmentNorthwest Territory, one land company did not grant the land because pay-thought it was a good idea to invite ments had not been made.Europeans to come, too. Some men real- Some of the French stayed in theized that France was experiencing some eastern cities, but others continuedserious problems as the French west, hoping to find what had beenRevolution shook the country. Many promised by the Scioto Company. WhenFrench people feared for their lives, as they arrived at the lands described inmany had already been beheaded by the their deeds, they discovered that manyguillotine. The leaders of the Scioto of these parcels actually belonged toCompany offered French citizens a the Ohio Land Company. Kindly, Rufuschance to leave their country and start Putnam quickly had some cabins put up,a new life in America. and he offered to sell the French set-Not surprisingly, the Scioto Land tlers an in-lot and out-lot each inCompany exaggerated about the land Marietta. Some agreed and settledthey were selling, making it seem like a there. Others bought land nearby fromparadise for settlers (They werent the the Ohio Company for $1.25 an acre.first to use this deceptive selling tech- They named their town Gallipolis. nique. Captain John Smith also made In 1795, Congress granted (gave)the New World sound much better, and another 24,000 acres to the Frencheasier to settle, than was true.). Lands inhabitants of Gallipolis. This was were sold to many Frenchmen, who known as the French Grant, and wasexpected to find a wonderful new life in Congresss effort to let the Frenchthe lovely western lands. know that the government did notIn 1791 about 500 French people approve of how they had been treatedsailed for the U.S., thinking they owned by the Scioto Land Company.page 51'