SOLON ROBINSON, 1836 



69 



article, by article, being fully approved by a majority 

 of the meeting — 



On motion, the meeting then proceeded to elected a 

 Register & a board of three County Arbitrators — Solon 

 Robinson being nominated Register, 1 & Wm. Clark, 

 Henry Wells & S. P. Stringham being nominated Arbi- 

 trators were all unanimously elected — 



After some further discussion the meeting informally 

 adjourned — 



Constitution 



of THE 



Squatters Union 



in 



Lake County, Indiana — 



Preamble — 



Whereas, the Settlers upon the public lands in this 

 county, not having any certain prospect of having their 

 rights & claims secured to them by a pre-emption law of 

 Congress, and feeling the strong present necessity of 

 their becoming united in such a manner as to guard 

 against speculation upon our rights, have met & united 

 together to maintain and support each other, on the 4 th 

 of July 1836, and now firmly convinced of the justness 

 of our cause, do most solemly pledge ourselves to each 

 other by the strong ties of interest & brotherly feeling, 

 that we will abide by the several resolutions hereto at- 

 tached, (& to which we will sign our names,) in the 

 most faithfull manner — . 



Resolved, that every person who braves all of the Article lot- 



dangers and difficulties of settling a new & unimproved 

 country is justly entitled to the privilege heretofore ex- 

 tended to settlers by congress, to purchase their lands 

 at a dollar and a quarter an acre — 



1 Robinson's leadership in the formation and activities of the 

 Squatters' Union won him the title "King of the Squatters" and 

 naturally led to his subsequent election to important county offices. 



[Declara- 

 tion of 

 rights — 



