1805 Forbes Purchase

As a result of the increasing amount of debt owed to Panton, Leslie & Co., and it's subsidiary John Forbes & Co.,
several Creek and Seminole Indian goups were forced to cede large tracts of land to these companies. A siginficant
result of this effort to collect on outstanding debts can be seen in this early 19th century map showing
nearly 1.2 million acres of land given to the partners of the John Forbes & Co. trading firm.

Notice the existance of trails and towns within the boundaries of this survey. Also note that ill-defined
borders. When Florida came under American control, the heirs of JOhn Forbes initiated a decades-long
legal battle over the legitimacy of the ofiginal claims. Eventually, some of the original grant was honored
by the State of Florida, yet issues concerning legitimate land rights remain prevelent.