Original Gmelin and Amherst Township Grants On this page I provide links to the original grants 1757 to 1772 and discuss the problems with their boundary definitions that led to years of controversy.
DesBarres vs Amherst Township On this page I discuss how DesBarres obtained 8,000 acres of the Gmelin Grant in 1772, link to a survey and plan of his property, and discuss the two court cases of 1792 and 1796 that dealt with the controversy. This page includes details on the various surveys that were used to support arguments on both sides.
DesBarres vs Tenants This page covers the resurrection of the Gmelin Line controversy in 1814, DesBarres's dispute with his mistress Mary Canon who had been managing his properties, and DesBarres's fight with his tenants to nullify their leases. Teaser: DesBarres calls Henry Ripley a forger.
The Gould Properties This page deals with the dispute between DesBarres tenant Jedore Gould and widow Margaret Keiver that arose over the location of the Gmelin Line around 1820. We learn that a new line called the Roach Line has been drawn to redefine the boundary between Desbarres and Amherst.