The Potato Patch Fraud
A federal investigation reveals that a 'homestead' in Everett was nothing more than a few spuds and a locked door.
The ruling of Assistant Land Commissioner E. W. Bowers in the contest of John A. Cameron as to the claim of Isaac McDougal to forty acres of land, now included within the townsite of Everett, is that the entry be held for cancellation. McDougal alleged settlement in 1889, but the evidence showed the only house on the land was built by another party who abandoned it. The only evidence of cultivation was that McDougal and Robert Wenn got a peck of potatoes and planted them. McDougal claimed to have slept on the premises one night, but Robert Craig swore he locked him in his room at the hotel in Lowell all that night. Assistant Commissioner Bowers says: 'Still, Cameron's affidavit substantially proves that McDougal's entry was fraudulent. Our decision is overruled, the entry held for cancellation.'
“The only evidence of cultivation was that McDougal and Robert Wenn got a peck of potatoes and planted them.”
The rapid and sometimes dubious development of Everett's townsite reflects the era's land-grab culture. Much like today's battles over development and land use, this story highlights the friction between legitimate settlement and speculative claims.
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