of persons
extending their improvements accidentaly on the claims of others before
the Lines were run thereby giving the first setlr an opportunity or
advantage of Preemption over the rightful owner that any person who hold
such advantages shall immediately relinquish all claim thereto to
the proper owner and any one refusing so to do shall forfeit all claim
to the right of protection of the association."

For the speculator who sometimes attended the land sales the squatters
had little respect; so they "Resolved that for the purpose of garding
our rights against the speculator we hereby pledge ourselves to stand by
each other and to remain on the ground until all sales are over if it
becomes necessary in order that each and every setler may be secured in
the claim or claims to which he is justly entitled by the Laws of this
association." And remarkable as it may seem, the same protection which
was pledged "before the sale" was guaranteed to "all such members as may
be unable to enter their claims at the sale after such sale and
until the same may be entered by them."

The following are typical records of claims as recorded in the claim
book of the Johnson County Association:

"The following is a decription of my claim made about the 15 of
January 1838, that I wish recorded. Situated on Rapid Creek About Two
Miles above Felkners & Myers mill Johnson County Iowa Territory
Commencing about 20 Rods South of Rapid Creek at a double white Oak
Tree Blazed & 3 notches on one side and 4 on the other and then
running West three fourths of a mile to a double white Oak on the east
side of a small branch Blazed and marked as before described then
running North about three fourths of a mile to a white Oak tree Blazed
and marked as before then running East about three fourths of a
mile to a small Bur Oak tree on the west side of Rapid Creek marked
and blazed as before mentioned then running South crossing Rapid Creek
to the place of beginning
March 20th 1839. GRIFFITH SHRECK"

"The following claim I purchased of John Kight in February 1839, & I
wish it registered to me as a claim made as I have not got his deed
with me the same being the S W qr of S 14, & that part of the S 1/2 of
S 15, that Lyes East of the Iowa River--T 79 N. R. 6 W. July 3rd 1840
handed in July 3, 1840 ROBERT LUCAS"

An illustrative quitclaim deed from the
same records reads as follows:

"This bargen made and entered