Thayer in Crawford County

Crawford County, Pennsylvania History and Biography, 1885 Township Histories, Chapter XVI, pp 595-601, by Bates, Samuel P. 1827-1902; Brown, R.C.; Mansfield, John Brandt, Pub: Chicago: Warner, Beers I& Co. (NOT in Copyright)
"Settlement of the Donation Districts"
“Few of the soldiers who drew tracts here made settlement, and for many years the ownership of much of the land was unknown, but held by non-residents. In 1815, the township showed few if any indications of habitation, save the little clearings made by the ‘non-resident’ settlers. The donation lands were unclaimed by their owners and large numbers of the donation tracts were sold by the County Commissioners for delinquent taxes. A company consisting of Jacob Guy . . . all of Whitehall, Washington Co., NY, purchased a large quantity of land at the tax sale also made large investments in these tax titles, and sold their claims to incoming settlers. Extensive litigation grew out of these sales, the representatives of the soldiers often appearing and contesting the validity of the tax sales. Compromises were sometimes effected, but the original warrantees often maintained their claims and the tax titles were in consequence viewed with distrust. There were tract within the district, which had not been drawn by the soldiers. These could be entered by any settler, and the title secured by paying to the State the amount required by law.

“The following were also residents of the Seventh Donation District in this township in 1824 . . . ELIAS THAYER settled early on Tract 1453.”