On Jul 11, 2007, at 9:43 AM, Tarter, Brent (LVA) wrote:
> "tomahawk rights",
> She has also encountered the
> phrase "tomahawked his land"
This comes from memory without citation, but IIRC, tomahawking land
means marking trees on the perimeter. The 3 Chopt Road from Richmond
to Charlottesville is an example of a linear tomahawking. Blazing a
trail is another name. The marks would be a sort of brand that would
delineate the edges of the property from other claimants.
The tomahawk rights would be the pre-recording stage wherein the
perimeter was so marked prior to a formal survey by the county
surveyor or even without such. They would be meant to have legitimacy
in legal standing if challenged.
I would like to find a formal description with attributions for my
files anyway if someone finds one.
Lyle Browning