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Agricultural and Mechanical Colleges in the United States
owe their origin to an act of Congress, entitled "An act donat-
ing public lands to the several States and Territories which may
provide colleges for the benefit of agriculture and the mechanic
arts," approved July 2, 1862. The amount of land donated
was 30,000 acres for each Representative in the National Con-
gress. Under this allotment Kentucky received 330,000 acres.
Several years elapsed before the Commonwealth established an
Agricultural and Mechanical College under the act. When I
established it was not placed upon an independent basis, but
was made one of the Colleges of Kentucky University, to which
Institution the annual interest of the proceeds of the Congres-
sional land grant was to be given for the purpose of carrying
V on its operations. The land script had meanwhile been sold
for fifty cents per acre, and the amount received—-$165,000——
invested in six per cent. Kentucky State bonds, of which the
State became the custodian in trust for the College.
The connection with Kentucky University continued till 1878, _
when the act of 1865, making it one of the Colleges of said
University, was repealed, and a Commission was appointed to
recommend to the Legislature of 1879—80 a plan of organization ·
for an Institution, including an Agricultural and Mechanical
College, such as the necessities of the Commonwealth require.
The city of Lexington oHered to the Commission (which was
also authorized to recommend to the General Assembly the
  place, which, all things considered, offered the best and greatest "
inducements for the future and permanent location of the Col-
lege) the City Park, containing fifty,-two acres of land, within
the limits of the city, and thirty thousand dollars in city bonds
for the erection of buildings. This offer the county of Fayette
supplemented by twenty thousand dollars in county bonds, to
be used either for the erection of buildings or for the purchase A
of land. The offers of the city of Lexington and of the county ..
  of Fayette were accepted by the General Assembly.