Strongly suggest that others explore what's available. Almost embarrassed that I did now know about it before. Found land records for a lot of relatives in AR and MO. All but one (IndepCo) checked out. It's taxpayer funded and thus free. You can print a copy of the original "deed" signed by the US president (also free). Another recent find is Maptech MapServer. Instead of entering the name of a town/city, you can enter the name of an old cemetery, school or whatever and probably get it. Thurman Anderson Robin Hoff Kaspar wrote: > Although the URL is actually www.glorecords.blm.gov this is a great idea. I > tried it today and actually came up with an extra 80 acres that my > gg-grandfather had purchased in 1860. The transcriber misread the name > (although it was easy for me to recognize on the original document) so these > parcels didn't come up in my name search. > > This is also a great resource to use in conjunction with the census. If you > can't find your ancestor through a name search in the land records but have > located them in the 1860 census or thereabouts (I found some land purchases > dated after 1900), search on some of the names of those enumerated around > them. If you find any of them, go back and search on the section, township > and range and see if anything pops up (although I would leave out the > section because that might narrow the search too much). > > Ok, you've found your ancestor in the land records now, but what do you do > with this legal description of the land? You can buy topo maps from the US > Geological Survey 888-ASK-USGS. Just give them the legal description and > they can tell you which map(s) you need. My ancestors lived in Sidney and > just south of Peter Martin Hill (don't know what that would be considered > today) which are on 2 different maps (they are scaled at 1:24,000). I have a > price sheet dated 11/1/99 that says the maps are $4 each with $5 s&h, so > that may be outdated now. There's also a website > http://edcwww.cr.usgs.gov/Webglis/glisbin/finder_main.pl?dataset_name=MAPS_L > ARGE If you click on "conterminous U.S. map", you can zoom in and find > approximately what map(s) you need. There is a list of maps available and > you can order online. > > When you get your maps, go to > www.outfitters.com/genealogy/land/twprangemap.html or > www.geocities.com/heartland/hollow/3184/tipsland.html for an explanation of > how to map out your land description. > > Now I just need to find out if I can trace the owners of my ancestors' > parcels from present-day back to the earliest records. I doubt the parcels > are still in the same configurations after 140+ years, but it would be worth > a try. > > Robin in Richmond > > -----Original Message----- > From: Ginger Turner [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Sunday, June 24, 2001 12:58 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [AR IND.] Land Records > > What that means is township 11 north, range 7 west and it would be the 5th > meridian. Were you in this area http://www.glorecords.com When you get > there put in the Sec 35 and 11n and 7w and Independence for the county. Do > not put in a name. This will bring up the people who owned land next door > to your ancestor. 1859/07 is July 1859 > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Elmer T. Anderson" <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Sunday, June 24, 2001 11:03 AM > Subject: [AR IND.] Land Records > > > Need a brief education on Land Records. Have an IndepCo > > record that lists land for what may be my gg grandfather, plus > > other land that could have been owned by two of his sons. > > But, I do not know how to establish the approximate location > > of the land. > > > > For example, William C. Anderson is listed as having 80 > > acres. It is section # 35. Under "T," it says 11N and 7W > > under "R." For the date, it says 1859/07. Can someone > > define T (township ??), R and what the 07 after the year > > means. > > > > And, most important, about where the land was located. My > > Grandfather William was a blacksmith, also had a farm and > > lived "outside" of Cord (Blackriver Township), I think toward > > Walnut Grove since that's the post office address listed on > > the census records. > > > > Thanks very much. Thurman Anderson. > > > > > > > > > > ============================== > > Visit Ancestry's Library - The best collection of family history > > learning and how-to articles on the Internet. > > http://www.ancestry.com/learn/library > > ============================== > Join the RootsWeb WorldConnect Project: > Linking the world, one GEDCOM at a time. > http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com > > ============================== > Visit Ancestry's Library - The best collection of family history > learning and how-to articles on the Internet. > http://www.ancestry.com/learn/library