Looks like pre 1917-18 Macoupin land patent and deed records are at IRAD: http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilmacoup/m_irad.htm I am not sure these are actual deeds. Think I would call or write IRAD to make sure: Brookens Library University of Illinois at Springfield Springfield, IL 62794 Phone: 217-206-6520 Hours: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday - Friday I think for private grantee/grantor, those would be in the Carlinville courthouse. Just to be sure of what they have, you can write or call: Recorder of Deeds Macoupin County Courthouse Carlinville IL 62626 217-854-3214 You would need to go or hire a pro researcher to get copies of deeds at the courthouse. http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilmacoup/m_pros.htm Another easy way to get to copies of all pre 1918 deeds is thru a local LDS History Center. You can order all grantor/grantee pre 1918 Macoupin deeds from Salt Lake on microfilm listed here: http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilmacoup/m_lds.htm --------------------------- These are the *earliest* Federal Land Patents for IL, the only land records I know which are currently online. I clicked on the word: SPISRCH at this site: gopher://gopher.uic.edu:70/11/library/libdb/landsale and, for example, entered the following for Macoupin County and the surname Taylor: county 59 and name prefix taylor (this limits your search because if there are over 1000 records for a surname, the search will only return 1000 records out of the total amt) Decipher a county number - A list of county numbers can be found here: gopher://gopher.uic.edu:70/00/library/libdb/landsale/landtabl.document (For the "County of residence" having 3 digits like 866 and 551) http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilmacoup/m_land.htm#othercodes You can download actual copies of these Land Patents at another site: http://www.glorecords.blm.gov You have to enter your zip code to search. When you get to the "fill in the blanks" site, *choose your county* and from one of your land patents you found in the first search at the gopher search of landsale records, DON'T ENTER THE NAME but enter the township number and direction, the range number and direction and the meridian and you will receive all the people who owned in the specific township/range/section which will tell who the neighbors were at the time. Remember in "those" years, marriages were made tween neighbors. Gloria Frazier Macoupin County ILGenWeb Coordinator At 06:25 PM 3/6/99 -0500, you wrote: >I don't see a lot of traffic these days, but am hopeful someone who has >pursued deeds and other land records from state and county sources can >clarify the process for me. > >I recd a pub from Illinois State Archives on obtaining county records. >Do I understand correctly that to request records of deeds for Macoupin >between 1829-1918, I need to request same from the IRAD Unit in >Springfield? Instructions also state that to "request a search of a >particular county's Deed Record, contact the appropriate regional >depository..." but no info on where that "appropriate regional >depository" is for Macoupin (or any other IL county for that matter). > >The materials are equally confusing about obtaining docs relating to >public land tract sales so I'm hoping someone who has followed the path >before can clear away the underbrush for me! > >I'm specifically looking into property transactions for Macoupin & >Winnebago Counties. > >Appreciatively, >Ellen Bisson >mailto:thebissons@worldnet.att.net > > >==== ILMACOUP Mailing List ==== >Please send questions, comments and ideas for the Macoupin County, ILGenWeb Home Page and Mail List to: >Eric Adcock, Macoupin County, IL GenWeb Coordinator - eadcock@dave-world.ne >Kathleen Mirabella, Macoupin County, ILGenWeb Mail List Manager - KathieMir@aol.com > >