GEORGE G. MORGAN: “ALONG THOSE LINES . . .” “Land Records Online” <<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<< =================================================== In "Along Those Lines . . ." this week, I want to share an interesting Web-based research facility with you. If you are searching for copies of land patents on the eastern public land states, the Bureau of Land Management--Eastern States, General Land Office has a wonderful facility for your use. STATE LAND AND PUBLIC LAND--WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE? It is important to understand that there were two types of land. Before the American Revolution, there were thirteen colonies: Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Virginia. Land in these colonies was held by the British government and was granted to private individuals for a variety of reasons. The Crown granted some land to individual proprietors or corporations, who then granted land to individuals. Some settlers received land just for settling in the colonies. After the Revolutionary war, the original thirteen colonies and five new states formed from the original colonies--Kentucky, Maine, Tennessee, Vermont and West Virginia--also granted land to their citizens. Many of these states awarded bounty land to Revolutionary War soldiers in payment for their military service. Later, Texas and Hawaii were added to these eighteen states, and these twenty states are known as state-land (or nonpublic-land) states. When the federal government was formed after the Revolutionary War, all the lands outside the original thirteen colonies and the other five new states mentioned above was ceded to the federal government and became part of the public domain. That means that the other thirty states are referred to as public land states. An act passed by the Continental Congress in 1785 called for the surveying of all the public domain and, beginning in Ohio in 1786, the surveying began. The lands originally surveyed were used as military bounties for soldiers and the remaining lands was offered for sale to the public. Depending on the piece of property and the time frame, the document issued by the government relating to the survey, sale or transfer of the parcel may be called a land patent, a warrant, or a homestead. A patent transfers title of land ownership from the federal government to a private party. The patentee may be an individual, corporation, a state or local government or some other entity that receives ownership of the title of land as a result of the granting of a patent. A warrant is a document issued to authorize the surveying of a specific parcel of land (also called a tract) for a specific person (also called the warrantee). The survey is the physical measurement of a specific area of land and includes the production of a written description of the property. The description uses the metes and bounds method of combining compass directions, physical measurements using standardized measures (chains, links, rods, etc.), and references to natural and manmade objects (trees, rocks, streams, fences, posts, etc.) In some cases, warrants were issued to authorize a survey and the survey never took place. A warrant may also have been signed over to another person. And in some cases, the warrant was issued and the survey was conducted, but the patent was never issued to the individual. LAND RECORDS ONLINE The original documents produced as a result of these land transactions still exist. In fact, the Bureau of Land Management--Eastern States, General and Office has digitized the majority of the land patent records for the following twelve states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin. (Iowa is coming next.) These can be located at their Web site at http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/ At this Web site, you have live database and image access to more than 2 million Federal land title records for the Eastern Public Land States, issued between 1820 and 1908. There is a disclaimer on the site which states, "Due to the organization and binding methods utilized by the GLO, the data bases accessible from this Web site currently do not contain every Federal title record issued for the states listed." You start by searching the land patent database. If you know the document number, the patentee's name, the warrantee's name, or the legal description of the tract of land, you may enter one or more of these and start one of two database searches: a genealogical search or a title search. (Note: The search can be restricted to specific counties to fine-tune your inquiry.) The genealogical search presents you with a search results list of Patentee Name, signature date, the document number, the accession number, and buttons allowing you to order a certified copy of the document itself. (More on this later.) The title search provides more information. Here are columns labeled Aliqiot Parts (more on this in a moment), the section township, range, and meridian east or west of which was used to calculate the section, township, range, etc. You may also order a certified copy of the document itself from this screen. On the title search screen, please note that the link in the column labeled Aliquot Parts will present you with another screen. This screen provides details about the patentee, the warrant, whether a metes and bounds survey was performed, and some details about the land tract and the township in which the patent was granted. At the bottom, you can view a digitized version of the document itself on your computer. To do so, you will have had to have downloaded and installed the free image viewer. (The image viewer links with your copy of Netscape 4.0 (or better) or Internet Explorer 4.0 (or better) Web browser.) The digitized documents do require a lot of computer memory (RAM) to view but they are worth the effort to see what information they might contain. You may certainly print a copy of the digitized document, although I must say there were some documents that I found were awkward to work with. If you like what you see, you can certainly order a certified copy of the document from the BLM. The price is $2.00 for each single page; additional copies of the same page are $ .75 each. Orders can be placed through the Web site or by mail. I ordered eleven certified copies and received them two weeks to the day after I ordered them. They were crisp, highly legible copies on 8.5" x 11" paper, embossed with the government seal and with a signed, certification block on the back. QUICK, EASY AND IMPORTANT RECORDS Not only is the BLM's database simple and quick to use, it provides you with conclusive proof of your ancestor's whereabouts at a specific point in time. These land records may provide essential information you need between censuses, and the data is more reliable that a census enumeration. If you know you had an ancestor or relative who purchased a land patent in these eastern states between 1820 and 1908, I encourage you to check the BLM's Web site at: http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/ So much information is being added to the Web each month, and this is an excellent example of what the future will hold for genealogists. Here is quality, digitized information from a U.S. government agency, accessible in a searchable database. It can be viewed, downloaded, printed or certified copies may be ordered. The future is here today. Happy hunting! George ---------- Have any of you used these BLM databases to track down any ancestors, break down any brick walls, or pick up some fascinating stories? Valorie