Here is a great site I just stumbled upon. You can search for people who purchase Federal Land Patents in the Eastern states. Not only that, you can download a copy of the ORIGINAL purchase record. These would be for the years between 1820 and 1908. This is one of the neatest sites I have seen in a long time. Very exciting to have at your fingertips the original (copy) document. http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/ If you want to purchase a certified copy of the document, you can just click on "order" and fill out the form, and pay your two dollars with a credit card. Wonderful! Happy digging! Kathy