To the list I found my ancestor, ordered and received copies of his land claim (I think), could be anyone's. I'm told that's the best they could do. Two of the copies are black and one is partly black, partly white. Totally useless as far as I am concerned. They are not readable. While it is a small amount of money I feel the quality is just not right. I have received land patent copies before from another state and found them very clear and well worth the very small charge. Sylvia Shannon ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jim Tompkins" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, August 16, 2000 10:20 PM Subject: Re: Find land records > >You can find the PROPERTY DESCRIPTION on this website, very fun!! > >http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/ > > > >Donation Land Claims (DLC) > > > > Homestead Records > > You can go straight to the search engine at > http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/search/search.asp > Sometimes you get a better result of you check title search. > Know that BLM is working at putting the post-1980 records on line and at > present you can only access pre-1908. > > When inquiring about land claims be sure to understand that there are > differences in claims and the claiming process depending upon the year > (which corresponds with the governmental status of Oregon at that time. > > 1843-1849 the Provisional Government recorded PLGs (Prov. Land Grants) for > 25 cents. The limit was 640 acres, men only could apply and descriptions > had to be in metes and bounds as no survey existed. > > 1852-1868 the US Land Office registered DLCs (Donation Land Claims). The > law, generally known as the Donation Land Act of 1850 (properly known as an > Act to Create the Office of Surveyor-General of Oregon) gave any free white > or half-white male in Oregon before December 1, 1851, 320 acres and an > additional 320 acres in his wife's name if married. The law was to expire > in 1853, but surveying did not begin until 1852 so it was extended to > anyone arriving before December 1, 1853, only at half the acreage. The GLO > was still processing DLCs in 1868 when the Homestead Act was extended to > Oregon. > > I hope to have a 50 page treatise on PLGs and DLCs published in the > Overland Journal soon. > > jim tompkins > >