Tracy and all, I recently received a homestead application for my great-great grandfather from the 1840's in Arkansas and also one for my great-grandfather in the 18990's in Louisiana. If the homestead in in the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) for Eastern States, you can find the preliminary information and also be able to order copies of the form you will need to order this. The one from Arkansas is very interesting as the land was originally intended for settlement of Indian claims and there is an affidavit from the Indian whose land it was giving the land up for my ancestor and accepting land elsewhere for himself. It also includes correspondence and notations where someone else claimed the land but eventually the surveying found that the land was indeed where my ancestor claimed and the claim was given to him. The one from Louisiana tells of the buildings and dwellings on the land. It also tells that there were 7 children and the parents living in a cabin 14 x 18 feet. Talk about crowding. These records are very interesting. If you cannot find the BLM GLO Records site, let me know and I will look it up in my records. Ruth Stout [email protected] wrote: > Does anyone know whether or not applications had to be completed for > homesteads back around 1870s? Where would I write to get a copy? Found my > ggg grandmother's legal land description in the county courthouse records but > no mention of an application. Thanks for any pointers. > > Tracy > > ==== Southern-Trails Mailing List ==== > Rootsweb is Free! But Rootsweb is supported by volunteers and > contributions. Show your support and become a member. Click here > for more information: > http://www.rootsweb.com