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Tract Books: Difference between revisions
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''[[United States|United States]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[United States Land and Property|Land and Property]]'' [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] '''Tract books''' | ''[[United States|United States]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[United States Land and Property|Land and Property]]'' [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] '''Tract books''' | ||
Tract books were originally maintained by the federal government for each parcel of land obtained from the federal government. These ledgers were used to record entries, leases, withdrawals and other actions affecting the disposition of lands in the public domain. This information allowed federal land officials to determine the status of lands and minerals. | {{TOC right}}Tract books were originally maintained by the federal government for each parcel of land obtained from the federal government. These ledgers were used to record entries, leases, withdrawals and other actions affecting the disposition of lands in the public domain. This information allowed federal land officials to determine the status of lands and minerals. | ||
Likewise, most state and county governments have partial copies federal tract books. States and counties usually keep parallel tract books for each parcel of real property in their jurisdiction in order to track ownership and status of real estate after it left federal control. | Likewise, most state and county governments have partial copies federal tract books. States and counties usually keep parallel tract books for each parcel of real property in their jurisdiction in order to track ownership and status of real estate after it left federal control. | ||
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In most cases the federal tract books are more comprehensive and complete than state or county tract books for the same area. | In most cases the federal tract books are more comprehensive and complete than state or county tract books for the same area. | ||
=== Federal tract books === | |||
The [[National Archives and Records Administration|National Archives in Washington, DC]] has over 10 million land entry case files of individuals trying to obtain a private claim to some of the public land in [[United States Land and Property#United_States|30 federal land states]] from 1820-1908. In almost all these cases the land was surveyed and described as part of the '''Public Lands Survey System''', which divided the land into '''Congressional townships''' on a '''township and range''' grid based on '''[[Rectangular surveys]]'''. | |||
Federal tract books serve as a comprehensive reference to over 10 million of land entry case files held at the National Archives in Washington, DC. However, they are arranged according to the '''''land description ''''' (township, range, and section) rather than the name of the claimant. They include '''all''' applicants for federal land, including those whose claim failed to receive a patent because it was unfinished, forfeited, rejected or cancelled.<ref name="Hone">E. Wade Hone, ''Land and Property Research in the United States'' (Salt Lake City, Utah : Ancestry Pub., c1997), 113. {{WorldCat|483096407|item|disp=At various repositories (WorldCat)}}; {{FHL|766994|item|disp=FHL Book 973 R27h}}.</ref> | Federal tract books serve as a comprehensive reference to over 10 million of land entry case files held at the National Archives in Washington, DC. However, they are arranged according to the '''''land description ''''' (township, range, and section) rather than the name of the claimant. They include '''all''' applicants for federal land, including those whose claim failed to receive a patent because it was unfinished, forfeited, rejected or cancelled.<ref name="Hone">E. Wade Hone, ''Land and Property Research in the United States'' (Salt Lake City, Utah : Ancestry Pub., c1997), 113. {{WorldCat|483096407|item|disp=At various repositories (WorldCat)}}; {{FHL|766994|item|disp=FHL Book 973 R27h}}.</ref> | ||
=== Finding unpatented entry information === | |||
If you know (or can guess) the state and county where an ancestor started an unfinished, forfeited, rejected, or cancelled federal land claim, you can search page-by-page through each of the tract books for that county looking for the ancestor's name. When you find an ancestor's name, the legal land description and land office listed in the tract book is usually enough to order a copy of the unpatented case file from the National Archives.<ref name="Hone" /> | |||
=== Access === Original federal tract books, Internet digital versions, and microfilms exist: | |||
:*'''''Originals.''''' The National Archives in Washington, DC has the original federal tract books for 16 western states. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Eastern State Office, 7450 Boston Blvd, Springfield, VA 22153 has custody of the tract books for the 12 eastern federal land states (AL, AR, FL, IL, IN, IA, LA, MI, MN, MS, OH, and WI).<ref name="Haw5" /> The tract books for Alaska and Missouri are lost.<ref name="Hone" /> | :*'''''Originals.''''' The National Archives in Washington, DC has the original federal tract books for 16 western states. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Eastern State Office, 7450 Boston Blvd, Springfield, VA 22153 has custody of the tract books for the 12 eastern federal land states (AL, AR, FL, IL, IN, IA, LA, MI, MN, MS, OH, and WI).<ref name="Haw5" /> The tract books for Alaska and Missouri are lost.<ref name="Hone" /> | ||
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::*United States Bureau of Land Management, ''Tract Books'' (Washington, District of Columbia : Records Improvement, Bureau of Land Management, 1957). {{WorldCat|866217989|item|disp=At various libraries (WorldCat)}} {{FHL|607931|item|disp=1,265 FHL Films starting with 1445277}}. | ::*United States Bureau of Land Management, ''Tract Books'' (Washington, District of Columbia : Records Improvement, Bureau of Land Management, 1957). {{WorldCat|866217989|item|disp=At various libraries (WorldCat)}} {{FHL|607931|item|disp=1,265 FHL Films starting with 1445277}}. | ||
=== Content === Federal tract books show the type of land entry, its legal description (numbered section, township and range), acreage, price, entryman's name, application date, and (if applicable) patenting date and numbers.<ref name="Haw5" /> | |||
=== Preparing to use federal tract books === Use the description of the townships and ranges covered in each tract book as described in the [[United States, Bureau of Land Management Tract Books Coverage Table (FamilySearch Historical Records)|'''Tract Books Coverage Table''']] to narrow down the volumes you will need to view to find an ancestor's land entry. | |||
Or, if you have access to the National Archives in Washington, DC, use the '''''Index to Tract Books, RG 49, MLR# UD2321''''',<ref>Index to Tract Books, RG 49, MLR# UD2321, maps arranged by state. Copies of these maps are available for consultation in room G28 of the National Archives Building, Washington, DC, as cited in Hawkins, page 6.</ref> to each state's tract books which allows researchers to identify the tract book number that covers the area in which they are interested.<ref name="Haw4" /> | Or, if you have access to the National Archives in Washington, DC, use the '''''Index to Tract Books, RG 49, MLR# UD2321''''',<ref>Index to Tract Books, RG 49, MLR# UD2321, maps arranged by state. Copies of these maps are available for consultation in room G28 of the National Archives Building, Washington, DC, as cited in Hawkins, page 6.</ref> to each state's tract books which allows researchers to identify the tract book number that covers the area in which they are interested.<ref name="Haw4" /> | ||
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Federal tract books for some states, such as Alabama and Ohio are organized by land office. Others are organized for the whole state. "Appendix B" in ''Land and Property Research in the United States '' shows the varying land office boundaries in each state over many years.<ref>Hone, ????????</ref> | Federal tract books for some states, such as Alabama and Ohio are organized by land office. Others are organized for the whole state. "Appendix B" in ''Land and Property Research in the United States '' shows the varying land office boundaries in each state over many years.<ref>Hone, ????????</ref> | ||
=== Tract book arrangement === Tract book volumes are arranged by the present-day state. In some states tract book volumes are also divided into groups by land office. The townships and ranges covered in each of the 2,325 tract books are listed at [[United States, Bureau of Land Management Tract Books Coverage Table (FamilySearch Historical Records)|United States, Bureau of Land Management Tract Books Coverage Table (FamilySearch Historical Records)]]. | |||
Inside each tract book the arrangement is by the legal land description of the section, township, and range.<ref name="Hone" /> Each land entry was recorded in the tract book across two pages.<ref>Hawkins, 9.</ref> | Inside each tract book the arrangement is by the legal land description of the section, township, and range.<ref name="Hone" /> Each land entry was recorded in the tract book across two pages.<ref>Hawkins, 9.</ref> | ||
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This information is important to helping the National Archives retrieve the land entry case file for you. | This information is important to helping the National Archives retrieve the land entry case file for you. | ||
=== For Further Reading === | |||
*Kenneth Hawkins, ''Research in the Land Entry Files of the General Land Office: Record Group 49'', Reference Information Paper, 114 (Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 2007), 9. [http://www.archives.gov/publications/ref-info-papers/rip114.pdf Internet version (pdf)] {{WorldCat|146498814|item|disp=At various repositories (WorldCat)}} {{FHL|1440124|item|disp=FHL Ref Book 973 J53hrL}} | *Kenneth Hawkins, ''Research in the Land Entry Files of the General Land Office: Record Group 49'', Reference Information Paper, 114 (Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 2007), 9. [http://www.archives.gov/publications/ref-info-papers/rip114.pdf Internet version (pdf)] {{WorldCat|146498814|item|disp=At various repositories (WorldCat)}} {{FHL|1440124|item|disp=FHL Ref Book 973 J53hrL}} | ||