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Tract Books: Difference between revisions
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==== Tract books lead to case files ==== | ==== Tract books lead to case files ==== | ||
Federal tract books serve as a comprehensive reference to over ten million land entry case files preserved at the [[National Archives and Records Administration]] in Washington, DC.<ref>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, 2009), 1. [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}}</ref> These case files show the application papers of each individual who attempted to obtain a private claim to some public land, whether they succeeded or not. '''''Successful claims ''''' received a patent (original title) and are indexed in the [http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/search/ BLM Land Patent Search] 1820-1908 for all [[United States Land and Property#United_States_federal_land_states|federal land states]]. '''''Unsuccessful claims ''''' still have case files, and tract books are one of the best ways to find the information needed to obtain a case file from the two million otherwise '''unindexed''' land entry case files that were never finished, forfeited, rejected, or cancelled.<ref>Hone, 113-14.</ref> | Federal tract books serve as a comprehensive reference to over ten million land entry case files preserved at the [[National Archives and Records Administration]] in Washington, DC.<ref>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, 2009), 1. [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}}</ref> These case files show the application papers of each individual who attempted to obtain a private claim to some public land, whether they succeeded or not. '''''Successful claims ''''' received a patent (original title) and are indexed in the [http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/search/ BLM Land Patent Search] 1820-1908 for all [[United States Land and Property#United_States_federal_land_states|federal land states]]. '''''Unsuccessful claims ''''' still have case files, and tract books are one of the best ways to find the information needed to obtain a case file from the two million otherwise '''unindexed''' land entry case files that were never finished, forfeited, rejected, or cancelled.<ref>Hone, 113-14.</ref> | ||
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<br> 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 | <br> 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> | ||
=== Access === | === Access === | ||
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=== Content === | === 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">Hawkins, 5.</ref> | 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">Hawkins, 5.</ref> | ||
Tract book 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|rectangular surveys]]'''. Tract books are in order by the sections, township numbers, and range numbers from that land description system. | Tract book 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|rectangular surveys]]'''. Tract books are in order by the sections, township numbers, and range numbers from that land description system. | ||
=== Preparing to use federal tract books === | === Preparing to use federal tract books === | ||
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*[[Rectangular surveys]] includes a section about [[Rectangular surveys#Tract_books|tract books]]. This article shows how principal meridians, baselines, townships, ranges, sections, and aliquots are used for land descriptions found in tract books and other property records. | *[[Rectangular surveys]] includes a section about [[Rectangular surveys#Tract_books|tract books]]. This article shows how principal meridians, baselines, townships, ranges, sections, and aliquots are used for land descriptions found in tract books and other property records. | ||
*[[United States Land and Property]] page is a general discussion of land record research for genealogists. It serves as a table of contents to related Wiki pages about American land records including tract books, related land entry case files, and the BLM land patent search. | *[[United States Land and Property]] page is a general discussion of land record research for genealogists. It serves as a table of contents to related Wiki pages about American land records including tract books, related land entry case files, and the BLM land patent search. | ||
=== Local tract books and land records === | |||
State and county archives sometimes have partial copies of federal tract books. In general these are not as complete as the federal copies. | |||
Counties are responsible for documenting all land transactions AFTER title was transferred from the federal government to an individual. Deeds, mortgages, property tax records, and plat maps are examples of land records typically generated at the county level. | |||
=== Related Websites === | === Related Websites === | ||