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Tract Books: Difference between revisions
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=== How to use tract books === | === How to use tract books === | ||
Tract books are easiest to use if you have an ancestor's land description with the section, township number, and range number to help you quickly turn to the page where an ancestor should be listed. | Tract books are easiest to use if you have an ancestor's land description with the section, township number, and range number to help you quickly turn to the page where an ancestor should be listed. | ||
'''What it helps to know.''' To begin your search of federal tract books it is helpful to know (or guess) the following: | |||
:*Name of the entryman (person who filed a claim) | |||
:*State | |||
:*Land Office location | |||
:*County | |||
:*Land description (section, townhsip, and range) ''See [[Rectangular surveys]]'' for an explanation of these terms. | |||
==== Search strategies ==== | ==== Search strategies ==== | ||
'''Find the land description.''' The best strategy is to first find an ancestor's land description. | '''1. Find the land description.''' The best strategy is to first find an ancestor's land description. | ||
:'''Sources which show the land description.''' | |||
:*'''Land patent.''' If your family still has the patent (original title) for a piece of property, that patent will show the land description. | |||
:*'''[http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/search/ BLM land patent search].''' The online index to eight million land patents 1820-1908 and military bounty land shows each entry's land description. However, this index does '''not''' include the two million case files which were never finished, forfeited, relinquished, or cancelled. | |||
:*'''Seven states index.''' The ''seven states index '' at the [[National Archives and Records Administration|National Archives in Washington, DC]], also gives each entry's land description. The index covers Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, Nevada and Utah for pre-1908 case files both patented and unpatented.<ref>Hawkins, 3-4.</ref> | |||
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These are normally found on the land patent (usually a family heirloom), or in one of the indexes such as the BLM [[Land Patent Search]]. | These are normally found on the land patent (usually a family heirloom), or in one of the indexes such as the BLM [[Land Patent Search]]. | ||
If you cannot find the section, township number, and range number, an alternative strategy is to search page-by-page the tract books for the county where an ancestor lived until you find his or her name. | If you cannot find the section, township number, and range number, an alternative strategy is to search page-by-page the tract books for the county where an ancestor lived until you find his or her name. | ||
==== Preparation ==== | ==== Preparation ==== | ||
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In addition, "Appendix A" in ''Land and Property Research in the United States '' lists each present-day federal land state and county together with its farthest north-, east-, south-, and west- township and range for that county, and the meridian(s) that applies.<ref>Hone, ????????</ref> This information can help you narrow down the number of tract books you will need to search. | In addition, "Appendix A" in ''Land and Property Research in the United States '' lists each present-day federal land state and county together with its farthest north-, east-, south-, and west- township and range for that county, and the meridian(s) that applies.<ref>Hone, ????????</ref> This information can help you narrow down the number of tract books you will need to search. | ||
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 arrangement === | ||