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==== Select the tract books to search ==== | ==== Select the tract books to search ==== | ||
The following sources can help narrow the number of tract books to search: | The following sources can help narrow the number of tract books to search: | ||
*'''''Coverage table'''''. 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. | *'''''Coverage table'''''. 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. | ||
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*'''''Land offices'''''. 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, 269-497.</ref> | *'''''Land offices'''''. 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, 269-497.</ref> | ||
==== Search the Collection ==== | |||
To browse the 28-state online federal tract book collection 1820-1980, [http://familysearch.org/search/image/index#uri=https://familysearch.org/recapi/sord/collection/2074276/waypoints click here]. | |||
:⇒Select the "State"<br> | |||
:⇒Select the "Volume." In some states the land office is mentioned with the volume number. Clicking on a volume takes you to the images.<br><br> | |||
'''Options depending on what you know.''' | |||
:*''If you'' '''''know''''' ''the land description'', locate land entry in the appropriate tract book volume under the appropriate numbered section, township, and range listed on the left side of each page in the volume. | |||
:*''If you'' '''''do NOT know''''' ''the land description'', browse each appropriate tract book volume line-by-line and page-by-page for the name of an ancestor in order to '''find''' the accompanying land description. Use "Appendix A" in ''Land and Property Research in the United States''<ref>Hone, 213-67.</ref> to help determine which tract books cover a given county. | |||
=== Using the Information === | |||
Once you find an ancestor's tract book land entry, be sure to | |||
:*'''''photocopy <u>both</u> tract book pages ''''' of the entry | |||
:*write down the '''''exact title, volume number, and page number ''''' (source information) of the tract book volume in which the ancestor's entry was found | |||
This information is important to helping the National Archives retrieve the land entry case file for you. | |||
'''Evaluate and record the data.''' Evaluate each piece of information given. Assess its accuracy and likelyhood. Compare and contrast the new data with previous information about the ancestor. Try to explain contradictory data. | |||
Add any new genealogical information and source footnotes to your personal records of the family. For example, add a custom event for a land transaction to the ancestor's family group record. Also, share the new genealogical data and source footnotes in public records like FamilySearch Tree. | |||
'''Follow-up sources.''' Then use the new information from the tract book to help find further records. For example: | |||
:*'''Case files.''' Every entry in a tract book should have a corresponding case file. Use the tract book information to order copies of the land entry case files from the National Archives. For $50 the National Archives will copy a land entry case file if you properly complete [http://www.archives.gov/forms/pdf/natf-84.pdf form NATF-084] (pdf) and submit it. They prefer online orders but will accept mail orders. Instructions are on the form. | |||
:*'''Other related files.''' Case files are usually only part of the iceberg. Patents, warrants, surveys, and newspaper notifications are among the kinds of records that '''''may ''''' be found outside of case files. Look for extra land records at the federal, state, or county levels. | |||
:*'''Disposal of the property.''' Find out how your ancestor disposed of the property as a way of finding clues about possible relatives. For example, your ancestor may have sold or given land to his or her heirs before death, or the heirs may have sold the land after the individual died. For daughters, the names of their husbands are often provided. For sons, the given names of their wives may be included. Heirs may have sold their interest in the land to another heir even though the record may not indicate this. | |||
:*'''Nearby property transactions.''' Look for your ancestor acquiring, or disposing of nearby property. Also, look to see if the ancestor disposed of property at a previous residence before moving to this property. | |||
:*'''Neighboring people.''' Use tracts books, other land records, and censuses to find neighbors. Neighbors sometimes turn out to be relatives. | |||
:*'''Other non-land sources.''' Use the residence and names to locate other records in the area such as church and census records. | |||
:*'''Similar surnames.''' Search for records of people in the area who shared a similar surname. These may have been the couple’s parents, uncles, or other relatives. Your ancestor may have been an heir who sold inherited land that had belonged to parents or grandparents. | |||
:*'''Earlier or later time periods.''' Search the land records for years before and after an ancestor's land transaction. Families are sometimes part of a chain migration. In such cases one family moves into an area and some years later their old neighbors or relatives join them, or leave for another new home. Studying older and newer land records may help show this. | |||
=== Unable to Find Your Ancestor? === | |||
*Re-try the ''[[Land Patent Search|BLM Land Patent Search]] '' using variant spellings of the ancestor's name. | |||
*Check for an index among the tract book volumes. Sometimes a separate index volume exists for all the tract books from the same land office. | |||
*Hunt for the land records of relatives. Sometimes one ancestor would obtain land through the name of a relative, or even a neighbor. | |||
*Look for '''county''' land records if an ancestor obtained land from an individual rather than from the federal government. | |||
*Look for '''county''' land records showing an ancestor disposed of a parcel of land in order to learn where he or she first obtained the land from the federal government. | |||
*Search alternative local record types like census, church records, cemeteries, court records, and tax records to find ancestor information. | |||
=== Tract book arrangement === | === Tract book arrangement === | ||