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''[[United States|United States]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[United States Land and Property|Land and Property]]'' [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] '''Case files''' | ''[[United States|United States]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[United States Land and Property|Land and Property]]'' [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] '''Case files''' | ||
{{TOC right}}The [[National Archives and Records Administration|National Archives]] preserves over ten million land entry '''case files''' which document each transfer of federally controlled public land parcel to private ownership. | {{TOC right}}The [[National Archives and Records Administration|National Archives]] preserves over ten million land entry '''case files''' which document each transfer of federally controlled public land parcel to private ownership. | ||
These | These files indicate who applied for the land, if a patent (original title) was issued, and include a physical description of the property and where the land was located. The type of transaction is also shown such as cash entry, credit entry, [[Homestead Records|homesteads]], patents (deeds), [[Timberland|timberland rights]], or [[Mining Claims|mineral rights]], [[US Military Bounty Land Warrants|military bounty land]], [[United States. United-States - Land and Property- Private land claims|private land claims]] (from previous foreign governments), [[Grants to Land Companies and Railroads|railroad grants]], school grants, and swamp grants.<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><br> | ||
Case files cover the time of the American Revolution (1776) to the mid-1900s, but mostly apply from 1820 to 1908. The vast majority of case files pertain to land in [[United States Land and Property#United_States|30 federal land states]]. | |||
Two kinds of land records are closely associated with case files. If an application were successfully completed, a '''''patent ''''' was issued. However, if the application were never finished or rejected, there is still a case file, but no patent. Nevertheless, for EVERY case file there should be a corresponding '''''[[Tract books|tract book]] ''''' entry showing the location of the property and its status. | Two kinds of land records are closely associated with case files. If an application were successfully completed, a '''''patent ''''' was issued. However, if the application were never finished or rejected, there is still a case file, but no patent. Nevertheless, for EVERY case file there should be a corresponding '''''[[Tract books|tract book]] ''''' entry showing the location of the property and its status. | ||
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=== Value of case files === | === Value of case files === | ||
Case files show details about when and where an ancestor applied for land from the '''federal''' government. Case files sometimes include information about family members, neighbors, military service, or citizenship naturalization records. Knowing the location of an ancestor's new property provides clues to help search for the records of the disposal of that property, or nearby properties. You can also search for a variety of non-land records of the ancestor in that area. Case files, and the associated tract books can be used to find information about neighbors—people who sometimes turn out to be relatives. | |||
=== Jurisdictions === | === Jurisdictions === | ||