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The process of obtaining private title to government land is called land entry. Settlers could acquire land in several ways: | The process of obtaining private title to government land is called land entry. Settlers could acquire land in several ways: | ||
Donation land could be claimed by individuals who settled and cultivated land before 1855. The Family History Library has a register with indexes and abstracts of the ''Washington Donation Land Claims 1855-1902'' (FHL film 418160). This identifies each claim by name, local office, and certificate number. It can be used to locate the original file. The original files for 1851-1903 are at the National Archives and on microfilm at the National Archives—Pacific Northwest Region (Seattle) at http://www.archives.gov/pacific-alaska/seattle/ and at the Family History Library (on 108 FHL films beginning with film 1028543). | '''Donation land '''could be claimed by individuals who settled and cultivated land before 1855. The Family History Library has a register with indexes and abstracts of the ''Washington Donation Land Claims 1855-1902'' (FHL film 418160). This identifies each claim by name, local office, and certificate number. It can be used to locate the original file. The original files for 1851-1903 are at the National Archives and on microfilm at the National Archives—Pacific Northwest Region (Seattle) at http://www.archives.gov/pacific-alaska/seattle/ and at the Family History Library (on 108 FHL films beginning with film 1028543). | ||
Cash entries were granted for cash payment for the land. Anyone who was twenty-one years old or was a head of household (including widows) could purchase up to 160 acres of land. | '''Cash entries '''were granted for cash payment for the land. Anyone who was twenty-one years old or was a head of household (including widows) could purchase up to 160 acres of land. | ||
Homestead grants were obtained after 1862 by living on the land, raising crops, and making improvements for five years. To be eligible, an applicant either had to be a U.S. citizen or must have filed his intention to become a citizen. | '''Homestead grants '''were obtained after 1862 by living on the land, raising crops, and making improvements for five years. To be eligible, an applicant either had to be a U.S. citizen or must have filed his intention to become a citizen. | ||
The land entry case files are usually the most helpful records to the genealogist because they may provide names, dates of birth, date and place of marriage, citizenship information, records of migration, and other data. They are arranged according to the state, land office, type of entry, and certificate number. | The land entry case files are usually the most helpful records to the genealogist because they may provide names, dates of birth, date and place of marriage, citizenship information, records of migration, and other data. They are arranged according to the state, land office, type of entry, and certificate number. | ||
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Washington State Department of Ecology: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/ | Washington State Department of Ecology: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/ | ||
Washington State Archives: http://www.secstate.wa.gov/archives/ | Washington State Archives: http://www.secstate.wa.gov/archives/ <!-- Tidy found serious XHTML errors --> | ||
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[[Category:Washington]] | [[Category:Washington]] | ||