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==== Principal Meridians and Base Lines ==== | ==== Principal Meridians and Base Lines ==== | ||
The rectangular survey system is based on '''''principal meridians ''''' and '''''base lines ''''' determined by precise scientific measurements. As each territory or state opened new public lands, the government identified a meridian (running north and south) and a base line (running east and west) to guide all future land surveys in that area.<ref name="Hawkins">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, 2007), 9. [http://www.archives.gov/publications/ref-info-papers/rip114.pdf Internet version (pdf)] {{WorldCat|146498814|item|disp=At various repositories (WorldCat)}} {{ | The rectangular survey system is based on '''''principal meridians ''''' and '''''base lines ''''' determined by precise scientific measurements. As each territory or state opened new public lands, the government identified a meridian (running north and south) and a base line (running east and west) to guide all future land surveys in that area.<ref name="Hawkins">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, 2007), 9. [http://www.archives.gov/publications/ref-info-papers/rip114.pdf Internet version (pdf)] {{WorldCat|146498814|item|disp=At various repositories (WorldCat)}} {{FSC|1440124|item|disp=FS Library Ref Book 973 J53hrL}}</ref> Each color-block in the following map shows the states, or part of a state, surveyed using that area's principal meridian and base line. | ||
[[Image:U.S. Principal Meridians and Base Lines.png|647px|U.S. Principal Meridians and Base Lines.png]] | [[Image:U.S. Principal Meridians and Base Lines.png|647px|U.S. Principal Meridians and Base Lines.png]] | ||
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===== Obtaining unindexed case files ===== | ===== Obtaining unindexed case files ===== | ||
An unfinished, rejected, or otherwise cancelled claim will nevertheless have a land entry case file. These files, especially when contested, can provide more detailed genealogical information than cases which were readily accepted. Unfinished, rejected, or cancelled files are indexed for ''only a few states''. Nevertheless, they still can be found by researching '''tract books''' for the area where an ancestor started the claim. Tract books can also be used to find information for pre-1820 cases.<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)}}; {{ | An unfinished, rejected, or otherwise cancelled claim will nevertheless have a land entry case file. These files, especially when contested, can provide more detailed genealogical information than cases which were readily accepted. Unfinished, rejected, or cancelled files are indexed for ''only a few states''. Nevertheless, they still can be found by researching '''tract books''' for the area where an ancestor started the claim. Tract books can also be used to find information for pre-1820 cases.<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)}}; {{FSC|766994|item|disp=FS Library Book 973 R27h}}.</ref> The information from the tract book and a land entry in that tract book is usually enough to allow the National Archives to pull an otherwise unindexed case file for you. | ||
The [http://www.archives.gov/forms/pdf/natf-84.pdf form NATF-084] (pdf) instructions assume a researcher has a patent number (or final certificate number), which will not exist for unfinished, rejected or cancelled land entries. Therefore, you must provide '''''as much information as possible ''''' including tract book page photocopies, and cite the tract book title, volume, and page number for the ancestor's entry. Explain that the case never received a patent, and any relevant information you know about why it failed. These will help, but the National Archives may still have difficulty pulling a file without a patent number (or final certificate number). | The [http://www.archives.gov/forms/pdf/natf-84.pdf form NATF-084] (pdf) instructions assume a researcher has a patent number (or final certificate number), which will not exist for unfinished, rejected or cancelled land entries. Therefore, you must provide '''''as much information as possible ''''' including tract book page photocopies, and cite the tract book title, volume, and page number for the ancestor's entry. Explain that the case never received a patent, and any relevant information you know about why it failed. These will help, but the National Archives may still have difficulty pulling a file without a patent number (or final certificate number). | ||
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:*'''''Internet.''''' Digital copies of each federal-land-state's tract books (''except '' '''''Alaska ''''' and '''''Missouri''''') are available in FamilySearch Historical Records online at [http://familysearch.org/search/collection/2074276 United States Bureau of Land Management Tract Books, 1820-1908] | :*'''''Internet.''''' Digital copies of each federal-land-state's tract books (''except '' '''''Alaska ''''' and '''''Missouri''''') are available in FamilySearch Historical Records online at [http://familysearch.org/search/collection/2074276 United States Bureau of Land Management Tract Books, 1820-1908] | ||
:*'''''Microfilms''''' of tract books are also on 1,265 films for each federal-land state (''except '' '''''Alaska''''' and '''''Missouri''''') at the National Archives in Washington, and the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. | :*'''''Microfilms''''' of tract books are also on 1,265 films for each federal-land state (''except '' '''''Alaska''''' and '''''Missouri''''') at the National Archives in Washington, and the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. | ||
::*United States Bureau of Land Management, ''Tract Books'' (Washington, District of Columbia : Records Improvement, Bureau of Land Management, 1957). {{WorldCat|866217989|item|disp=At various libraries (WorldCat)}} {{ | ::*United States Bureau of Land Management, ''Tract Books'' (Washington, District of Columbia : Records Improvement, Bureau of Land Management, 1957). {{WorldCat|866217989|item|disp=At various libraries (WorldCat)}} {{FSC|607931|item|disp=1,265 FS Library Films starting with 1445277}}. | ||
'''Content.''' 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" /> | '''Content.''' 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" /> | ||
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==== For Further Reading ==== | ==== For Further Reading ==== | ||
*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, 2007), 9. [http://www.archives.gov/publications/ref-info-papers/rip114.pdf Internet version (pdf)] {{WorldCat|146498814|item|disp=At various repositories (WorldCat)}} {{ | *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, 2007), 9. [http://www.archives.gov/publications/ref-info-papers/rip114.pdf Internet version (pdf)] {{WorldCat|146498814|item|disp=At various repositories (WorldCat)}} {{FSC|1440124|item|disp=FS Library Ref Book 973 J53hrL}} | ||
*[http://sites.rootsweb.com/~ilmaga/landmaps/range_map.html Range Maps for Dummies] in ''RootsWeb'' (Ancestry.com). | *[http://sites.rootsweb.com/~ilmaga/landmaps/range_map.html Range Maps for Dummies] in ''RootsWeb'' (Ancestry.com). | ||
*[http://sites.rootsweb.com/~msahs/allabout6.html Range Map Tutorial] in "Attala Historical Society, Kosciusko, Mississippi" at ''RootsWeb'' (Ancestry.com). | *[http://sites.rootsweb.com/~msahs/allabout6.html Range Map Tutorial] in "Attala Historical Society, Kosciusko, Mississippi" at ''RootsWeb'' (Ancestry.com). | ||
*E. Wade Hone, ''Land and Property Research in the United States'' (Salt Lake City, Utah : Ancestry Pub., c1997), chapters 8 and 9. {{WorldCat|483096407|item|disp=At various repositories (WorldCat)}}; {{ | *E. Wade Hone, ''Land and Property Research in the United States'' (Salt Lake City, Utah : Ancestry Pub., c1997), chapters 8 and 9. {{WorldCat|483096407|item|disp=At various repositories (WorldCat)}}; {{FSC|766994|item|disp=FS Library Book 973 R27h}}. | ||
=== References === | === References === | ||
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