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The availability of land attracted many immigrants to America and encouraged westward expansion. Land ownership was generally recorded in an area as soon as settlers began to arrive. Land records are primarily used to learn where an individual lived and when he or she lived there. They often reveal other family information such as the name of a spouse, heirs, other relatives, and neighbors. | The availability of land attracted many immigrants to America and encouraged westward expansion. Land ownership was generally recorded in an area as soon as settlers began to arrive. Land records are primarily used to learn where an individual lived and when he or she lived there. They often reveal other family information such as the name of a spouse, heirs, other relatives, and neighbors. | ||
You may learn where a person lived previously, his or her occupation, if the ancestor served in the military, if he or she was a naturalized citizen, or other clues for further research. Sale of the land may show when the person left and may mention where he or she was moving to. | You may learn where a person lived previously, his or her occupation, if the ancestor served in the military, if he or she was a naturalized citizen, or other clues for further research. Sale of the land may show when the person left and may mention where he or she was moving to. | ||
Kentucky was a "state-land" state, meaning the state government appropriated all land within its borders. | |||
Land was surveyed in odd-sized lots in much of the state, but west of the Tennessee River it was surveyed in townships. Several types of land grants were issued in Kentucky. Warrants authorizing surveys of the desired land were issued to persons qualified to receive grants for military service (military warrants) or cash payments (treasury warrants). Land grants, original warrants, surveys, patents, and Virginia land records are at the Kentucky Land Office, Capitol Building, Frankfort, KY 40602. The files and their indexes are open to the public. Additional land records are at the Kentucky Historical Society and the various county courthouses. The following collections are at the Kentucky Land Office and on microfilm at the Family History Library. Indexes are generally found at the beginning of each set. | Land was surveyed in odd-sized lots in much of the state, but west of the Tennessee River it was surveyed in townships. Several types of land grants were issued in Kentucky. Warrants authorizing surveys of the desired land were issued to persons qualified to receive grants for military service (military warrants) or cash payments (treasury warrants). Land grants, original warrants, surveys, patents, and Virginia land records are at the Kentucky Land Office, Capitol Building, Frankfort, KY 40602. The files and their indexes are open to the public. Additional land records are at the Kentucky Historical Society and the various county courthouses. The following collections are at the Kentucky Land Office and on microfilm at the Family History Library. Indexes are generally found at the beginning of each set. | ||
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It is important to trace the purchase and sale (or the acquisition and disposition) of each parcel of land an ancestor owned. The original records are filed in the county clerk’s or recorder’s offices. Be aware that as new counties were formed and boundaries changed, transactions were then recorded in the new county, while the parent county retained the records previously created. Most of the county deeds, town lot certificates, and other important land records from many counties are on microfilm at the Family History Library. Contact the county clerk or recorder for records that have not been microfilmed. | It is important to trace the purchase and sale (or the acquisition and disposition) of each parcel of land an ancestor owned. The original records are filed in the county clerk’s or recorder’s offices. Be aware that as new counties were formed and boundaries changed, transactions were then recorded in the new county, while the parent county retained the records previously created. Most of the county deeds, town lot certificates, and other important land records from many counties are on microfilm at the Family History Library. Contact the county clerk or recorder for records that have not been microfilmed. | ||
Most microfilms in the Family History Library's (FHL) collection can be sent to a family history center near you. Do the following steps in the FHL online card catalog to locate film numbers: | Most microfilms in the Family History Library's (FHL) collection can be sent to a family history center near you. Do the following steps in the FHL online card catalog to locate film numbers: | ||
#Go to Http://www.familysearch.org. | #Go to Http://www.familysearch.org. | ||
#Select “Library Catalog” from either the “Search” or the “Library” drop down menu. | #Select “Library Catalog” from either the “Search” or the “Library” drop down menu. | ||
#From the “Search the Family History Library Catalog” screen click on “Place Search.” | #From the “Search the Family History Library Catalog” screen click on “Place Search.” | ||
#Enter the locality where your ancestor lived. Hint: Grants are cataloged under the state or federal government while deeds are cataloged under the county. | #Enter the locality where your ancestor lived. Hint: Grants are cataloged under the state or federal government while deeds are cataloged under the county. | ||
#Select Land and Property from the Topic List. | #Select Land and Property from the Topic List. | ||
'''Internet Resources of Kentucky Land Records.''' | '''Internet Resources of Kentucky Land Records.''' | ||
The Kentucky Land Office website has the following collections online at [http://sos.ky.gov/land/ http://sos.ky.gov/land/]. (Click on link and then select Database Searches.) | The Kentucky Land Office website has the following collections online at [http://sos.ky.gov/land/ http://sos.ky.gov/land/]. (Click on link and then select Database Searches.) | ||
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*West of Tennessee River Non-Military Patents Database. | *West of Tennessee River Non-Military Patents Database. | ||
[[ Http:/www.ancestry|Ancestry.com]] (a subscription site) has the following database titles on Kentucky land records: | [[Http:/www.ancestry|Ancestry.com]] (a subscription site) has the following database titles on Kentucky land records: | ||
*Kentucky Court and Other Records | *Kentucky Court and Other Records | ||
*Kentucky Land Grants | *Kentucky Land Grants | ||
Use the following steps to find a specific title on Ancestry: | Use the following steps to find a specific title on Ancestry: | ||
#Go to Http://www.ancestry.com | #Go to Http://www.ancestry.com | ||
#Select “Card Catalog” from the “Search” drop down menu. | #Select “Card Catalog” from the “Search” drop down menu. | ||
#Type the title of the database into the “Database Title” field. | #Type the title of the database into the “Database Title” field. | ||
#Click on the Search button. | #Click on the Search button. | ||