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Tract Books: Difference between revisions
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''[[United States|United States]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[United States Land and Property|Land and Property]]'' [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] '''Tract books''' | ''[[United States|United States]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[United States Land and Property|Land and Property]]'' [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] '''Tract books''' | ||
{{TOC right}}Tract books were originally maintained by the '''federal''' government for each parcel of land | {{TOC right}}Tract books were originally maintained by the '''federal''' government for each parcel of land transfered from the federal government to private citizens. Family historians use tract books to help locate the property of ancestors and neighbors, and for clues to find associated land records. | ||
The tract books were ledgers used to record entries, leases, withdrawals and other actions affecting the disposition of lands in the public domain. This information allowed federal land officials to determine the status of lands and minerals. For further details about federal tract books available on the Internet, '''''see also''''' [[United States, Bureau of Land Management Tract Books (FamilySearch Historical Records)|United States, Bureau of Land Management Tract Books (FamilySearch Historical Records)]]. | |||
This is similar to '''county''' | This is similar to '''county governments''' today, which keep their own separate land records usually in the form of [[United States. United-States - Land and Property- Deeds|deeds]] and plat maps in order to track ownership and status of real estate within the county. | ||
In most cases the tract books kept by the federal government are more authoritative than copies, if any, kept by General Land Office branch offices, or by states or counties for the same area.<ref>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, 2009), 5. [http://www.archives.gov/publications/ref-info-papers/rip114.pdf Internet version (pdf)] {{WorldCat|146498814|item|disp=At various repositories (WorldCat)}} {{FHL|1440124|item|disp=FHL Ref Book 973 J53hrL}}</ref> | In most cases the tract books kept by the federal government are more authoritative than copies, if any, kept by General Land Office branch offices, or by states or counties for the same area.<ref>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, 2009), 5. [http://www.archives.gov/publications/ref-info-papers/rip114.pdf Internet version (pdf)] {{WorldCat|146498814|item|disp=At various repositories (WorldCat)}} {{FHL|1440124|item|disp=FHL Ref Book 973 J53hrL}}</ref> | ||