73,385
edits
t
(t) |
(t) |
||
| Line 52: | Line 52: | ||
'''Online index.''' An important computerized index of <u>patented</u> land entries 1820-1908 for all [http://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/United_States_Land_and_Property#United_States federal land states] (''except '' '''''Montana''''', '''''Nebraska''''', and '''''Oklahoma''''') is available on the Internet at the [http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/search/ BLM Land Patent Search] site.<ref name="Haw5">Hawkins, 5.</ref> | '''Online index.''' An important computerized index of <u>patented</u> land entries 1820-1908 for all [http://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/United_States_Land_and_Property#United_States federal land states] (''except '' '''''Montana''''', '''''Nebraska''''', and '''''Oklahoma''''') is available on the Internet at the [http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/search/ BLM Land Patent Search] site.<ref name="Haw5">Hawkins, 5.</ref> | ||
===== | ===== Obtaining patented case files ===== | ||
===== Obtaining incomplete case files ===== | |||
Only about 40 percent of entrymen completed the filing process and received their patent from 1820 to 1908. Case files prior to 1820, and unfinished case files that did not receive a patent may have as much genealogical information as those with patents which are indexed. Tract books may help find the case file information needed to retrieve records of the 60 percent of entrymen who never completed the process. | Only about 40 percent of entrymen completed the filing process and received their patent from 1820 to 1908. Case files prior to 1820, and unfinished case files that did not receive a patent may have as much genealogical information as those with patents which are indexed. Tract books may help find the case file information needed to retrieve records of the 60 percent of entrymen who never completed the process. | ||
| Line 58: | Line 60: | ||
===== Tract books ===== | ===== Tract books ===== | ||
'''Finding unpatented entries.''' To obtain case file information on cancelled (unpatented) entries in most federal land states, researchers must use tract books.<ref name="Haw5" /> | '''Finding unpatented entries.''' To obtain case file information on cancelled (unpatented) entries in most federal land states, researchers must use tract books.<ref name="Haw5" /> | ||
'''Access.''' The National Archives in Washington, DC has the tract books for 17 western states. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Eastern State Office, 7450 Boston Blvd, Springfield, VA 22153 has custody of the tract books for the 13 eastern federal land states (AL, AR, FL, IL, IN, IA, LA, MI, MN, MS, OH, and WI).<ref name="Haw5" /> | '''Access.''' The National Archives in Washington, DC has the tract books for 17 western states. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Eastern State Office, 7450 Boston Blvd, Springfield, VA 22153 has custody of the tract books for the 13 eastern federal land states (AL, AR, FL, IL, IN, IA, LA, MI, MN, MS, OH, and WI).<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 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 patenting date and numbers.<ref name="Haw5" /> | ||
'''Arrangement.''' The National Archives in Washington, DC has a map index to each state's tract books which allows researchers to identify the tract book number that covers the area in which they are interested.<ref>Hawkings, 4.</ref> | '''Arrangement.''' The National Archives in Washington, DC has a map index to each state's tract books which allows researchers to identify the tract book number that covers the area in which they are interested.<ref>Hawkings, 4.</ref> | ||