Michigan Land and Property: Difference between revisions

=== Online Resources ===

*'''Pre-1908''' [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2075 Michigan, Homestead and Cash Entry Patents, Pre-1908] at Ancestry ($)

*'''1788-1960s''' [http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/search/ U.S. Land Patent Search] at Bureau of Land Management, index and some records

*'''1820-1908''' {{RecordSearch|2074276|U.S., Bureau of Land Management Tract Books, 1820-1908}} at FamilySearch - [[United States, Bureau of Land Management Tract Books - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]; images only

*[https://glorecords.blm.gov/search/default.aspx?searchTabIndex=0&searchByTypeIndex=1 Survey Plats and Field Notes] at Bureau of Land Management - index  

*[https://historygeo.com/ Land Owner Search] at Historygeo.com ($), index to maps of original land owners

The availability of land 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 lived there. They often reveal other family information, such as the name of a spouse, heir, other relatives, or neighbors. You may learn where a person lived previously, his occupation, if he had served in the military, if he was a naturalized citizen, and other clues. Sale of the land may show when he left and where he was moving.  

*Ainsworth, Fern ''Private land claims, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin'' [Natchitoches, Louisiana : F. Ainsworth, 198-?]. This book contains a private land claims docket index for the states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin. {{FSC|538634|item|disp=FS Library fiche 6100813 (2 fiche); book 977 R2a.}}

*See COUNTY EVOLUTION IN MICHIGAN, 1790-1897 by Richard W. Welch for the development of the counties in the state. This will help you to determine place of residence of your ancestors and under whose civil jurisdiction they resided. It is also useful for when you start to read the census records.

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When the area that is now [[Michigan, United States Genealogy|Michigan]] became part of the [[United States Genealogy|United States]], a few prior land claims by early pioneers were settled in the courts, though most of the land was unclaimed. This unclaimed land became the public domain, was '''surveyed''', divided into townships (36 square miles), range and section (one square mile within the township)and then sold through land offices. Michigan land office records began in 1838, when&nbsp;Michigan became a territory and land offices were established.&nbsp;Michigan is termed a [[Government Land Grants|Federal land state]](public domain), and the government granted land through [[Grants from the Federal Government (Public Domain)|cash sales (entries)]], [[Homestead Records|homesteads]], [[US Military Bounty Land Warrants|military bounty land warrants]] as well as granting other claims such as [[Mining Claims|mining]] and [[Timberland|timberland claims]]. Federal land purchases are contained in a case file held at the National Archives. In order to obtain the '''case file''', a legal description of the land is needed which may be found in a deed, plat map, '''tract book''', or '''patent books'''. To learn how to obtain this land description, see the wiki article under United States Land and Property - Federal Land - [[Grants from the Federal Government (Public Domain)#Obtaining_a_Legal_Description_of_the_Land|Obtaining a Legal Description of the Land]].  

:*Certificate number or patent number

After land was transferred to private ownership, all subsequent transactions, including deeds and mortgages, were recorded by the register of deeds and are generally kept at the county courthouse. These records usually date back to the time of the county's organization and frequently have grantor (seller) and grantee (buyer) indexes. The FamilySearch Library has microfilm copies of warranty deeds and some mortgage records for over 50 counties, dating from county creation to about 1900. For example, from Wayne County, Michigan, the library has 220 microfilms of deeds and indexes for 1700 to 1918. Land records for Michigan are listed in the Place Search of the FamilySearch Catalog under:  

MICHIGAN, [COUNTY] – LAND AND PROPERTY  

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<br>{{Michigan|Michigan}}{{U.S. Land and Property}}