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Between 1862 and 1986 about 10 percent of all land in the United States, 270,000,000 acres (420,000 sq mi), were transferred from federal to private control through 1.6 million granted homesteads.<ref>United States, Department of the Interior, National Park Service, “About the Homestead Act” in ''Homestead National Monument of America'' at http://www.nps.gov/home/historyculture/abouthomesteadactlaw.htm (accessed 5 February 2010).</ref> | Between 1862 and 1986 about 10 percent of all land in the United States, 270,000,000 acres (420,000 sq mi), were transferred from federal to private control through 1.6 million granted homesteads.<ref>United States, Department of the Interior, National Park Service, “About the Homestead Act” in ''Homestead National Monument of America'' at http://www.nps.gov/home/historyculture/abouthomesteadactlaw.htm (accessed 5 February 2010).</ref> | ||
Only about 40 percent of the applicants who started the process were able to complete it and obtain title to their homestead land.<ref>United States, Department of the Interior, National Park Service, “Homesteading by the Numbers” in ''Homestead National Monument of America'' at http://www.nps.gov/home/historyculture/bynumbers.htm (accessed 5 February 2010).</ref> | Only about 40 percent of the applicants who started the process were able to complete it and obtain title to their homestead land.<ref>United States, Department of the Interior, National Park Service, “Homesteading by the Numbers” in ''Homestead National Monument of America'' at http://www.nps.gov/home/historyculture/bynumbers.htm (accessed 5 February 2010).</ref> [[Image:Home palmer-epard cabin c.jpg|right|225x200px|<center> Homestead National Monument of America<center></center>]] | ||
== Value of the Records == | == Value of the Records == | ||
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:If you know the approximate location (at least the county), the legal land description of a homestead may be found in the General Land Office [[Grants from the Federal Government (Public Domain)#Obtaining_a_Legal_Description_of_the_Land|tract books]] available at the [http://history.nd.gov/archives/gentractbooks.html National Archives] in Washington, DC, or from [https://www.familysearch.org/en/library/ FamilySearch Library] in Salt Lake City ({{FSC|607931|title-id|disp=on 1,265 microfilms starting with FS Library Film 1445277}}). These federal tract books are arranged by state, land office, and legal land description. States often have their own version of these tract books. For instructions see E. Wade Hone, ''[http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/36074524 Land & Property Research in the United States]'' (Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1997), appendices "Tract Book and Township Plat Map Guide to Federal Land States" and "Land Office Boundary Maps for All Federal Land States." Also, you may be able to obtain a legal description of the land from the county recorder of deeds in the county where the land was located.<ref name="NPSGen" /> | :If you know the approximate location (at least the county), the legal land description of a homestead may be found in the General Land Office [[Grants from the Federal Government (Public Domain)#Obtaining_a_Legal_Description_of_the_Land|tract books]] available at the [http://history.nd.gov/archives/gentractbooks.html National Archives] in Washington, DC, or from [https://www.familysearch.org/en/library/ FamilySearch Library] in Salt Lake City ({{FSC|607931|title-id|disp=on 1,265 microfilms starting with FS Library Film 1445277}}). These federal tract books are arranged by state, land office, and legal land description. States often have their own version of these tract books. For instructions see E. Wade Hone, ''[http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/36074524 Land & Property Research in the United States]'' (Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1997), appendices "Tract Book and Township Plat Map Guide to Federal Land States" and "Land Office Boundary Maps for All Federal Land States." Also, you may be able to obtain a legal description of the land from the county recorder of deeds in the county where the land was located.<ref name="NPSGen" /> | ||
*'''Obtaining Homestead Papers from the National Archives'''''<b>.</b>'' For detailed instructions online explaining how to obtain homestead papers for (a) homesteads granted, and (b) unfinished homestead applications see “Ordering a Land-Entry Case File from the National Archives” at the '''''end of''''' | *'''Obtaining Homestead Papers from the National Archives'''''<b>.</b>'' For detailed instructions online explaining how to obtain homestead papers for (a) homesteads granted, and (b) unfinished homestead applications see “Ordering a Land-Entry Case File from the National Archives” at the '''''end of''''' "[http://www.nps.gov/home/historyculture/upload/W,pdf,Genealogy,rvd.pdf Homestead National Monument of America – Genealogy]." | ||
*'''Texas Homesteads'''''<b>.</b>'' The state of Texas has an online [http://www.glo.texas.gov/history/archives/land-grants/index.cfm Land Grant Index] similar to a homestead index.<ref>“Texas General Land Office Land Grant Search” at http://www.glo.texas.gov/history/archives/land-grants/index.cfm (accessed 5 February 2010). </ref> | *'''Texas Homesteads'''''<b>.</b>'' The state of Texas has an online [http://www.glo.texas.gov/history/archives/land-grants/index.cfm Land Grant Index] similar to a homestead index.<ref>“Texas General Land Office Land Grant Search” at http://www.glo.texas.gov/history/archives/land-grants/index.cfm (accessed 5 February 2010). </ref> | ||
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