Montana Land and Property

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United States

U.S. Land and Property

Montana

Land and Property

Online Resources

• See United States Land and Property for more databases and resources.
• 1788-1960s U.S. Land Patent Search at Bureau of Land Management, index and some records
• 1820-1908 U.S., Bureau of Land Management Tract Books, 1820-1908 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
• 1861-1932 United States, Cancelled, Relinquished, or Rejected Land Entry Case Files, 1861-1932 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection, images
• 1863-1908 U.S., Homestead Records, 1863-1908 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
• Survey Plats and Field Notes at Bureau of Land Management - index
• Land Owner Search at Historygeo.com ($), index to maps of original land owners
• Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search

By County

• 1880-2009 Montana, Cascade County Records, 1880-2009 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1871-2007 Montana, Flathead County Records, 1871-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1865-2009 Montana, Granite County Records, 1865-2009 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1857-2010 Montana, Lake County Records, 1857-2010 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1866-2012 Montana, Meagher County Records, 1866-2012 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1910-2012 Montana, Pondera County Records, 1910-2012 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1878-2011 Montana, Rosebud County Records, 1878-2011 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1866-2010 Montana, Sanders County Records, 1866-2010 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1881-2012 Montana, Teton County Records, 1881-2012 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1881-2011 Montana, Yellowstone County Records, 1881-2011 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images

Federal Land Records

After 1862, settlers could apply for homestead land in Montana through the General Land Office in Washington, DC. Eventually they could apply for land through eight local land offices. The first local land office was established in Helena in 1867.

The land office records are at the National Archives Rocky Mountain Region (Denver). The county courthouses also have records of patents on homesteads. Tract books, township plats, and pre-1908 patent records are at the:

Montana State Office of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
5001 Southgate Drive
Billings, MT 59101
Telephone: 406 896-5000
Fax: 406 896-5299
E-mail: MT_Information@blm.gov

The FamilySearch Library has copies of the federal land tract books for Montana (FS Library films 1444840-909). See United States Land and Property for more information on these records.

County Land Records

After land was transferred to private ownership, it could be sold again, inherited, lost by foreclosure of a mortgage, or redistributed through a divorce. These transactions are recorded in the deed and mortgage records kept by the county recorder. The records usually have both grantee (buyer) and grantor (seller) indexes.

The county recorder also has records of patents on timber and mining claims as well as real property assessment books and plat books.

Copies of county land records can be found for many Montana counties in the FamilySearch Catalog under Montana>[County]>Land and property.

Websites

Online Resources

• Flathead County: http://www.idreamof.com/land/mt.html

• Montana Native American Land Patents: http://www.accessgenealogy.com/native/patent/

Wiki articles describing online FamilySearch collections are found at:

• Montana, Cascade County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records
• Montana, Flathead County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records
• Montana, Lake County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records
• Montana, Rosebud County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records
• Montana, Yellowstone County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records
  

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