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There are 3,907 United States '''federal''' tract books containing the official record of each parcel of public land until it was transferred from federal to private ownership in 28 of the [[United States Land and Property#United_States|30 federal land states]] between the years 1820 and 1908. The federal tract books for Alaska and Missouri are lost.<ref name="Hone">E. Wade Hone, ''Land and Property Research in the United States'' (Salt Lake City, Utah : Ancestry Pub., c1997), 113. {{WorldCat|483096407|item|disp=At various repositories (WorldCat)}}; {{FHL|766994|item|disp=FHL Book 973 R27h}}.</ref> | There are 3,907 United States '''federal''' tract books containing the official record of each parcel of public land until it was transferred from federal to private ownership in 28 of the [[United States Land and Property#United_States|30 federal land states]] between the years 1820 and 1908. The federal tract books for Alaska and Missouri are lost.<ref name="Hone">E. Wade Hone, ''Land and Property Research in the United States'' (Salt Lake City, Utah : Ancestry Pub., c1997), 113. {{WorldCat|483096407|item|disp=At various repositories (WorldCat)}}; {{FHL|766994|item|disp=FHL Book 973 R27h}}.</ref> | ||
Tract book land was surveyed and described as part of the '''Public Lands Survey System''', which divided the land into '''Congressional townships''' on a '''township and range''' grid based on '''[[Rectangular surveys|rectangular surveys]]'''. | |||
==== Why they were created ==== | ==== Why they were created ==== | ||
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=== Local tract books === | === Local tract books === | ||
State and county archives sometimes have partial copies of federal tract books. In general these are not as complete as the federal copies. | State and county archives sometimes have partial copies of federal tract books. In general these are not as complete as the federal copies. | ||
Counties are responsible for documenting all land transactions AFTER title was transferred from the federal government to an individual. Deeds, mortgages, property tax records, and plat maps are examples of land records typically generated at the county level. | Counties are responsible for documenting all land transactions AFTER title was transferred from the federal government to an individual. Deeds, mortgages, property tax records, and plat maps are examples of land records typically generated at the county level. | ||
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Federal tract books serve as a comprehensive reference to over 10 million of land entry case files held at the National Archives in Washington, DC. However, they are arranged according to the '''''land description ''''' (township, range, and section) rather than the name of the claimant. They include '''all''' applicants for federal land, including those whose claim failed to receive a patent because it was unfinished, forfeited, rejected or cancelled.<ref name="Hone">E. Wade Hone, ''Land and Property Research in the United States'' (Salt Lake City, Utah : Ancestry Pub., c1997), 113. {{WorldCat|483096407|item|disp=At various repositories (WorldCat)}}; {{FHL|766994|item|disp=FHL Book 973 R27h}}.</ref> | Federal tract books serve as a comprehensive reference to over 10 million of land entry case files held at the National Archives in Washington, DC. However, they are arranged according to the '''''land description ''''' (township, range, and section) rather than the name of the claimant. They include '''all''' applicants for federal land, including those whose claim failed to receive a patent because it was unfinished, forfeited, rejected or cancelled.<ref name="Hone">E. Wade Hone, ''Land and Property Research in the United States'' (Salt Lake City, Utah : Ancestry Pub., c1997), 113. {{WorldCat|483096407|item|disp=At various repositories (WorldCat)}}; {{FHL|766994|item|disp=FHL Book 973 R27h}}.</ref> | ||
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*[[United States, Bureau of Land Management Tract Books (FamilySearch Historical Records)|United States, Bureau of Land Management Tract Books (FamilySearch Historical Records)]] describes the online federal tract book collection for 28 federal land states from 1820-1908. | *[[United States, Bureau of Land Management Tract Books (FamilySearch Historical Records)|United States, Bureau of Land Management Tract Books (FamilySearch Historical Records)]] describes the online federal tract book collection for 28 federal land states from 1820-1908. | ||
*[[United States, Bureau of Land Management Tract Books Coverage Table (FamilySearch Historical Records)|Tract Books Coverage Table]] lists the state, volume, land office, township numbers and range numbers in each federal tract book 1820-1908. | *[[United States, Bureau of Land Management Tract Books Coverage Table (FamilySearch Historical Records)|Tract Books Coverage Table]] lists the state, volume, land office, township numbers and range numbers in each federal tract book 1820-1908. | ||
*[[Grants from the Federal Government (Public Domain)]] explains public lands, how individuals claimed some of it, and the paperwork created during the process. | *[[Grants from the Federal Government (Public Domain)]] explains public lands, how individuals claimed some of it, and the paperwork created during the process. | ||
*BLM [[Land Patent Search]] discusses the index to eight million patented (finished) land applications, and military bounty land papers. Each entry in this index includes the land description useful for finding an ancestor in a tract book. | *BLM [[Land Patent Search]] discusses the index to eight million patented (finished) land applications, and military bounty land papers. Each entry in this index includes the land description useful for finding an ancestor in a tract book. | ||