Property records lend facts about families

By DONNA MURRAY ALLEN
© St. Petersburg Times
published February 20, 2003

The prospect of owning land drew many immigrants to this country; it represented prosperity, prestige and freedom. Some newcomers could afford to buy property, others took advantage of government give-away programs. Whichever path they followed, you can unearth a bounty of genealogical data by digging up their land records. Listed below are possible resources.

LAND PURCHASE: William Essick died, leaving a tract of land and no will. He bought the land in 1773. His heirs decided to sell it around 1800; a grandson was selected to handle the transaction. To avoid a possible lawsuit, the grandson had to get powers-of-attorney from all the heirs (three siblings, five cousins, an aunt and Essick's son-in-law).

The paperwork, documenting the ties binding three generations, was part of the file detailing the chain of ownership of that piece of land. Since land records remain viable -- companies use them to show clear title to a property -- they are available to the public.

Records pertaining to Essick's land were found at the county courthouse. Most courthouses maintain deed indexes for both grantors and grantees.

Deed indexes vary by county, even within the same state. They may list only the grantor and grantee, date of instrument and deed book and page number. They might include the specific kind of deed and a description of the land. Most documents contain the date the instrument was drawn up, the date it was filed or recorded and the names of witnesses. The legal description of the parcel usually gives the names of adjacent property owners.

A quitclaim deed is one of the best finds. Similar to an estate settlement, it may name the widow, all of the children and the surnames of married daughters, along with the names of their husbands. Deceased children and grandchildren also may be named, since the purpose is to ensure that no one later files a claim to the property.

HOMESTEAD RECORDS: The Homestead Act, passed by Congress in May 1862, made it possible for adult citizens to get 160 acres of land for a $10 fee, providing they agreed to cultivate the land, build a home and remain there for five years. Each person had to request the land by completing an application. These applications are on file with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in Washington, D.C. You will need a legal description of the land to obtain the application.

BOUNTY-LAND WARRANTS: Bounty-land warrants were created to entice men to enlist and fight in the Revolutionary War. Eventually they became a reward for wartime service performed between 1775-1855. Qualifications varied from time to time, but basically the veteran or his survivors had to document his military service to get the land. Bounty-land warrants later were consolidated with military pension files. Both are available from NARA.

AGRICULTURAL CENSUSES: Federal agricultural censuses were taken each decade from 1850-1880. They showed the amount of acreage a farmer owned or leased, quantity of livestock and wages paid to hired help, etc. You may borrow these microfilmed records from NARA through your public library or a Mormon Family History Center.

States also conducted agricultural censuses from about 1850-1900, usually in years ending in five. A complete collection of records is available in each state's archives. Some records are online. Copies may also be found at many large libraries. (The Largo Library has a good selection.)

Can't find what you want? Borrow the records from NARA through interlibrary loan programs at your local public library or Family History Center.

- Donna Murray Allen welcomes your questions about genealogy and will respond to those of general interest in future columns. Sorry, she can't take phone calls, but you can write to her c/o Floridian, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731, or e-mail her at rootscolumn@yahoo.com . Or visit her Web site: www.rootsdetective.com.

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