Family Tree Friday: Land records (Part 2) – Eastern vs. Western public land states

Now that we established the difference between Public and Private Land States in my previous post, let's take a look at the different search paths to locate information about Public Land patents.  The main point to discern is whether you are dealing with an Eastern or Western public land state, because the relevant records are … Continue reading Family Tree Friday: Land records (Part 2) – Eastern vs. Western public land states

Family Tree Friday: Land records – knowing Public from Private

In a previous blog post I mentioned how veterans could acquire homesteads via bounty land warrants they received as a benefit for military service.  Since then, I've been thinking it would be worthwhile to offer some general advice about land records at the National Archives, and more importantly to explain the distinction between public and private … Continue reading Family Tree Friday: Land records – knowing Public from Private