- Description
- Curriculum
“The major fortunes in America have been made in land,” is a quote attributed to John D. Rockefeller. The major economy of the nation from the colonial period through the 1860s was agriculture. The acquisition of land was a promise of a better life, and a major draw to immigrants from other nations. In this course, we explore land development, law, and acquisition across the nation’s history. State and federal land records are discussed as well as maps and land platting. Genealogically-rich, deeds and other types of land records are full of relationships, community, and context for the savvy researcher.
Monday, January 25
Welcome, 8:00-8:30am
Development of Land Division in the United States, 8:30-9:45am
Instructor: Koford
This overview introduces the colonial systems pre-revolution and land systems of other governments who held land early in our history. Historical events (cessations, treaties, wars) which affected land acquisition and the development of western states will outline the course for the week.
Understanding State-Land States, 10:15-11:30am
Instructor: Koford
The original thirteen colonies have a common land theme: they are measured in complicated systems known as metes and bounds. Beyond that, they have other models of land distribution often influenced by the immigrants who settled the areas. We discuss the history, styles of survey, and general methodology.
Understanding Federal Land Division, 1:00-2:15pm
Instructor: McGhie
After the Revolutionary War the new United States Congress passed the Land Ordinance of 1785 which set up a standardized system to survey land. This was the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) and after some fine tuning in Ohio, it was used to survey the 30 federal land states. The PLSS used a method of creating townships and sections which provided a unique land description for each piece of federal land.
Working with Deeds: A Refresher Workshop, 2:45-4:00pm
Instructor: Koford
Whether a student has worked with deed and conveyance records frequently or has not had opportunity in a while, this class will be a refresher on reading land records, survey terminology, methodology, organizational techniques. Students will have time to workshop practice exercises in class.
Optional Homework Assignment: Understanding Deeds, 4:00-4:30pm
Tuesday, January 26
Optional Homework Review, 8:00-8:30am
Records of the General Land Office, 8:30-9:45am
Instructor: Koford
Understanding the records and resources of the General Land Office is critical to success in federal records. Finding aids will be introduced.
Using the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Website: a Guided Workshop, 10:15-11:30am
Instructor: Koford
The BLM-GLO website is an invaluable asset to researchers looking for federal land patents and bounty land awarded to military veterans or their heirs. This site works as a master index to land entry papers held by the National Archives. The workshop activities will help students understand and navigate the updated website.
Land Entry Papers, 1:00-2:15pm
Instructor: McGhie
The land entry papers are the application files individuals submitted to purchase or obtain land in the public domain. They document the first transfer of land from the federal government to private ownership. The land entry papers contain useful information for genealogists and include land obtained by cash or credit purchase, donation land, homesteads, and other acts of Congress such as pre-emption, timber culture, desert land, and mineral entries.
Using Tract Books, 2:45-4:00pm
Instructor: McGhie
Tract books contain a record of the disposition of each section of federal land. These volumes show the name of each purchaser as well as those who applied for land but never completed the process, creating a “genealogy of the land.” Tract books are used to locate information needed to access the land entry papers at the National Archives; locate individuals who applied for land but are not listed in the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) online database; and identify neighbors who acquired land in the same location and time period as an individual.
Optional Homework Assignment: Land Entry and Tract Books, 4:00-4:30pm
Wednesday, January 27
Optional Homework Review, 8:00-8:30am
Finding & Using Land Ownership Maps, 8:30-9:45am
Instructor: Koford
Maps have more genealogical value to our research than we may imagine. We will discuss a variety of map styles and where to find them online and offline. We will also sample GIS system applications and resources for specific areas.
Online Sources for Land Records, 10:15-11:30am
Instructor: Powell
Genealogical websites, state archives, historical societies, and county record offices can be valuable resources for accessing land records online. This session will cover strategies and tips for effectively utilizing these online resources like a pro.
Metes & Bounds Plats, 1:00-2:15pm
Instructors: Smith and Powell
The puzzle-piece land descriptions of lands in the east are best understood by knowing how to draw the plat from the metes-and-bounds directions. This hands-on workshop will be about creating plats with paper and compass tools.
Introduction to Computer Platting Software, 2:45-4:00pm
Instructors: Smith and Powell
This hands-on workshop continues with creating metes-and-bounds descriptive plats using free computer platting software. Students should pre- download “Metes and Bounds” by Sandy Knoll Software (https://www.tabberer.com/sandyknoll/more/metesandbounds/metes.html).
Thursday, January 28
US Military Bounty Land, 8:30-9:45am
Instructor: Koford
Veterans from the Revolution to Mexican War and Frontier Conflicts all (eventually) were granted awards of land as a benefit for their service. The laws and application processes were complicated, but the surviving records may prove invaluable to your genealogical research.
Introduction to Private Land Claims, 10:15-11:30am
Instructor: Koford
Land was granted to individuals by governments in a variety of ways throughout the history of this country. This class will introduce grants to people from France, Mexico, and Spain before those areas were part of the U.S. Discussion will also cover land administered by Congress by private act.
Buying The Farm… or Selling, Mortgaging, Inheriting It (and More), 1:00-2:15pm
Instructor: Russell
Understanding the legal context of land ownership should be simple, but is complicated by many issues and changes in legislation over time. The law deeply impacted an ancestor’s ability to buy, sell, and own land.
Land, Law and Lineage – Reconstructing the Stories of Non-Traditional Homesteaders, 2:45-4:00pm
Instructor: McFadden
This session examines the Homestead Act of 1862 and its amendments not through the lens of the “typical” male settler, but through the experiences of applicants marginalized by other social and legal constructs who used the law’s surprisingly broad eligibility language to their advantage.
Optional Homework Assignment: Bounty Land and Private Claims, 4:00-4:30pm
Friday, January 29
Optional Homework Review, 8:00-8:30am
Land Division in Ohio, Texas, & Other Unique Areas, 8:30-9:45am
Instructor: Sayre
Some areas of the U.S. have such a unique history related to land. Issues of multi-jurisdictional history in states like Ohio and Texas, must be considered separately.
Land Records in the US Serial Set, American State Papers, Territorial Papers, & Other Government Documents, 10:15-11:30am
Instructor: Koford
The opportunity and ability to own land never fit a cookie-cutter mold. Congress weighed in over disputes and resolved issues, many of which are recorded in federal documents.
Workshop on Government Documents , Tract Books, & Maps, 1:00-2:15pm
Instructor: Koford
This hands-on lecture will give students experience with exploring how records may be found and different sources overlap.
Oh, Give Me a Home: A Case Study in Migration & Settlement, 2:45-4:00pm
Instructor: Koford
This case study will pull in records and methodology related to land. A multi-generational family’s experience will show how evidence may be constructed and conflicts resolved in land records.
Course Wrap-Up, 4:00-4:30pm
Class sessions are held daily January 25-29, 8:00am-4:30pm, Mountain Time.
Course Coordinator:
Rebecca Whitman Koford, CG, CGL
Additional Faculty:
Cecelia McFadden
