Tuesday Tools – The Bureau of Land Management Website and Records

This entry is part 7 of 8 in the series Land Records

I recently reviewed some land patents from our family. In most cases, little genealogical information can be found in land patent records. I find that land records are useful in identifying where my ancestors lived, and when. The (United States) Bureau of Land Management has a useful website with a lot of information concerning Federal …

Continue reading

Granny’s Land Record Transcriptions

This entry is part 6 of 8 in the series Land Records

I received a Facebook comment with regard to my land record spreadsheet. I asked permission and added the comment at the end of the post here on my blog. A Facebook comment is soon lost in the feed of status updates, link posts and other miscellaneous garbage stuff information, and I prefer that comments and …

Continue reading

Locating Property and Landmarks in Michigan.

This entry is part 5 of 8 in the series Land Records

As I have studied the land records of my families in Michigan, I have used a variety of maps and resources to be sure I know the location of each piece of property. I have likewise used multiple resources to visit homes, cemeteries, libraries and other research locations. Many of these are familiar, but perhaps …

Continue reading

Liber 2 Page 403 What Does the Deed Tell Me?

This entry is part 2 of 8 in the series Land Records

Here are the basic facts from the transcription of the deed recorded in Liber 2 page 403 of Wexford County Deeds. The Grantor, Erasmus D. Abbott, of Sherman, Wexford, County, Michigan The Grantee: George W. Burdick of Cedar Creek, Wexford County, Michigan The witnesses: Oscar Barnes, a justice of the peace and William Briggs A …

Continue reading

Liber 2 Page 403 Land Records, what next?

This entry is part 3 of 8 in the series Land Records

I am writing a little about my experience working with deed records, using Wexford County, Michigan as an example. After I had collected a list of the names and location of the records, I started through the deed record books using my form. It might be helpful to explain that although recording this information directly …

Continue reading

Wexford County Deeds, Part 2

This entry is part 4 of 8 in the series Land Records

Now I had a neat spreadsheet of land records I extracted from the Wexford County, Michigan index books. What should I do next?  There were so many deeds, and I was not equally interested in them.  Or, at least at the moment I created my list from the index,  some were more important to me …

Continue reading

Wexford County Deeds

This entry is part 1 of 8 in the series Land Records

Several years ago I read some deed indices in Wexford County, Michigan, looking for transactions for our ancestors. Papa had to travel to Cadillac, the county seat and our former home, for work, so I just hitched a ride and had him drop me at the courthouse. I did not go just once, I went …

Continue reading