State Land vs. Public Land States Free Download
Whether your ancestors lived in a state-land or public-land state affects the land records you'll look for. Learn which states fall into which category.
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Free Deed Index (by Grantor) Form Download
Transcribe basic information from town or county deed indexes (by the name of the person selling property).
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5 Types of Ancestors’ Land Records You Should Look For
Looking for clues about your ancestors' relationships and migration patterns? Discover your ancestry and find family history with these five type of genealogy land records.
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Historical Research Maps: Plat Maps Premium
Gaze into your ancestor's past with plat maps, which show the divisions of land in your ancestor's neighborhood.
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Finding My Ancestor’s Old Property Deed: Tips You Can Use
When last I blogged about my Seeger family, I had uncovered their previously unknown migration (a short one, just a few doors down the street) and added finding the associated deed record to my genealogy to-do list. Deeds are both rewarding and difficult to find. They're rarely online. Counties keep...
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How to Use Land Records for Genealogy Research Premium
Land records are among the most underutilized resources for genealogy. Discover the different types and information you can learn from each.
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Free 10 Essential Genealogy Research Forms
Sign up for the Family Tree Newsletter and get 10 research forms as a special thanks!
Unpuzzling Your Ancestors’ County Boundary Changes
Figuring out your US ancestors' county boundaries can be like doing a puzzle with pieces that keep changing size and shape. If one of your ancestral families settled early in what's now Morrow county in central Ohio, for example, they conceivably could've resided in—count 'em up—seven different counties without...
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Land Patents: Your Step-by-Step Guide Premium
The Bureau of Land Management digitized land patents and made them searchable. Here's how to read land patents for your genealogical benefit.
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Land Records Terms and Language Premium
Learn definitions of the terms and language genealogists look for in property records, land records and deeds.
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Solve Genealogy Puzzles with US Land Records Premium
From relationships to relocations, land deeds have the dirt on your family. Discover how to use property records to solve 10 genealogy puzzles.
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AncestorNews: Dig Into Land Records Premium
Over the weekend I bought a copy of Patricia Law Hatcher's new book, Locating Your Roots: Discover Your Ancestors Using Land Records. Hatcher does a great job of explaining the importance of land records, how to find them, the genealogical clues they contain, and figuring out exactly how and...
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