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.
Read More
Historical Research Maps: Plat Maps
Gaze into your ancestor's past with plat maps, which show the divisions of land in your ancestor's neighborhood.
Read More
Now What? Ohio Revolutionary War Land grants
Q. My ancestor received land in Ohio for his Revolutionary War service. Why can’t I find any trace of it on the General Land Offi ce Records site?
Read More
Genealogy Workbook: Land Records
Land records are among the most underutilized resources for genealogy. One of America’s major attractions to immigrants was the ability to obtain land. In the established countries of Europe, almost all the land had been titled for years, even centuries. Laws of primogeniture (inheritance by only the first son)...
Read More
Land Records Terms and Language
Learn definitions of the terms and language genealogists look for in property records, land records and deeds.
Read More
Solve Genealogy Puzzles with Land Records
From relationships to relocations, land deeds have the dirt on your family. Discover how to use property records to solve 10 genealogy puzzles.
Read More
free family tree chart
Sign up for our free newsletter and receive a free, decorative family tree PDF
How to Map Old County Boundary Lines with Google Earth
Pinpointing the county in which your family lived during a given year is easy, thanks to the Newberry Library's Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
Read More
Land Records: What Are Metes and Bounds?
Q. In my land-records research, I’ve come across the term “metes and bounds.” What does it mean? A. Metes and bounds is an old method of surveying territory for settlement, used in the original 13 Colonies. “The indiscriminate survey system, or metes and bounds, dates to England,” says Ohio genealogical speaker and writer Jana Sloan […]
Read More
Finding Your Ancestor’s Land Records
Perplexed by patents and plats? Confused by claims? Survey our beginner's guide to land records. This article includes a short Genealogy How-To Video on how to map your ancestor's property with the Bureau of Land Management's General Land Office website.
Read More
On Solid Ground: Land Records
Dig into a genealogical gold mine: your ancestors' deeds, claims and other land records.
Read More
Inside Sources: State Land vs. Public Land States
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.
Read More
Long Distance Deeds
Don't let long distances from your ancestral stomping grounds keep you from discovering the treasures in land records. The author of Locating Your Roots shares secrets for researching deeds without leaving home.
Read More