BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT SURVEY PLATS AND FIELD NOTES The earliest survey records date back to the 18th century. Government surveys began in Ohio and progressed westward as more territory was opened for settlement. Once the public domain was surveyed, the government could begin to transfer title of land parcels to private citizens, companies and local governments. Survey plats are drawings of boundaries, prepared by draftsmen, based on data in the sketches and field notes. Survey field notes are records that describe the survey performed and are completed by the surveyor. The field notes may contain descriptions of land formations, climate, soil, plant and animal life, and even the names of settlers living in the survey area. In order to receive information regarding plats and field notes, call or write to the Bureau of Land Management to the attention of Cadastral Survey. Please include your complete name, telephone number and address with each request. Remember to specify the entire legal description, including subdivision (such as S 1/2, and NE 1/4 NE 1/4), section, township, range, survey meridian, State, county, and any other pertinent information. Send your written requests to: Bureau of Land Management Eastern States Attn: Cadastral Survey 7450 Boston Boulevard Springfield, Virginia 22153-3121 (703) 440-1643 Eastern States has responsibility for the 13 public land states east of and bordering the Mississippi River, except for the original 13 colonies and their territories. But, Eastern States does not maintain plats and field notes for Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, and Ohio. This information is located at: Cartographic and Architectural Branch (NNSC) National Archives and Records Administration 8601 Adelphi Rd. College Park, Maryland 20740-6001 (301) 713-7040 When requesting plats and field notes from National Archives and Records Administration, please include your complete name, telephone number and address with each request. Remember to specify the entire legal description, including subdivision (such as S 1/2, and NE 1/4 NE 1/4), section, township, range, survey meridian, State, county, and any other pertinent information. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: LAND ENTRY CASE FILES AT THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES Before the homesteaders, soldiers, and other entrymen received their patents, some government paperwork had to be done. Those purchasing land from the United States had to be given receipts for payments, while those obtaining land through military bounty land warrants, preemption entries, or the Homestead Act of 1862, had to file applications, give proof about military service, residence on and improvements to the land, or proof of citizenship. The paperwork generated by those bureaucratic activities, compiled into land entry case files, is held by the National Archives. The earliest land entry files, those dating from 1788 to the mid-1850's, generally contain little substantive genealogical information. They simply document a financial transaction or provide evidence of military service. Still, for some researchers just knowing that someone purchased land or received a bounty land warrant, that they were at a certain place at a certain time is often more information than they had before viewing the copies of the records. Thus, even a somewhat small credit, cash, or Military Bounty Land Warrant file, can be put to good genealogical research use. With the passage of the 1862 Homestead Act and similar legislation (relating to timber culture land and mining claims) the records contain more information, including often substantive genealogical information. No two land entry files are alike, nor is the evidence described above guaranteed to be in each case file. Each is an adventure because one never knows in advance what information and documentation it will contain. The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) welcomes researchers to use both original and microfilmed records. The reference staff can help you to plan your research and to find and understand records. If you are unable to visit NARA in Washington, DC, or its regional archives, you may obtain copies of documents through the mail. Land Entry Case File information about the patents can be obtained by writing to: Textual Reference Branch (NNR1-Land) National Archives and Records Administration Washington, D.C. 20408 Users of the Bureau of Land Management's General Land Office Automated Records Project (on-line or CD-ROM) may order land entry case files of patented entries by enclosing with your written request a copy of the complete print- out for the individual(s) in which you are interested. The following information should be included: name of patentee, state, land office name, title authority or land entry type (cash, Homestead Act, etc.), and document number. Due to the large volume of requests for land entry case files, requests that include several individual case files will be segmented and answered in groups of reasonable size. In addition to the land entry case files associated with the patents on the General Land Office Automated Records Project series, NARA has case files for other types of Federal land entries made in eastern public land states. These include private land claims, entries made under the credit acts before 1820, bounty land warrants, canceled or relinquished Homestead Act entries, Indian lands, etc. NARA also has case files for land entries made in the seventeen western public land states. The information needed for a NARA search of these records is: -land entryman's (ancestor's) full name -State in which he or she acquired land -land acquired before 1908 or after 1908 (choose one) -patent, final certificate, or document number -land entry type (bounty land warrant, homestead, case entry, etc.) Land entry papers for the years after 1908, and most land entry papers (regardless of date) for Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, Nevada and Utah are indexed by name. If you chose "after 1908" or if your ancestor acquired land in one of these seven states, you have enough information to request a search of Federal land records. You should furnish: -land entryman's (ancestor's) full name -State in which he or she acquired land -Whether acquisition was before or after 1908 -Any additional information you have about the land, e.g., Document Number, Document Type (homestead, cash entry, etc.) Send this information to the address above. You will receive a written reply. Do not send payment for copies until you receive a written price quote from NARA. Land entry papers for the years before 1908, other than those for the seven states listed above, are not indexed by name. If you chose "before 1908" and listed a state other than one of these seven, you also will have to provide a legal description of the land. For example: Northeast quarter of Section 7, Township 1 North, Range 1 West, Fifth Principal Meridian (abbreviated: NE, Sec 7, T1N, R1W, 5th PM). Send this information to the address above. You will receive a written reply. Do not send payment for copies until you receive a written price quote from NARA. The National Archives has custody of those military bounty land warrants that were used, or surrendered to the Federal government in exchange for land. Military bounty land warrants are arranged by Act of Congress, certificate number, and, for warrants under the Acts of 1847-1855, by the number of acres granted. These are indexed for the Revolutionary War, most of the War of 1812 warrants, and some of the warrants under the Acts of 1847-1855. To obtain the filing information for these warrants, use National Archives Trust Fund Form 80, Order for Copies of Veterans Records, to request a search of bounty land warrant applications among the military service records in Record Group 15, Records of the Veterans Administration. This form is available at the NARA address given above. Once you have obtained the bounty land warrant filing information you may use it to request copies of the surrender warrant in Record Group 49, Records of the Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office. However, the applications for bounty land warrants contain more information useful to the genealogist than do the surrendered warrants. Do not send payment for copies until you receive a written price quote from NARA.