When using the Bureau of Land Management’s website to search for and locate land patents, always look at the actual patent. Depending upon the situation, it may tell you:
- the unit the veteran served in if the patent (first deed) was issued based upon a military warrant
- if the land claim was actually a pre-emption claim instead of a cash sale–pre-emption claims are better records
- if the heirs were involved–those are generally more detailed files as well
- where the patentee was living at the time–that can help in distinguishing between individuals of the same name
2 Responses
Thank u, will keep that in mind. Have lots of documents to look for.
I had seen an entry in the deed books where my ancestor was selling land, but I was unable to find where he had obtained it. Imagine my surprise to discover in the BLM records that this German immigrant obtained his land through his service in the Mexican War!