If your ancestor was a landowner, do you know exactly where their property was located? Do you know the acreage and the dimensions? Do you know what geographic features were nearby?

Part of the difficulty I had with this property was that I had not looked to see where it was. The property was oddly shaped and that was partly due to the Platte River and the railroad.

The local land records office may be able to help you locate the property’s precise location. Local libraries, historical societies, or genealogical societies may have copies of county-wide plat books that show the landowners for specific pieces of property. There may be survey maps in the local recorder’s office that show how parcels were drawn out as well.

For individuals who received federal land, there are a variety of survey maps that can show where property was located even if the owner’s names are not listed.

But having a representation of what the parcel looked like and how it fit into the neighborhood can help your research.

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