Posts in January 27, 2026

If your relative’s 1850 or 1860 US census enumeration indicates a value of real estate owned, have you determined how they came to own this real estate and how the property left their possession? Those records could provide clues about your ancestor’s financial status, potential connections in the area, clues as to where they lived before or after those enumerations, and more. There’s no guarantee records of property acquisition will tell you anything other than the basic details of the land transaction, but you never know until you look. And always make certain you account for all acreages in utilizing land records. The number of acres being obtained should equal the number of acres going out–other than potential minor differences due to surveying errors.