[or-roots] Donation Land Claims-land patents

Thu Mar 23 13:16:21 PST 2006

Several years ago, some ownership claims came through the BLM and a cousin of mine was asked to check
them out. He found in Calif. the only records not destroyed by fire were the microfilmed newspapers.  He said
is was very difficult to keep on track do to the many intersting stories about the old times.  Some of the claims
were denied and a the BLM was sued, but I do not now recall the end result. 

My gr gr. grandfather had one of the the RR parcels back in Hennepin Co., 1850's Minn.

You should see some of the brochures to lure people to Oregon  They called the trains
out of NE in 1880 the Emigrant Train reached by connection from Minn..
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Joseph Noecker 
  To: or-roots at sosinet.sos.state.or.us 
  Sent: Thursday, March 23, 2006 5:27 AM
  Subject: Re: [or-roots] Donation Land Claims-land patents

  One other source of land that is often forgotten is the railroads.  That was later than the DLCs of course.  RRs were often given (by the govt.) one square mile of land on each side of the right of way in checkerboard fashion. i.e. every other mile on the right side alternate mile on the left side.  RRs used these to establish towns or sell farm plots then advertise in the East so people would start using the RR.

  Leslie Chapman wrote: 
People often use thes two terms interchangeably, but that is not correct:

*	*	*	*	From th USGLO link below

Land patents; document the transfer of land ownership from the federal
government to individuals. Our land patent records include the information
recorded when ownership was transferred.

*	*	*	*	*

The land was disposed of by the authority of many acts of Congress - sale,
homesteads, military warrants for military service, timber culture, mining,
etc. One of the primary purposes of these public land laws was to encourage
people from the East to move West. In the early 1800's people could buy
public land for $1.25 an acre. For a time, they could buy up to 640 acres
under this law. The sale of public land under the "Cash Act" is no longer in
effect.

Several Military Warrant Acts granted public land to soldiers instead of
pay. These acts have been repealed.

The Homestead Act of 1862, allowed people to settle up to 160 acres of
public land if they lived on it for five years and grew crops or made
improvements. This land did not cost anything per acre, but the settler did
pay a filing fee. This act is no longer in effect.

*	*	*	*	From; http://www.plso.org/readingroom/OregonDLC-Bouman.htm

Donation Land Claims

The Act of September 27, 1850 granted 320 acres of federal land to a
qualified(1) settler who resided on the public lands in the Oregon Territory
on or before December 1, 1850 and who had cultivated the same for four
consecutive years. Under the same terms it granted 160 acres to a claimant
who settled in the Oregon Territory between December 1, 1850 and December 1,
1853 (later extended to 12/01/1855). A married man could claim a like amount
for his spouse in her own name for a total of 640 and 320 acres
respectively.

*	*	*	*	*	*

for full text of the act; http://www.ccrh.org/comm/cottage/primary/claim.htm

*	*	*	*	AFTER DLC'S

After the 1854 cutoff date, land in Oregon was no longer free but was sold
at a price of $1.25 an acre ($3.09/hectare) with a limit of 320 acres (1.3
km²) in any one claim. In the following years the price was raised and the
maximum size of a claim was progressively lowered. In 1862 Congress passed
the Homestead Act which was largely designed to encourage settlement on the
Great Plains but applied to Oregon as well.

from; http://www.nps.gov/home/homestead_act.html

The Homestead Act of 1862 has been called one the most important pieces of
Legislation in the history of the United States. Signed into law in 1862 by
Abraham Lincoln after the secession of southern states, this Act turned over
vast amounts of the public domain to private citizens. 270 millions acres,
or 10% of the area of the United States was claimed and settled under this
act.

A homesteader had only to be the head of a household and at least 21 years
of age to claim a 160 acre parcel of land. Settlers from all walks of life
including newly arrived immigrants, farmers without land of their own from
the East, single women and former slaves came to meet the challenge of
"proving up" and keeping this "free land". Each homesteader had to live on
the land, build a home, make improvements and farm for 5 years before they
were eligible to "prove up". A total filing fee of $18 was the only money
required, but sacrifice and hard work exacted a different price from the
hopeful settlers

*	*	*	*

For anyone who is still confused, or a real glutton for reading, follow the
links above, each of those sites has way more info than I posted here.

Les C

*	*	*	*	*

Subject: Re: [or-roots] Oregon Names Only - Donation Land Claims

There was still land available after 1900.  My Bartrow family got a land
patent in 1906 in Wallowa County.

Try this search engine.

http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/PatentSearch/

Barb
wulf at bendbroadband.com
http://home.bendcable.com/wulf/Project/siteMapNoImage.htm

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