Land Records in the SAGHS Vertical Files

Land records are valuable resources for family historians. An ancestor’s land purchase can indicate a family’s arrival in a county, while the sale of that same property may signal a family’s departure or the land’s transfer to other family members. Grantors and grantees may be relatives—parents, children, uncles, aunts, cousins, and in-laws. The description of the property might include the names of neighbors, who could be relatives or close associates. Genealogists often recreate an entire neighborhood by using the land descriptions to plat the local acreage.

 

The SAGHS vertical files contain many examples of land records, and in some cases, plats. In 1880, A. J. Burkhead, a farmer, lived in Cooke County, Texas, with his wife and children.[1] Prior to 1880, A. J. Burkhead purchased property in Cooke County. Records of his land purchases, as well as a plat of his property, showing the names of some of his neighbors, are included in the Burkhead files.

 

If you would like to view the images from the Burkhead files in the digitized SAGHS vertical files, please visit the SAGHS library and ask a librarian for assistance.

— Cynthia Kennedy and Charles B. Brussells

Vertical Files Chairmen

 

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[1]  1880 U.S. census, Cooke Co., Texas, Precinct 6, enumeration district (ED) 117, p. 347 (stamped), dwelling 29, family 29, A.J. Burkhead, digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 27 July 2015); citing NARA microfilm publication T9, roll 1298.