“This course exceeded my expectations. The course was planned well, the syllabus was very detailed, and all of the instructors were excellent! I always appreciate when the syllabus includes the most important information needed for a topic so I can listen to the instructor and not have to write everything down.”
“If we missed anything, I can’ imagine what it is.”
“I have already found land records for my ancestors using what I learned in this course and look forward to finding more, especially those that help me answer my research questions. I am excited about platting more patents and deeds of my ancestors and their neighbors.”
“I would recommend this course to advanced/intermediate genealogists. The course presented a wide variety of subjects related to land records, while offering just enough details. The recommended reading lists given for many of the sessions were so valuable. I will return to reference them often.”
“I hope you will always have a virtual option to take a course during IGHR. I may not always be able to travel, but this was a tremendous learning opportunity and I’m grateful to have been a part of it. Thanks!”
Course Eight – Understanding Land Records
- Course Eight, Understanding Land Records is full – sign up for the waitlist here. First be sure to review Waitlist Registration on page 8 of the IGHR 2024 Registration Guide
- Orientation is on Sunday, July 21, 2024 at 7 pm Eastern
- Classes begin Monday, July 22 and end Friday, July 26, 2024
- Maximum: 30 students
- Virtual classrooms using Zoom
- All courses come with a digital syllabus
- Students will receive a digital certificate upon course completion
Course Coordinator
Angela Packer McGhie, CG®, FUGA
Description
Land was often our ancestors’ most valuable asset. Studying the land can help trace families and provide details on the lives of our ancestors. This course will focus on helping genealogists acquire the knowledge and develop the skills necessary to understand and research in land records. It will cover federal land, state land, and local land records and teach skills such as using deed indexes, platting land, and reading maps.
Prerequisites, textbooks, and other student information
Course prerequisites:
An interest in land records.
Course requirements:
None
Required books:
None
Recommended books:
Land and Property Research in the United States by E. Wade Hone
Course Schedule (All times listed are Eastern Time)
| Monday | ||
| 10:30 – 11:00 | Welcome and orientation (McGhie) | |
| 11:00 – 12:15 | Overview of Land Divisions in the United States (McGhie) | |
| 12:15 – 12:45 | Break | |
| 12:45 – 2:00 | Using Maps in Land Research (Kashuba) | |
| 2:00 – 3:30 | Lunch | |
| 3:30 – 4:45 | Locating and Using Deeds (Koford) | |
| 4:45 – 5:15 | Break | |
| 5:15 – 6:30 | The Call for Free Land: Homestead Records (McGhie) | |
| Tuesday | ||
| 10:30 – 11:00 | Homework Review (Kashuba) | |
| 11:00 – 12:15 | The Legal Language of Deeds (K. Powell) | |
| 12:15 – 12:45 | Break | |
| 12:45 – 2:00 | Hands-on Workshop: Working with Land Records (McGhie) | |
| 2:00 – 3:30 | Lunch | |
| 3:30 – 4:45 | Federal Land Entry Papers (McGhie) | |
| 4:45 – 5:15 | Break | |
| 5:15 – 6:30 | Colonial and Early State Land Records (Smith) | |
| Wednesday | ||
| 10:30 – 11:00 | Homework Review (McGhie) | |
| 11:00 – 12:15 | Locating State Land Records (K. Powell) | |
| 12:15 – 12:45 | Break | |
| 12:45 – 2:00 | Using Federal Tract Books (McGhie) | |
| 2:00 – 3:30 | Lunch | |
| 3:30 – 4:45 | Introduction to Metes and Bounds Land Platting (Smith) | |
| 4:45 – 5:15 | Break | |
| 5:15 – 6:30 | Hands-on Land Platting Workshop (Smith, K. Powell) | |
| Thursday | ||
| 10:30 – 11:00 | Homework Review (Smith) | |
| 11:00 – 12:15 | Ohio’s Unique Land Divisions (Smith) | |
| 12:15 – 12:45 | Break | |
| 12:45 – 2:00 | Unique Land Systems of the South (Graham) | |
| 2:00 – 3:30 | Lunch | |
| 3:30 – 4:45 | Reward for Service: Bounty Land Records (McGhie) | |
| 4:45 – 5:15 | Break | |
| 5:15 – 6:30 | Private Land Claims and Native American Land (Kashuba) | |
| Friday | ||
| 10:30 – 11:45 | Tracts & Tracks: Connecting Family Generations Through Land Records (K. Powell) | |
| 11:45 –12:00 | Break | |
| 12:00 – 1:15 | Lineage of Land: Tracing Property Without Recorded Deeds (Green) | |
| 1:15 – 1:30 | Break | |
| 1:30 – 2:45 | Course Summation (McGhie) | |
