My Big Discovery

I went to NGS 2012 in Ohio and had a great time!  Not only were there some great lectures to attend but the vendor area is always a new experience.  It took a couple of days to get through it and then of course I had to go back and check things out a couple more times in case I missed anything.

The great find though was the Bureau of Land Management booth.  There I met Patricia Tyler who is the Branch Chief for the General Land Office Records.  They have a great site that you all need to visit.  It is http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/.  When you get there you click on Land Patents and it takes you to a new screen.  At that screen you can put in your ancestor's name.  Being a descendant of the Boone family the first person I always try is my Urbain P. Boone.  Patricia put the name in and lo and behold a record popped up.

If you want to see for yourself here is the link http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/results/default.aspx?searchCriteria=type=patent|st=IA|cty=|ln=boone|fn=urbain|sp=true|sw=true|sadv=false

The record shows various information about the transaction.  It shows the names involved in the land, the legal description of the land etc.  There is an Accession Number that shows up in light blue and you click on it and wonderful things continue to happen!!!

It tells you that the Document is a Military Warrant (in this case) where the land was, the date it was issued, what land office and also includes an Act that was the authority (in this case the Scrip Warrant Act of 1850).  In a later session I learned more about the fact that I have to look these up and understand each Act (as there were many Acts regarding military service and land).

Once again if you want to see it for yourself here it is the link http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/details/patent/default.aspx?accession=0625-215&docClass=MW&sid=x03rdn20.04o

You get more information than you know what to do with!  But Patricia took my hand and guided me through it all.  See if you click on the patent image you get a wonderful document!  The best part was that they printed it off right there for me and put a nice red seal on it.  (Well I had to come back and get it because I was late for the next session!)

Here is what it looks like....



If you read the certificate it states that Urbain P. Boone, Sergeant in Captain Ford's Company, United States Rangers, Black Hawk War.  It is a Military Warrant.  Patricia explained he received this land for his service.  She next told me I should get his file from the National Archives because when they received land they had a certificate that they had to turn in.

The great thing was I went to my hotel room that night and found another Military Warrant for Lydia Truesdell widow of Solomon Truesdell, Private in Captain Noble's Company, New York Militia, War of 1812.  The great thing about this file is that Patricia states she would have to show proof of their marriage and I DO NOT have proof and have been unsuccessful in finding any!!!  So this would be a huge find!  As in a major happy dance coming for all to see!

This is a to be continued blog for once I have all the Land Entry Files from NARA I will write more about each of these finds!

So for now I will just keep remembering the family as I know them!!!