Land Records at the National Archives, Part I: Land Entry Papers and Tract Books

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) holds virtually all of the land entry files created from the purchase of public land. Most of these records are not online, yet they contain valuable genealogical information. Related to land entry files are tract books that recorded each transaction, complicated to use because some are found at NARA, some at the Bureau of Land Management, and some online. A strategy for locating federal land records and maximizing research time at NARA will be presented.