Christmas at the Archives

About three years ago, I learned about the genealogical value of Homestead Land Entry Case Files. The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) houses these original documents. Five of my direct ancestors successfully filed six land claims with the U.S. Government. The completed applications are stored in Record Group 49 at A1. That’s family-history-nerd-talk for Washington D.C.’s main Archives building.

Using the U.S. Dept. of the Interior Bureau of Land Management website, for each ancestors’ claim, I found:

• the state (or territory),
• the specific land office,
• the type of land entry (Homestead, Timber Culture or Cash Sale), and
• the final certificate number.

Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The Archives closed. No more in-person research.

A 2-year wait

In March of 2022, after two years of government shut-downs, the NARA reopened to the public (with many restrictions). Because my family already had a trip to D.C. booked, I requested a research appointment and waited. Like an eager youngster, I clung to my Christmas wish-list of Land Entry Case File numbers; I wanted to give my list to Santa.

Two weeks before the flight from Minnesota to Washington, I received an email inviting me to apply to research at A1.

Application done.
Request dates: done.
Online registration done.
Online researcher orientation done.
Virtual consultation done.
Furnish a list of my research interests: done.
Respond in 48 hours: done!

Voila! They granted me an appointment.

More waiting!! I counted down the days until Christmas at the Archives.

Christmas

Finally, the elves at A1 filled the sleigh-cart with beautiful packages. My inner-child wanted to tear open the boxes to discover the hidden treasures. But these were precious original papers and I must be gentle. The oldest documents in my “gift” dated back to 1863, so I needed to proceed carefully.

Here is an open box of tightly packed Land Entry Case files.
These legal-sized papers were double-folded to fit upright.
Each case is filed by patent number.

For the next several weeks, I’ll show you what I received for “Christmas.” The gifts, in chronological order are:

• • August Dittrich, an 1862 Homestead Original Entry
  • Franklin Hesse, an 1862 Homestead Original Entry
  • Milton A. Rector, an 1862 Homestead Original Entry
  • James E. Garnett, an 1862 Homestead Original Entry
  • Horace S. Lydick, a cash Entry (1908 Homestead Commutation)
  • Horace S. Lydick, an 1862 Homestead Original Entry

Here is a little gift for you from the National Archives 2019 Virtual Genealogy Fair. It is an excellent presentation by James Muhn about the Homestead Act and how to use and interpret the records in Group 49.