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Records of the Bureau of Land Management [BLM]
(Record Group 49)
1685-1993 (bulk 1770-1982)
OVERVIEW OF
RECORDS LOCATIONS
Table of Contents
- 49.1 ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY
- 49.2 GENERAL RECORDS OF THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE AND THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
1796-1981
- 49.2.1 Correspondence
- 49.2.2 Records relating to lands administration
- 49.2.3 Other records
- 49.3 RECORDS OF OPERATING DIVISIONS OF THE GENERAL LAND
OFFICE
1715-1962 (bulk 1770-1962)
- 49.3.1 Records of Division "A" (Chief Clerk's
Division)
- 49.3.2 Records of Division "B" (Recorder's
Division)
- 49.3.3 Records of Division "C" (Public Lands
Division)
- 49.3.4 Records of Division "D" (Private Land Claims
Division)
- 49.3.5 Records of Division "D" (Mail and Files
Division)
- 49.3.6 Records of Division "E" (Surveying Division)
- 49.3.7 Records of Division "F" (Railroads,
Rights-of-Way, and Reclamation Division)
- 49.3.8 Records of Division "G" (Preemption
Division)
- 49.3.9 Records of Division "H" (Contests Division)
- 49.3.10 Records of Division "K" (Reclamation,
Swampland, and Special Entries Division)
- 49.3.11 Records of Division "L" (Drafting
Division)
- 49.3.12 Records of predecessors of Division "L" (Law
Division)
- 49.3.13 Records of Division "M" (Accounting
Division)
- 49.3.14 Records of Division "N" (Mineral Division)
- 49.3.15 Records of Division "P" (Timber Depredations
and Special Services Division)
- 49.3.16 Records of Division "R" (Forestry
Division)
- 49.3.17 Records of Division "FS" (Field Service
Division)
- 49.3.18 Records of Division "SRP" (Surplus Real
Property Division)
- 49.4 LAND STATUS RECORDS
1800-1973
- 49.5 RECORDS OF THE WAR DEPARTMENT RELATING TO LEAD MINES
1824-47 (bulk 1842-47)
- 49.6 RECORDS OF THE GRAZING SERVICE
1917-58
- 49.6.1 Records of headquarters
- 49.6.2 Records of Grazing Service branches
- 49.6.3 Records of Grazing Service regional offices
- 49.6.4 Records relating to Civilian Conservation Corps activities
- 49.7 RECORDS OF SURVEYORS GENERAL
1685-1965 (bulk 1797-1965)
- 49.7.1 Records of the Office of the Surveyor General of Alaska
- 49.7.2 Records of the Office of the Surveyor General of Arizona
- 49.7.3 Records of the Office of the Surveyor General of Arkansas
- 49.7.4 Records of the Office of the Surveyor General of
California
- 49.7.5 Records of the Surveyor General of Colorado
- 49.7.6 Records of the Office of the Surveyor General of Idaho
- 49.7.7 Records of the Office of the Surveyor General of Montana
- 49.7.8 Records of the Office of the Surveyor General of New Mexico
- 49.7.9 Records of the Office of the Surveyor General of Nevada
- 49.7.10 Records of the Office of the Surveyor General of Oregon
- 49.7.11 Records of the Office of the Surveyor General of Utah
- 49.7.12 Records of the Office of the Surveyor General of Washington
- 49.7.13 Records of the Office of the Surveyor General of Wyoming
- 49.7.14 Records of other surveyors general
- 49.8 RECORDS OF SURVEYING DISTRICTS/CADASTRAL ENGINEERING
DISTRICTS 1870-1948
- 49.8.1 General records of the Supervisor of Surveys
- 49.8.2 District records (Arizona)
- 49.8.3 District records (California)
- 49.8.4 Records of other districts
- 49.9 RECORDS OF DISTRICT LAND OFFICES
1800-1980
- 49.9.1 Records of Alabama land offices
- 49.9.2 Records of Alaska land offices
- 49.9.3 Records of Arizona land offices
- 49.9.4 Records of Arkansas land offices
- 49.9.5 Records of California land offices
- 49.9.6 Records of Colorado land offices
- 49.9.7 Records of Florida land offices
- 49.9.8 Records of Idaho land offices
- 49.9.9 Records of Illinois land offices
- 49.9.10 Records of Indiana land offices
- 49.9.11 Records of Iowa land offices
- 49.9.12 Records of Kansas land offices
- 49.9.13 Records of Louisiana land offices
- 49.9.14 Records of Minnesota land offices
- 49.9.15 Records of Mississippi land offices
- 49.9.16 Records of the Missouri land offices
- 49.9.17 Records of Montana land offices
- 49.9.18 Records of Nebraska land offices
- 49.9.19 Records of Nevada land offices
- 49.9.20 Records of New Mexico land offices
- 49.9.21 Records of North Dakota land offices
- 49.9.22 Records of Ohio land offices
- 49.9.23 Records of the Oklahoma land offices
- 49.9.24 Records of Oregon land offices
- 49.9.25 Records of South Dakota land offices
- 49.9.26 Records of Utah land offices
- 49.9.27 Records of Washington land offices
- 49.9.28 Records of Wisconsin land offices
- 49.9.29 Records of Wyoming land offices
- 49.10 RECORDS OF BOARDS OF TOWNSITE TRUSTEES
1889-1930
- 49.10.1 Records of Alaska boards of townsite trustees
- 49.10.2 Records of Oklahoma boards of townsite trustees
- 49.11 RECORDS OF THE RANGE DEVELOPMENT SERVICE (RDS)
1939-48
- 49.12 RECORDS OF BLM REGIONAL OFFICES
1866-1954 (bulk 1927-51)
- 49.13 RECORDS OF BLM STATE OFFICES
1853-1981
- 49.13.1 Records of the Alaska State Office
- 49.13.2 Records of the Arizona State Office
- 49.13.3 Records of the California State Office
- 49.13.4 Records of the Colorado State Office
- 49.13.5 Records of the Idaho State Office
- 49.13.6 Records of the Montana State Office
- 49.13.7 Records of the Nevada State Office
- 49.13.8 Records of the New Mexico State Office
- 49.13.9 Records of the Oregon State Office
- 49.13.10 Records of the Utah State Office
- 49.13.11 Records of the Wyoming State Office
- 49.14 RECORDS OF BLM DISTRICT OFFICES
1855-1988
- 49.14.1 Records of Arizona district offices
- 49.14.2 Records of California district offices
- 49.14.3 Records of Idaho district offices
- 49.14.4 Records of Montana district offices
- 49.14.5 Records of Nevada district offices
- 49.14.6 Records of the New Mexico district offices
- 49.14.7 Records of Oregon district offices
- 49.14.8 Records of Utah district offices
- 49.15 RECORDS OF OTHER FIELD ACTIVITIES
1859-1974
- 49.15.1 Records of the Oregon and California Railroad Revested Lands Administration
- 49.15.2 Records of the Boise Interagency Fire Center, ID
- 49.16 CARTOGRAPHIC RECORDS (GENERAL)
1827-1989
- 49.17 MOTION PICTURES (GENERAL)
- 49.18 STILL PICTURES (GENERAL)
1893-1982
49.1 ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY
Established: In the Department of the Interior by Secretary's
Order 2225, July 15, 1946, implementing Reorganization Plan No.
III of 1946, effective July 16, 1946.
Predecessor Agencies:
In the Department of the Treasury:
- Office of the Secretary of the Treasury (1789-1812)
- Register of the Treasury (1789-1812)
- General Land Office (1812-49)
In the Department of State:
- Office of the Secretary of State (administration of land patents, 1796-1812)
In the War Department:
- Office of the Secretary of War (military land warrants, 1789-1812) Ordnance
Department (supervision of lead and copper mines, 1821-46)
In the Department of the Interior:
- General Land Office (1849-1946)
- Division of Grazing Control (1934-35)
- Division of Grazing (1935-39)
- Grazing Service (1939-46)
Functions: Classifies, manages, and disposes of public lands and
their resources according to principles of multiple-use
management. Administers federally owned mineral resources on
nonfederal lands.
Finding Aids: Preliminary inventory in National Archives
microfiche edition of preliminary inventories.
Related Records: Record copies of publications of the Bureau of
Land Management and its predecessors in RG 287, Publications of
the U.S. Government.
Records of the Office of the Secretary of the Interior, RG 48.
Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, RG 75.
Records of the National Park Service, RG 79.
Records of the Forest Service, RG 95.
Records of the Bureau of Reclamation, RG 115.
49.2 GENERAL RECORDS OF THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE AND THE BUREAU OF
LAND MANAGEMENT
1796-1981
History: The Federal Government inherited a substantial public
domain from its predecessor, the government under the Articles of
Confederation. By Article IV, Section 3, Clause 2 of the
Constitution, Congress was empowered "to dispose of and make all
needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other
Property belonging to the United States." In the act establishing
the Treasury Department (1 Stat. 65), September 2, 1789, the
Secretary of the Treasury was authorized "to execute such
services relative to the sale of the lands belonging to the
United States, as may be by law required of him," and the Office
of the Register of the Treasury was designated the agency for the
collection and dispersal of Treasury revenues. The Secretary of
War, in the act establishing the War Department (1 Stat. 50),
August 7, 1789, was made responsible for granting military bounty
lands (lands to which veterans of the Revolutionary War were
entitled by virtue of their military service). Treasury
responsibility for administering the public lands was defined
initially in the Land Act of 1796 (1 Stat. 464), May 18, 1796,
which provided for the orderly survey and sale of lands northwest
of the Ohio River. This responsibility was extended
geographically and amended procedurally by additional land laws
of 1800, 1803, and 1804. The act of 1796 required the Secretary
of State to record and issue patents (titles) to public land. The
General Land Office Act (2 Stat. 716), April 25, 1812, created
the General Land Office (GLO) in the Department of the Treasury
to "superintend, execute, and perform, all such acts and things,
touching or respecting the public lands of the United States,"
including those functions formerly vested in the Secretaries of
War and State. GLO transferred to the newly created Department of
the Interior under provisions of its establishing act (9 Stat.
395), March 3, 1849. GLO and Grazing Service (SEE 49.6)
consolidated to form BLM, 1946. SEE 49.1.
49.2.1 Correspondence
Textual Records: General correspondence, 1796-1909. Letters
received, 1803-1965, with registers and indexes, including
separately filed letters from registers and receivers, 1803-49;
and from surveyors general, 1803-71. Letters sent, 1908-48.
Telegrams sent, 1909-40.
Microfilm Publications: M25, M27.
49.2.2 Records relating to lands administration
Textual Records: Records relating to power-site reserves, 1909-
61; classifications, 1921-64; restorations, 1909-60; and
cancellations, 1918-52. Records relating to power projects, 1920-
67. Records relating to withdrawals of air navigation sites,
1928-59, and stock driveways, 1916-59. Miscellaneous records
relating to restorations and reserves of public water, Alaska
shore space, reservoirs, and water wells, 1911-64. Mineral land
survey approval files, 1874-1964. Forest reserve land list files, 1906-49. Unpatented serial land entry application case files, 1908-64.
49.2.3 Other records
Textual Records: Railroad mortgages, 1886-1938. Register of
mining entries, 1875-1907. Federal reimbursements for tax
revenues lost by counties in Oregon and California when railroad
land grant titles were revested in the United States, 1916-31.
Valuation of Indian lands acquired by the United States, 1864-
1908. Records of the Board of Commissioners for the Hot Springs,
AR, Reservation, 1877-79. Correspondence concerning Alabama
selections under the May 23, 1928, Muscle Shoals Grant, 1915-28.
Records relating to the Kaweah Cooperative Colony of California,
1934-35. Annual grazing statistical reports, 1938-69. Records
relating to GLO work relief programs, 1933-45. Records of
Thomas C. Havel, acting commissioner, consisting of office files,
1924-48; and budget files, 1942-48. Organizational files of
headquarters field offices, 1946-80. Records relating to the
Federal lands inventory project, 1938-42. School land grant
status and use cards, 1806-1933. Presidential Proclamations
and Executive Orders affecting Alaska, 1907-15. Manuscript
land classification map volumes, 1906-26. Exhibit materials
relating to litigation cases, 1887-1917. Case files for lands
acquired from cancelled loans, 1934-58. District land office
serial number registers, 1908-50. Schedules of allowances,
1912-40. Contest docket binders, 1907-32. Abstracts of
collections for desert lands, 1909-12. Forest and range fire control
records, 1942-53. Records relating to the organization and function
of the Records Improvement Project (RIP), 1955-64. Records of
the Office of Legislation and Regulatory Management, consisting
of House, Senate, and Joint Resolution bills and other records of the
86th-97th Congresses relating to land management, 1959-81; and
records concerning proposed rules and regulations relating to federal
land policy, 1971-81. Records of the Branch of Organization and
Management, consisting of records relating to organization and
management, 1946-62. Records of the Division of Environmental
and Planning Coordination, consisting of program planning records,
1954-65. Records of the Office of the Budget, consisting of budget
estimates, 1971-78.
49.3 RECORDS OF OPERATING DIVISIONS OF THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE
1715-1962 (bulk 1770-1962)
History: GLO division-level functions date from the beginning of
federal responsibility for administration and disposal of public
lands. Specialization of function began well before GLO first
assigned alphabetical designations to and denominated its
operating units as divisions, August-September 1867. All GLO
divisions not abolished in the interim were discontinued upon
merger of GLO and Grazing Service to form BLM, 1946. The National
Archives has continued to assign BLM-generated records to
selected GLO series.
49.3.1 Records of Division "A" (Chief Clerk's Division)
History: Established by order of the Chief Clerk, September 1,
1867, and designated as Division "A." Known also as the Chief
Clerk's Office. Exercised general supervision over the activities
of the GLO and its personnel, equipment, expenditures, and
requisitions. Supervised appointments and promotions, leaves of
absence, and officers' bonds. Conducted correspondence with local
land officers and the surveyors general. Inspected offices of
surveyors general, administered the establishment of new land
districts, and made changes in land district locations and
boundaries. Published notices of intent to offer final proof and
managed the opening and sale of land on Indian reservations.
Textual Records: Correspondence relating to GLO operations, 1813-
1950. Personnel records, 1820-1926. Divisional scrapbooks, 1904-
20. Appointment notices to registers and receivers, 1841-44.
Circulars sent, 1850-54. Letters sent by the receiving clerk,
1871-1910. Office files of the associate director, 1938-47, and
of the Chief of Division "A," 1924-47. Oil shale lands
investigation files of the GLO Denver, CO, field division chief,
1920-33. "Stock driveway files" relating to public lands in the
west used as stock trails, 1916-50.
49.3.2 Records of Division "B" (Recorder's Division)
History: Position of Recorder dates from at least 1837. No
specific date determined for establishment of Recorder's Division
as Division "B." Had responsibility for all GLO land patent
activities, including affixing of GLO seal, engrossing,
recording, and transmitting of patents. Administered military
bounty land warrants (special certificates, redeemable for public
land, which were issued to veterans pursuant to statutes enacted
between 1788 and 1855 [see below]) and land scrip (scrip issued
in accordance with laws passed between 1830 and 1872 [see below]
and exchangeable for public land). These latter responsibilities
were transferred to Division "R" in 1905.
Bounty land warrant acts: July 9, 1788 (39 Journals of the
Continental Congress 306); April 7, 1798 (1 Stat. 547); March 3,
1803 (2 Stat. 236); April 15, 1806 (2 Stat. 378); December 24,
1811 (2 Stat. 669); January 11, 1812 (2 Stat. 672); March 5, 1816
(3 Stat. 356); July 27, 1842 (5 Stat. 497); February 11, 1847 (9
Stat. 125); September 28, 1850 (9 Stat. 520); March 22, 1852 (10
Stat. 4); and March 3, 1855 (10 Stat. 701).
Land scrip acts: Military Bounty Land Scrip, May 30, 1830 (4
Stat. 422); same, March 2, 1833 (4 Stat. 665); same, March 3,
1835 (4 Stat. 770); Surveyor General Scrip, July 4, 1836 (5 Stat.
107); Choctaw Scrip, August 23, 1842 (5 Stat. 515); same, March
3, 1845 (5 Stat. 777); Sioux Half-Breed Scrip, July 17, 1854 (10
Stat. 304); Chippewa Half-Breed Scrip, treaty of September 30,
1854 (10 Stat. 1109); Surveyor General Scrip, June 2, 1858 (11
Stat. 294); Sioux Half-Breed Scrip, May 19, 1858 (11 Stat. 292);
Porterfield Scrip, April 11, 1860 (12 Stat. 836); Supreme Court
Scrip, June 22, 1860 (12 Stat. 85); Agricultural College Scrip,
July 2, 1862 (12 Stat. 503); Chippewa Half-Breed Scrip, treaty of
October 2, 1863 (14 Stat. 669); same, treaty of April 12, 1864
(14 Stat. 690); Supreme Court Scrip, March 2, 1867 (14 Stat.
544); same, June 10, 1872 (17 Stat. 378); and Valentine Land
Scrip, April 5, 1872 (17 Stat. 649).
Textual Records: Letters sent relating to patents, 1817-1908.
Abstracts, notices of caveats, and other records relating to
bounty land warrants, 1817-1906. Register of Ohio land patents,
1805-19. Docket of Surveyors General scrip certificates, 1866-
1917. Location registers of Choctaw, Sioux Half-Breed, Chippewa,
Porterfield, Valentine Land, Surveyor General, and Supreme Court
Scrip, 1846-1908. Records relating to Virginia military bounty
land warrants (issued by the state to its Revolutionary War
veterans and exchangeable for patents to land in the Virginia
Military District in Ohio), 1784-1886, including entry and survey
books for the Virginia Military District, 1784-1813; with name
indexes to warrantees and patentees, 1782-1838. Records
concerning the conveyances or locations of warrants granting
public lands for service in the Revolutionary War, War of 1812,
Mexican War, and Indian wars and frontier skirmishes, 1788-1855,
including lands patented by Canadian and Nova Scotian refugees,
1802-11. Records relating to the issuance of land scrip, 1830-62,
including exchanged warrants, applications for scrip, scrip
stubs, indexes, lists, copies of the scrip issued for warrants,
Agricultural College Scrip, Chippewa Half-Breed Scrip, Choctaw
Scrip, and Surveyor General Scrip. Correspondence relating to the
Brothertown (Brotherton) Indians, 1839-40. Lists of approved
patents forwarded from Division B to the GLO, 1908-49.
Microfilm Publications: M68, M829, M848, T1008.
Maps (1,072 items): Plats of townships in CA, CO, OR, ID, MT, NM,
SD, and WY, showing mines and mining claims and, in some
instances, patent numbers and dates and survey and document
numbers, 1872-96. SEE ALSO 49.16.
49.3.3 Records of Division "C" (Public Lands Division)
History: Position of Principal Clerk of Public Lands dates from
at least 1837. Designated as Division "C" by order of Chief
Clerk, August 30, 1867. Primarily responsible for adjudication of
land claims, including cases arising under the Graduation Act (10
Stat. 574), August 4, 1854, which called for price reductions on
unsold public land, and under the superseding Homestead Act (12
Stat. 392), May 20, 1862, which allowed issuing of patents after
five years' occupation to improvers of public land. Administered
provisions of the Timber and Stone Act (20 Stat. 89), June 3,
1878. Responsible for posting lands and maintaining tract books,
until new Division "O" (Posting and Tract Book Division)
established, April 12, 1907.
Textual Records: Letters sent relating to public land disposals,
1796-1908. Records of cases submitted to the Board of Equitable
Adjudication, 1877-1910. Records relating to abandoned,
voluntarily relinquished, canceled, suspended, amended, and
reinstated homestead entries, 1868-78. Letters sent relating to
posting and tract books, 1885-89. Numerical abstracts of cash
entries ("Division 'O' Cash Books"), 1886-89. Numerical abstracts
of final homestead entries ("Division 'O' Final Books"), 1885-89.
Selected issuances of the General Land Office, 1916-17.
Related Records: Tract books maintained by Division "C" to 1907
and subsequently by Division "O," UNDER 49.4.
49.3.4 Records of Division "D" (Private Land Claims Division)
History: Position of Principal Clerk of Private Land Claims dates
from at least 1837. Designated as Division "D" by order of the
Chief Clerk, September 1, 1867. Responsible for all matters
relating to private land claims based on titles granted by former
governments in territories acquired by the United States.
Supervised the activities of boards of land commissioners
appointed to consider such claims. Administered the Preemption
Act (4 Stat. 420), May 29, 1830, as extended by acts of 1832,
1834, and 1838, and made permanent by the Preemption Act of 1841
(5 Stat. 453), September 4, 1841, which gave a preferential
purchase right to the improvers of unsold public land. Abolished
by Chief Clerk, June 27, 1895, and functions assigned to Division
"G" (SEE 49.3.8).
Textual Records: Correspondence, docket books, court records,
claims, certificate lists, reports, proceedings, and other
records, 1715-1909 (bulk 1788-1909), relating to private land
claims in the states of AL, AZ, AR, CO, IL, IN, LA, MI, MS, MO,
and NM, including claims based upon Spanish and Mexican land
grants. Records of the Office of the Surveyor General of
California for the "rancho" period, and consisting of "complete
expedientes" (1-579), "incomplete expedientes" (1-315),
transcripts and translations of documents submitted in support of
titles in cases 1-809 before the Board of California Land Claims
Commissioners, a journal and minutes of board proceedings, and
lists or indexes to land grants, 1852-56. Records relating to
private land claims in Florida, including warrants and survey
plats, chiefly about British private grants, 1824-98; a few
records of the Governor and Council of West Florida, 1770-79; and
reports, correspondence, and lists concerning the Spanish
archives of East and West Florida and the attempts by the
Department of the Interior to trace and acquire them, 1848-98.
Maps (7,418 items): Plats of private land claims in AZ, CA, CO,
FL, LA, IL, MO, and NM, 1853-1915 (2,918 items). "Complete
exedientes," nos. 1-579; "incomplete expedientes," nos. 1-315;
"case expedientes," and "disenos" received from the California
Board of Land Commissioners, 1852-56 (4,500 items). SEE ALSO
49.16.
49.3.5 Records of Division "D" (Mail and Files Division)
History: Established by order of the Chief Clerk, December 12,
1906, absorbing functions previously assigned to registering room
of Division "A" and file clerks of Division "B." Maintained
general files of GLO and distributed all correspondence. Known
also as "New D" to distinguish it from earlier Division "D,"
Private Land Claims Division (SEE 49.3.4).
Textual Records: Executive orders and proclamations relating to
notices of land sales, opening and closing of land offices,
withdrawal or restoration of land for military reservations,
national parks and forests, wildlife refuges, and reservoirs,
1806-1949.
49.3.6 Records of Division "E" (Surveying Division)
History: Position of Principal Clerk of the Surveys dates from at
least 1837. Designated as Division "E" by order of Chief Clerk,
September 1, 1867. Absorbed Division "L" (Drafting Division),
February 26, 1925. Exercised general supervision over all public
surveys and resurveys, including those made of Indian
reservations, national forests, national parks, reclamation
projects, railroad land grants, private land claims, town sites,
and military reservations. Directed cadastral (boundary) surveys
and resurveys. For additional administrative history, SEE 49.8.
Textual Records: Letters sent to executive departments, 1864-
1903. Letters sent to registers and receivers, 1883-94. Letters
received by the Secretary of the Treasury and the Commissioner of
the GLO from the Surveyor General of the Territory Northwest of
the River Ohio, 1797-1831. Reports, letters, and memorandums
received from surveyors general of public land states, including
records of the Surveyors General of MS, 1803-31; MO, 1813-32; AL,
1817-32; and FL, 1824-32. Letters, with registers and indexes,
and other records received from surveyors general, ca. 1826-83.
Contracts with deputy surveyors, 1817-32. Surveyors contracts and
bonds with surveyors general, 1851-1913, including
correspondence, special instructions, and diagrams. Records
relating to surveys of state boundaries, military reservations,
islands, townsites, private land claims, and national parks,
1860-1940. Group survey records created after surveyors general
discontinued hiring deputy surveyors in 1910, including reports,
correspondence, special instructions, and plats and copies of
progress reports, 1910-62. Records that relate to surveying small
islands, 1910-26. Field notes from survey examinations, ca. 1883-
1913. Plats, field notes, correspondence, and other records
relating to rejected and abandoned surveys, ca. 1847-1915.
Records relating to Alaskan surveys, 1918-53, and to homestead
entry and forest exchange surveys in national forests, 1910-53.
Field notes compiled during township surveys of the public land
states of AL, IN, IA, KS, MO, OH, WI, the Indian Territory, and
parts of OR and WA, 1785-1946 (in College Park). Field notes and
related textual records and maps ("Old Case F File") of state,
territorial, and Indian-land boundaries, including notes of the
dependent resurvey of the boundaries of a few reservations, 1809-
1938 (in College Park). Field notebooks from townsite surveys,
1844-93 (in College Park).
Microfilm Publications: M478, M1325, M1329, T1234, T1240.
Maps (52,324 items): Township plats from surveys made by deputy
surveyors supervised by surveyors general in the seven ranges in
OH (the first public land survey), AL, IN, IA, KS, MO, other
parts of OH, WI, the Indian Territory, and parts of OR and WA,
some of which are annotated to show land entry numbers and
entrymen's names, 1785-1946 (40,000 items). Township exterior
boundary plats showing the perimeter of each township as approved
by the surveyor general for most of the public land states, 1786-
1910 (7,269 items). Township exterior boundary plats for the
Indian Territory, 1856-92 (96 items). Manuscript and annotated
maps ("Old Map File") showing development and disposal of public
lands in the United States, individual states, and territories,
including progress of surveys, land district boundaries, Indian
and military reservations, forest and national park reserves,
private land claims, and special surveys including the site of
the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, Hyde Park, NY, 1790-1946
(1,388 items). Manuscript boundary survey maps relating to public
land states and territories and Indian-land boundaries that later
became state boundaries, 1799-1927 (264 items). Plats showing
Indian grants and reserves in IN, MI, and OH, 1807-49 (100
items); and in KS and NE, 1857-65 (39 items). Plats of proposed
townsites in public land states, including Alaska, showing street
layouts, 1825-1915 (550 items). Plats showing naval timber
reserve requirements in AL, FL, LA, and MS, 1827-48 (111 items);
and naval petroleum reserves in CA, 1908-14 (167 items). Plats
marked to show the status of public land withdrawals in CO, MT,
and NM, 1930-35 (2,000 items). Maps from special field
examinations and resurveys, including islands and river changes
not shown in the original plats, 1917-66 (340 items). SEE ALSO
49.16.
Related Records: For tract books and land entry papers, SEE 49.4.
49.3.7 Records of Division "F" (Railroads, Rights-of-Way, and
Reclamation Division)
History: Organized, 1872. Assumed responsibility for canals,
ditches, and reservoirs, formerly under Division "C." Had taken
over responsibility for railroads, including rights-of-way,
probably from Division "C," by 1877. Administered GLO
responsibilities with respect to rights-of-way, easements, and
permits; power sites; desert land entries; reclamation work; and
withdrawals and restorations of land under the Withdrawal Act (36
Stat. 847), June 25, 1910.
Textual Records: Letters sent relating to lands granted for
railroads, canals, and reservoirs, 1856-1908. Dockets relating
chiefly to contests concerning railroad land grants that
conflicted with private entries, 1867-1909. "Selection" and
"adjustment" lists reflecting selection of land for railroads and
wagon roads, 1829-1935. "Canal and reservoir grants," 1891-1929,
with an index, relating to lands granted for irrigation purposes
under the Canal and Ditch Companies Right of Way Act (26 Stat.
1095), March 3, 1891. Records ("Railroad Rights-of-way Files"),
1878-1931, concerning rights-of-way granted railroads across
public lands under the Railways Right of Way Act (18 Stat. 482),
March 3, 1875. Ledger of deposits by railroad companies to
reimburse the United States for the cost of surveying lands, 1880-
1939. Records relating to rights-of-way for railroads
and highways across Indian reservations, 1908-45; and to rights-
of-way across forest reserves, 1908-39. Records relating to
reclamation projects on public lands ("Reclamation Project
Files"), 1901-50. New Mexico right-of-way serial number
case files, 1956-64.
Maps (10,478 items): Manuscript and annotated maps showing
rights-of-way through public lands for railroads, military and
other wagon roads, highways, canals, irrigation ditches,
transmission lines, reservoirs, and quarries, 1851-1939; with
index to maps for canals, reservoirs, and ditches, n.d. SEE ALSO
49.16.
49.3.8 Records of Division "G" (Preemption Division)
History: Established by order of the Chief Clerk, September 1,
1867, acquiring responsibility for preemptions from Division "D,"
Private Land Claims Division, in which function had been vested
since at least 1859. Division "G" known as Preemption Division
since 1877. Adjudicated and adjusted land grants to states and
corporations. Handled preemption claims by entrymen and
corporations on the public domain. Adjudicated contest cases
between preemption claimants and corporations. Upon abolishment
of Division "D," June 27, 1895, its principal functions were
assigned to Division "G."
Textual Records: Letters sent relating to preemptions and grants
to states for schools, townsites, and other state selections,
1832-1908. School selection and school indemnity selection lists
and other records concerning grants to states for schools and
other purposes, 1826-1919.
49.3.9 Records of Division "H" (Contests Division)
History: Established as Contest Board prior to April 16, 1887.
Known also as "New H" to distinguish it from earlier Division
"H," Military Warrant Division, established, 1859, and abolished
between 1881 and 1883. Division "H" handled homestead contest
cases arising from conflicting claims to the same tract of land
and from disputes between entrymen and contestants alleging
failure to comply with the terms for settlement and seeking
cancellation of entry, and cases deriving from government
investigations of possible fraud or misrepresentation. Contests
Division abolished by order of the Chief Clerk, February 25,
1923, with functions distributed among Divisions "C," "F," "G,"
"K," and "N." (SEE 49.3.3, 49.3.7, 49.3.8, 49.3.10, and 49.3.14.)
All docketed homestead contest case files, 1883-1908, were
destroyed as "useless papers" by the GLO pursuant to House Report
358, 69th Congress, 1st session, February 24, 1926.
Textual Records: Letters sent, 1887-1908. Dockets of contested
cases, 1883-1910, with name indexes. Appeals dockets, 1883-1909.
Records of appealed cases, 1893-94.
49.3.10 Records of Division "K" (Reclamation, Swampland, and
Special Entries Division)
History: Swamp Lands Division established about 1859, designated
Division "K" about September 1, 1867. Initially responsible for
administering swampland selections and cancellation of swampland
lists. Name changed to Reclamation, Swamplands, and Special
Entries Division following assignment to Division "K" of
responsibility for abandoned military and Indian reservations,
arid lands, homestead entries in forests, and logging in Chippewa
ceded lands, April 12, 1907. Subsequently made responsible for
townsites, bounty land warrants and preemptions, Indian
allotments and homesteads, agricultural college and similar
scrip, Indian exchange selections, lieu claims (after 1917), and
Minnesota drainage entries.
Textual Records: Letters sent, 1890-91, 1907-8. Letters received
from and other records of or relating to boards of townsite
trustees, Oklahoma, 1893-96 (in Fort Worth). Records of boards of
townsite trustees in Alaska, 1906-70. Federal townsite docket
files, 1837-1955. Files concerning abandoned military
reservations and some nonmilitary reservations, such as
lighthouses and lifesaving stations, 1822-1940, with index.
Reports, correspondence, and other records relating to swamplands
granted to states, 1849-1909. Records relating to swamp and
overflowed lands, 1849-1929. "Indian Reserve files" relating to
Indian allotment applications for land, 1839-1916; with a
register, 1855-1916. Records of the GLO Washington office, 1897-
1938, and the Office of the Superintendent of Logging at Cass
Lake, MN, 1903-38, relating to logging on Chippewa ceded lands in
Minnesota.
Maps (1,240 items): Township plats and diagrams of lands on
Indian reservations in the northwestern and north central states,
showing the classification and status of lands offered for
settlement, and in AZ and NM showing railroad land grant
sections, 1904-31. SEE ALSO 49.16.
Related Records: Additional records of Oklahoma boards of
townsite trustees UNDER 49.10.2.
49.3.11 Records of Division "L" (Drafting Division)
History: Originally a part of Division "E" (Surveying Division).
Separate "Draughting Division" existed by 1880. Responsible for
compiling, engraving, and publishing the annual United States
Map. Compiled and revised state maps. Had custody of original
plats, field notes, and photolithographic copies of township
plats. Absorbed by Division "E," February 26, 1925. (SEE 49.3.6.)
Known also as "Old L" to distinguish it from new Division "L"
(Law Division).
Textual Records: Letters sent, 1888-1915. Correspondence relating
to withdrawals and restorations, 1903-18.
49.3.12 Records of predecessors of Division "L" (Law Division)
History: Position of Solicitor established by 1837. Board of Law
Review under Division "A" until November 29, 1886, when
designated as Division "O." Division "O" abolished, July 8, 1889,
and supervision of Board reverted to Division "A." Board
redesignated as separate Division "L" (Law Division), May 11,
1925. Responsible for reviewing all land law decisions; advising
on proposed regulations and legislation; and handling criminal,
trespass, and cancellation of patent cases. Known also as "New
L," to distinguish it from old Division "L" (Drafting Division).
Textual Records: Register of letters received by the Board of Law
Review, 1887-89. Office file of Law Examiner W.P. Pugh, Board of
Law Review, 1907-21.
49.3.13 Records of Division "M" (Accounting Division)
History: Designated as Division "M," 1877. Supervised accounts of
GLO central offices (Washington, DC) and field offices, including
those of receivers, surveyors general, special disbursing agents,
and local land offices.
Textual Records: Letters sent by the Solicitors' Bureau, 1836-53.
Letters sent, 1857-1909, 1918-33. Correspondence, 1934-47.
Accounting records, relating to such special accounts as those
for timber depredation, contingent surveying, and Indian and
swamp lands, ca. 1802-1909. Record of repayments, 1910-16. Survey
returns, 1852-1913, and contract books, 1857-1951. Bond books,
1820-1946; and sureties, 1874-1923. Ledgers, 1908-25. Public and
Indian land disposals, 1885-1925. Mineral lease receipts, 1919-
25.
49.3.14 Records of Division "N" (Mineral Division)
History: Designated as Division "N," September 1, 1867.
Adjudicated mineral contests and applications for patents and
leases of mineral lands, including coal lands. Adjusted conflicts
between mineral and nonmineral claims.
Textual Records: Letters sent, 1844-1908. Registers of letters
received, 1866-1909. Registers of mining claims, 1878-1908; and
agricultural claims, 1878-1911. Registers of mineral patents,
1889-1913. Records of appeals and decisions in mineral contest
cases, 1870-1909. Dockets relating chiefly to contests concerning
mineral lands that conflicted with private entries, 1870-1909.
Records relating to coal lands classification and restoration, oil
and gas structures, and forest withdrawals, 1907-27. Indexes to
mineral contest dockets, 1929-42.
Maps (45,367 items): Survey plats of mineral claims in AL, AK,
AZ, AR, CA, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, OR, SD, UT, WA, and WY, 1872-
1908. SEE ALSO 49.16.
49.3.15 Records of Division "P" (Timber Depredations and Special
Services Division)
History: Timber Division, responsible for timber trespass cases,
in existence by 1859. Earliest reference to Division "P" is as
Timber Depredations Division, 1880, and Special Services
Division, 1884. Designated as Field Service Division, April 24,
1907. Protected the public lands from unlawful entry or
appropriation and from timber and other trespasses. Supervised
work force of special agents employed for that purpose. Prepared
cases of violations for the Justice Department. Had charge of all
matters relating to timber on unreserved public lands.
Consolidated with GLO field force as Division "FS," March 3,
1913. (SEE 49.3.17).
Textual Records: Letters sent, 1862-1910. Registers of letters
received, 1877-1907. Registers, 1882-1903, and press copies,
1884-1909, of reports by special timber agents. Entry docket
books, 1884-88. Homestead contests dockets and forest reserve
appeals dockets, 1891-98. Legal opinions of the Board of Law
Review relating to contest cases filed with Division "P," 1908-
21. Contest dockets, 1883-1910. Timber trespass case records,
1879-1904. Timber trespass dockets and docket books, 1887-1907.
Timber permit dockets, 1892-99, and docket books, 1897-99. Timber
sales dockets, 1898-1900.
49.3.16 Records of Division "R" (Forestry Division)
History: The work of caring for the forests was conducted by the
Special Services Division "P" until Division "R" established,
February 28, 1901, with responsibility for forest lieu
selections. Abolished, February 14, 1911, with functions to
Divisions "P" and "K." (SEE 49.3.15 and 49.3.10.) Known also as
"Old R" to distinguish it from new Division "R" (Government
Contests), established as Division "U," 1910, redesignated as
"R," April 17, 1911, and absorbed by Division "H," March 24,
1914.
Textual Records: Letters sent, 1891-1911. Registers of letters
received, 1899-1907. National forest reserves docket books, 1891-
1907, with index. Forestry Division docket books, 1900-6.
National forest files, 1891-1955. Miscellaneous "scrapbooks"
relating to other divisions and including copies of orders and
circulars relating to public land law, ca. 1850-1920.
49.3.17 Records of Division "FS" (Field Service
Division)
History: A field force of "timber depredation agents,"
established 1883, merged with Division "P" (SEE 49.3.15) to form
Division "FS," March 3, 1913. Examined and acted on reports of
special agents concerning fraudulent land entries and claims,
timber trespasses, timber depredations, and unlawful enclosure.
Abolished February 20, 1925, with functions to Divisions "A" and
"K." (SEE 49.3.1 and 49.3.10).
Field Division Office No. 2 (San Francisco, CA) and Field
Division Office No. 7 (Denver, CO) were two of 12 GLO Field
Division offices as defined by GLO circular of November 7, 1910.
Continued operations at least through June 30, 1932. Became part
of Division of Investigations, Department of the Interior, 1933.
Became Office of Regional Field Examiner in GLO's Branch of Field
Examinations, June 1942. Continued as such under BLM at least
through November 1946. Eventually became BLM regional Land
Planning Divisions.
Textual Records: Personal letters received by the GLO
Commissioner, 1899-1923. Correspondence, 1905-33. Records of the Division of Investigations, consisting of subject files, 1922-31; miscellaneous administrative subject files of the Chief
of Field Division, 1920-40; Washington headquarters administrative
files, 1931-42; card record of lieu selections and holding claims,
1900-32; closed Field Service ("FS") case files, 1926-29; closed
Investigation Division ("ID") case files, 1933-42; closed Eastern
Division ("ED") case files, 1934-42; decisions relating to
investigations, 1940-42; numerical index to "FS" attorney files.
1888-1923; charges against special agents and other officials,
1910-18; alphabetical and numerical indexes, 1930-31; and
miscellaneous indexes, n.d. Records of the Branch of Field
Examinations ("BFE"), including index to administrative files,
1946-47; and indexes to closed files, 1936-47.
Reports of special agents, 1899-1910, and of charges against special agents, 1911-
24. Card files of soldiers' additional homestead entries, 1862-
1919, and of claims for forest lieu selections, 1922-54.
Administrative files, 1908-33. Contest dockets, 1910-48. Attorney
files, 1888-1923. Timber trespass and permit files, 1909-25.
Unlawful timber enclosure files, 1909-25. Records of Field
Division Office No. 2 (in San Francisco), consisting of an
investigative case file related to U.S. v. Southern Pacific
Railroad, 1898-1916; issuances, 1905-30; and an index to land
selections made by the State of California, 1907-17. Records of
Field Division Office No. 7 (in Denver), consisting of
correspondence from agents operating in CA, NE, ND, SD, OK, and
WY, 1890-1907.
49.3.18 Records of Division "SRP" (Surplus Real Property
Division)
Textual Records: Files of C.W. Kershaw, division chief, 1945-47;
and Francis L. McFarren, acting chief, 1945-47. Records
concerning disposal of surplus lands and facilities after World War II,
1945-47. Disposal case files, 1945-47.
Index to letters received relating to the
disposition of surplus property or to property being considered
for designation as surplus, 1945-47.
49.4 LAND STATUS RECORDS
1800-1973
History: The GLO, in exercising its responsibility for the
orderly transfer of land from the public domain under general
land laws, generated case files (commonly known as land entry
papers) containing land descriptions, financial records, and
records showing successive steps taken to secure the issuance of
land titles or patents. The papers originated in Divisions "B,"
"F," "G," "H," "K," and "R," and were maintained by Division "D"
(Mail and Files Division). The responsibility for posting land
and maintaining the central office set of tract books (volumes in
which the legal descriptions of land entries were recorded and
that serve as geographical indexes to the papers) was vested in
Division "C" (Public Lands Division) to April 12, 1907, and
subsequently in Division "O" (Posting and Tract Book Division).
The National Archives has continued to assign BLM-generated
records to the GLO-originated series of land entry papers and
tract books.
Textual Records: Nonmilitary land entry papers, 1800-1973; with
an alphabetical index to the names of applicants, 1908-47, and a
numerical serial index, 1908-65. Tract books, ca. 1800-1964.
Monthly abstracts of entries submitted to the central land office
by district land office registers and receivers, 1800-1908.
Record copies of patents issued by GLO for land in the western
states, excluding those bordering on the Mississippi River, ca.
1855-1907. Registers of entries of mining lands, 1868-1908, with
indexes. Mineral patents, 1868-1908, with index. Name index to
land entries made in AL, AK, AZ, FL, LA, NV, and UT, 1800-1908.
List of canceled mineral land applications, 1871-97; and index to
canceled mineral entries, 1898-1907. List of approved indemnity
school lands and state selections, 1866-1934.
Microfilm Publications: M145, M203, M815.
Finding Aids: Harry P. Yoshpe and Philip P. Brower, comps.,
Preliminary Inventory of the Land-Entry Papers of the General
Land Office, PI 22 (1949, reprinted 1976).
Related Records: Maps, plats, and field notes of township surveys
UNDER 49.3.6, Records of Division "E" (Surveying Division).
49.5 RECORDS OF THE WAR DEPARTMENT RELATING TO LEAD MINES
1824-47 (bulk 1842-47)
History: A general land law of March 3, 1807 (2 Stat. 449),
directed that mineral (lead) lands on the public domain were to
be reserved from sale and leased to developers. At the request of
Secretary of the Treasury William H. Crawford, on behalf of the
GLO, which had found the demand for leasing insufficiently
productive of revenue, President James Monroe transferred the
function to the War Department, November 29, 1821, where it would
be managed for the benefit of the army's demand for rifle shot.
Secretary of War John C. Calhoun delegated the responsibility to
the Ordnance Department, where the Chief of Ordnance, Col. George
Bomford, responding to the failure of Congress to provide
appropriations to cover the employment of civilians as mineral
agents, initiated the practice, in 1822, of detailing army
officers to superintend the mines. These officers were variously,
and unofficially, styled as "U.S. Mineral Agents" and
"Superintendents, U.S. Lead Mines." Miners' resistance to War
Department oversight was such that President James Polk advised
Congress in his annual message, December 22, 1845, that leasing
was costing the government more to administer than it raised for
the treasury. By an act of July 11, 1846 (9 Stat. 37), therefore,
the leasing policy was abandoned. The lead lands were returned to
the administration of the GLO for disposal under provisions of
general land laws.
Textual Records: Correspondence, permits and leases, lists of
mineral lands, and accounting records of officers in charge of
leasing lead and copper lands in IL, WI, and MI, 1824-47 (bulk
1842-47).
Related Records: Records relating to mineral lands, 1821-60, in
RG 156, Records of the Office of the Chief of Ordnance.
49.6 RECORDS OF THE GRAZING SERVICE
1917-58
History: Established in the Department of the Interior as the
Division of Grazing Control pursuant to the Taylor Grazing Act
(48 Stat. 1269), June 28, 1934. Name shortened to Division of
Grazing, early 1935. Redesignated the Grazing Service by
Departmental Order 1416, effective August 26, 1939. Administered,
through a regional office system, 60 grazing districts
aggregating 142,000,000 acres. Consolidated with the GLO, 1946,
to form the BLM. Grazing Service functions subsequently combined
with those of the Range Development Service, GLO, to form the
Branch of Range Management, BLM. SEE 49.1 and 49.11.
49.6.1 Records of headquarters
History: Administrative headquarters, initially established in
Washington, DC, transferred to Salt Lake City, UT, 1941.
Textual Records (in Denver, except as noted): General
correspondence, 1934-46 (56 ft., in Washington Area). Range
management correspondence, 1934-46 (in Washington Area). Range
appraisal reports, 1939-41 (in Washington Area). General
correspondence, 1941-45. Correspondence of Grazing Service
Director F.R. Carpenter, 1935-41. Correspondence relating to
cooperative projects, 1940-43. Correspondence relating to grazing
districts, 1934-39. Correspondence relating to organization and
management of the Grazing Service, 1937-42. Range management
subject file, 1933-37 (30 ft.). Legislative records, 1934-40.
Administrative records, 1934-47. Grazing Service reports, 1942-
48. Records relating to Grazing Service studies, 1941-51. Job
load analyses, 1938-41. Financial records, 1939-42, 1947, 1950.
Records relating to stock driveways, 1917-49.
Maps (197 items): Grazing district boundaries, ca. 1940 (1 item).
Specific grazing districts in AZ, CO, and NM showing status of
lands, 1934-45 (196 items). SEE ALSO 49.16.
49.6.2 Records of Grazing Service branches
Textual Records: Case files of the Branch of Range Management,
relating to issuance of grazing licenses and permits and to
appeals of range apportionments, 1934-46.
49.6.3 Records of Grazing Service regional offices
History: Regional system in place by mid-1937. Consisted of a
regional field office headquarters in Salt Lake City, UT, with
nine statewide regional offices, designated as Region 2 (UT),
Salt Lake City, UT; Region 3 (NV and CA), Reno, NV; Region 4
(OR), Burns, OR; Region 5 (ID), Boise, ID; Region 6 (MT),
Billings, MT; Region 7 (NM), Albuquerque, NM; Region 8 (CO),
Grand Junction, CO; Region 9 (AZ), Phoenix, AZ; and Region 10
(WY), Rawlins, WY.
Textual Records: Records of Grazing Service Region 3 (in San
Francisco), consisting of grazing district boundary records of
the Regional Grazier, 1932-46; and northeast Nevada range and
economic study records of Nevada District No. 2, 1938-41. Records
of Grazing Service Region 7 (in Denver), consisting of general
subject files, 1936-43; Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and
Emergency Conservation Work (ECW) work project files, 1935-42;
and plats of stock driveways and grazing districts, 1934-41.
Records of Grazing Service Region 9 (in Los Angeles), including
CCC camp records, 1935-52 (52 ft.), and other records, 1938-58,
of the Regional Grazier; and subject files of Arizona District
No. 3, 1939-57. Records of Grazing Service Region 10 (in Denver),
consisting of range survey records of Wyoming District No. 2,
1938-41.
49.6.4 Records relating to Civilian Conservation Corps activities
Textual Records (in Denver): General correspondence, 1933-42.
Correspondence relating to CCC camp construction, 1935-38; and
work programs, 1935-39. Camp histories, 1933-45. Administrative
records, 1935-43. Records of the Winter Emergency Relief Program,
1936. Narrative reports of camp programs, 1940-43; and of
individual CCC camps, 1936-38. Camp inspection reports, 1938-42.
Weekly, statistical, and summary reports, 1935-39. Records
relating to training activities, 1931-45. Records relating to
fires and accidents, 1938-42. Handbooks, manuals, and
publications, 1936-42.
Maps (52 items, in Denver): State road maps annotated to show
locations of CCC camps, 1936-42. SEE ALSO 49.16.
49.7 RECORDS OF SURVEYORS GENERAL
1685-1965 (bulk 1797-1965)
History: Surveyors general directed land surveys in individual
states and territories. First surveyor general appointed to
superintend the survey of the territories northwest of the Ohio
River pursuant to the Land Act of 1796 (1 Stat. 464), May 18,
1796. Additional surveyors general authorized by Congress as
required to direct the work of contract surveyors. When contract
surveyors were superseded by GLO surveyors, organized as the
Field Surveying Service (FSS), 1910, the surveyors general became
primarily administrators and oversight managers for their
jurisdictions. Position of surveyor general abolished, effective
July 1, 1925, by the Interior Department Appropriation Act for FY
1926 (43 Stat. 1144), March 3, 1925, and implementing GLO General
Office Circular 996, April 7, 1925, with functions devolving upon
the FSS (SEE 49.8).
49.7.1 Records of the Office of the Surveyor General of Alaska
Textual Records (in Anchorage): Departmental letters received,
1894-1921. Letters sent to deputy surveyors, 1897-1900.
Circulars, 1882-1923. Miscellaneous letters received by the
Surveyor General, 1890-1921.
49.7.2 Records of the Office of the Surveyor General of Arizona
Textual Records (in Los Angeles, except as noted): Letters sent,
1871-1923. Letters received, 1856-1947. Administrative records,
1870-1928. Records of mineral surveys, 1871-1950, and homestead
surveys within national forests, 1909-50. Mineral survey case
files, 1871-1965 (in Denver). Group survey case files, 1911-65
(in Denver). Records relating to cases before the U.S. Court of
Private Land Claims, 1879-1904.
Maps (4,266 items): Blueprint maps of homestead surveys within
national forests, with accompanying field notes, 1909-23 (266
items, in Los Angeles). Survey plats, ca. 1868-1960 (4,000 items,
in Denver). SEE ALSO 49.16.
49.7.3 Records of the Office of the Surveyor General of Arkansas
Textual Records (in Fort Worth, except as noted): Letters sent
and received, 1840-59. Correspondence, 1831-59 (in Washington
Area). Statement of accounts, 1867-78.
49.7.4 Records of the Office of the Surveyor General of
California
Textual Records (in San Francisco): Letters sent and received,
1906-21. Correspondence and other records, 1896-1910. Records of fiscal year accounts and
summary of expenditures, 1877-79. Requests for field notes, 1908-12.
Instructions to U.S. surveyors, 1912-18. Records of Deputy
Surveyors, 1896-1917. Contracts and bonds for Deputy Surveyors issued by the Surveyor General, 1900-11. Instructions to Deputy Surveyors approved
by the Agricultural Division, 1906-21. Correspondence of the
mineral inspector, 1912-19. Record of authorities to make mineral
surveys, 1906-21. Reports of approval, mineral surveys, 1912-21.
Record of mining notes, 1906-19. Statement of special deposits
for surveys of mining claims, 1873-1920. Official field notes of
national forest surveys, 1904-6. Field notes of south and east
borders of San Jacinto Forest Reserve, 1904-5. Records relating
to swamplands designations and court case, State of California v.
U.S., 1907-17. Trespass docket, 1903-6.
49.7.5 Records of the Surveyor General of Colorado
Textual Records (in Denver): Correspondence, 1861-1934. Records
relating to surveys, including applications, contracts, bonds,
instructions, and location certificates, 1861-1939 (300 ft.).
Mineral survey field notes, 1868-1954 (195 ft.). Group survey
files, 1910-44.
Maps (32,000 items, in Denver): Mineral survey plats (27,000
items), 1869-1963, with indexes. Township survey plats, 1879-1952
(5,000 items). SEE ALSO 49.16.
49.7.6 Records of the Office of the Surveyor General of Idaho
Textual Records (in Seattle): Official letters received, 1867-
1911. Miscellaneous letters and letters from deputy surveyors,
1868-1915. Circulars, 1870-1902. Instructions relating to mineral
surveys, 1896-1918.
49.7.7 Records of the Office of the Surveyor General of Montana
Textual Records (in Denver): Letters sent, 1892-1922. Mineral
survey case files, ca. 1882-1960.
Maps (19,700 items, in Denver): Township survey plats, ca. 1870-
1915 (8,700 items). Mineral survey plats, ca. 1870-1915 (11,000
items). SEE ALSO 49.16.
49.7.8 Records of the Office of the Surveyor General of New
Mexico
Note: Records designated as in Santa Fe are on deposit in the New
Mexico State Archives. Address all reference inquiries concerning
these records to Chief, Archival Services, State Records Center
and Archives, 404 Montezuma Ave., Santa Fe, NM 87503.
Textual Records: Letters sent, 1902-7 (in Washington Area).
Letters received, 1854-90 (in Washington Area). Correspondence,
1894-1910 (in Denver). Field notes, 1855-81 (in Denver). Land
claim case files, Office of the Surveyor General, 1854-92 (in
Santa Fe). Case files, Court of Private Land Claims in New
Mexico, 1892-1912 (in Santa Fe). Spanish and Mexican land grant
and related records, 1685-1846 (in Santa Fe).
Microfilm Publications: M1288.
Maps (10,925 items, in Denver): Township survey plats, 1855-1957
(7,900 items). Plats of private land claims within Pueblo Indian
grants, ca. 1932-33 (525 items). Mineral survey plats, 1873-1965
(2,500 items). SEE ALSO 49.16.
49.7.9 Records of the Office of the Surveyor General of
Nevada
Textual Records (in San Francisco): Letters sent, 1861-69, 1896,
1910-20.
Maps (7,430 items, in San Francisco): Original township survey
plats, 1861-92 (5,400 items). Plats of exterior boundary surveys,
1861-1914 (1,560 items). Plats of national forest homestead entry
surveys, 1910-25 (470 items). SEE ALSO 49.16.
49.7.10 Records of the Office of the Surveyor General of
Oregon
Textual Records (in Seattle): Letters sent to the Commissioner,
1851-1921; deputy surveyors, 1875-1904; deputy mineral surveyors,
1887-1903; and land offices, 1856-1906. Letters received from the
Commissioner, 1865-1913; deputy surveyors, 1851-1902; and land
offices, 1873-1903. Miscellaneous letters sent, 1851-1921, and
received, 1851-1913. Registers of donation land claims, 1853-
1910. Contracts and bonds for surveys, 1851-1910.
49.7.11 Records of the Office of the Surveyor General of
Utah
Textual Records (in Denver): Correspondence, 1855-1915. Survey
contracts, 1875-1910. Applications for mineral surveys, 1875-
1913.
Microfilm Publication: M1110.
Maps (20,300 items, in Denver): Mineral survey plats, ca. 1870-
1915 (16,520 items). Township survey plats, ca. 1855-1960 (3,780
items). SEE ALSO 49.16.
49.7.12 Records of the Office of the Surveyor General of
Washington
Textual Records (in Seattle): Copies of selected letters received
from the Commissioner, 1854-83. Letters sent to the Commissioner,
1883-1920; and deputy surveyors, 1888-1921. Letters received from
the Commissioner, 1883-1913; and deputy surveyors, 1893-1913.
Miscellaneous letters sent, 1883-1921, and received, 1909-16.
Contracts and bonds for surveys, 1855-1910.
49.7.13 Records of the Office of the Surveyor General of Wyoming
Textual Records (in Denver): Letters sent, 1870-1922. Letters
received from the Commissioner, 1867-1929, with registers, 1899-
1908. Register of miscellaneous letters received, 1870-1918.
Township descriptions, 1870-1901. List of employees, 1906-14.
Maps (900 items, in Denver): Township survey plats, 1869-1943
(700 items). Mineral survey plats, 1879-1922 (100 items).
Miscellaneous plats, 1879-1922 (100 items). SEE ALSO 49.16.
49.7.14 Records of other surveyors general
Textual Records: Letters sent by the Surveyor General of Dakota
Territory, 1887-88 (in Denver). Township land description survey,
Office of the Surveyor General of Iowa, of portions of Muscatine,
Cedar, and Johnson counties, ca. 1841 (in Kansas City).
Correspondence of the Surveyor General of South Dakota, 1920-22
(in Denver). Letters sent, 1797-1854, and received, 1797-1856, by
the Surveyor General of the Territory Northwest of the River
Ohio.
Microfilm Publications: M477, M479, M1323.
49.8 RECORDS OF SURVEYING DISTRICTS/CADASTRAL ENGINEERING
DISTRICTS
1870-1948
History: Corps of professional surveyors established in GLO as
the Field Surveying Service (FSS) pursuant to the Civil
Appropriation Act for FY 1911 (36 Stat. 741), June 25, 1910,
which discontinued the practice of contracting for surveys. FSS,
headed after 1925 by the Supervisor of Surveys, who also headed
Division "E" (SEE 49.3.6), organized and headquartered initially
as follows: District 1, MT (Helena, MT); District 2, CO and WY
(Denver, CO); District 3, NE and SD (Neligh, NE); District 4, NM
(Santa Fe, NM); District 5, AZ and CA (Phoenix, AZ); District 6,
NV and UT (Salt Lake City, UT); District 7, ID and WA (Boise,
ID); District 8, OR (Portland, OR); District 9, AK (Juneau, AK);
and Eastern States (designated District 10, January 1918,
Washington, DC). By 1917, responsibility for WA had been
transferred to District 8, with new headquarters at Olympia, WA.
Effective July 1, 1925, concurrently with the abolishment of the
position of surveyor general (SEE 49.7) and the vesting of all
survey functions in FSS, its assistant supervisors of surveys
became district cadastral engineers in charge of cadastral
engineering districts. On June 1, 1930, District 3 was abolished,
and NE and SD were assigned to District 2. District 1 was closed
on May 1, 1937, and MT went to District 7. On January 1, 1941,
the districts were renumbered 1-8 to close gaps created by the
abolishing of old Districts 1 and 3. A reorganization of January
1, 1946, redesignated the districts as regions, in charge of
regional cadastral engineers, constituted and headquartered as
follows: Region 1, CO, MT, NE, SD, and WY (Denver, CO); Region 2,
AZ, southern CA (San Bernardino Meridian), and NM (Santa Fe, NM);
Region 3, ID, NV, and UT (Salt Lake City, UT); Region 4, northern
CA (Humboldt and Mount Diablo Meridians), OR, and WA (Portland,
OR); and Region 5, AK (Juneau, AK).
By March 1947 GLO's Division "E" (Surveying Division, SEE
49.3.6), headed since 1925 by the Supervisor of Surveys, had been
redesignated BLM's Branch of Engineering and Construction, with a
subordinate Division of Surveys in place by November 1947. By
July 1948 a Division of Engineering (redesignated Division of
Cadastral Engineering, January 1950) under the Chief Cadastral
Engineer had superseded the Branch of Engineering and
Construction, with a subordinate Branch of Surveying by January
1949 (redesignated Branch of Surveys by August 1950). In a
reorganization of BLM approved on January 26, 1954, the Division
of Cadastral Engineering became the Cadastral Engineering Staff
in the Division of Technical Programs. This organization remained
stable through May 1961, but by March 1962 the staff had been
reconstituted as the Division of Engineering. Pursuant to BLM
Order 701, July 23, 1964, the Chief Cadastral Engineer became the
Chief, Division of Engineering. By March 1968 the division
included a Branch of Cadastral Engineering. By Amendment 6 to BLM
Order 701, February 4, 1969, the Branch of Cadastral Engineering
became a separate Division of Cadastral Survey under a Chief of
Cadastral Survey.
FSS itself had been in process of informal redesignation as the
Cadastral Engineering Service (CES) since at least August 1922,
and the term CES had virtually (if unofficially) superseded FSS
by 1940. Secretary's Order 2225, July 15, 1946, implementing the
consolidation of GLO and the Grazing Service to form BLM,
redesignated the Supervisor of Surveys as the Chief Cadastral
Engineer. Although the new bureau initially adopted the
organizational structure of its predecessors, including the CES,
it had by 1947 embarked on a decentralization program that
effectively broke up the CES and placed its regional components
under the immediate authority of BLM regional administrators,
with the Chief Cadastral Engineer in Washington, DC, providing
overall policy guidance.
49.8.1 General records of the Supervisor of Surveys
Textual Records (in Denver): Subject files, 1910-46. General
files, 1910-46. Property records, 1943-48. Deposit accounts,
1944-48.
49.8.2 District records (Arizona)
History: Arizona and California assigned to District 5, 1910,
with headquarters in Phoenix, AZ, under Assistant Supervisor of
Surveys for California and Arizona. Position of Assistant
Supervisor of Surveys abolished concurrently with Office of
Surveyor General of Arizona, July 1925, and functions assigned to
District Cadastral Engineer, with headquarters in newly
established Public Survey Office, Phoenix, AZ. When Public Survey
Office in San Francisco moved to Glendale, CA, 1932, it became
new headquarters for District 5, which was redesignated District
3, 1941. Arizona assigned, with New Mexico and southern
California, to Region 2 in GLO reorganization of 1946.
Textual Records (in Los Angeles): Records of the Assistant
Supervisor of Surveys for California and Arizona, consisting of
correspondence, 1912-25; and administrative records, 1911-31.
Correspondence, 1913-24, and instructions, 1910-13, of the
Arizona group surveys. Letters sent and received by the District
Cadastral Engineer, 1925-32, and Office Cadastral Engineer, 1925-
47.
49.8.3 District records (California)
History: California and Arizona assigned to District 5, 1910,
with headquarters in Phoenix, AZ, under Assistant Supervisor of
Surveys for California and Arizona. Position of Assistant
Supervisor of Surveys abolished concurrently with Office of
Surveyor General of California, July 1925, and functions assigned
to District Cadastral Engineer, with headquarters in newly
established Public Survey Office, Phoenix, AZ. When Public Survey
Office in San Francisco moved to Glendale, CA, 1932, it became
new headquarters for District 5, which was redesignated District
3, 1941. California split between Region 2 and Region 4 in GLO
reorganization of 1946.
Textual Records (in San Francisco, except as noted): Issuances,
1870-1945. Correspondence of the District Cadastral Engineer with
the Supervisor of Surveys, 1925-32. Cadastral survey group
register, 1915-26. Forest exchange survey case files, 1929-32.
National forest homestead entry survey case files, 1908-28.
Correspondence, 1914-25, and instructions, 1914-29, of the
California group surveys (in Los Angeles).
Maps (20 items, in San Francisco): Department of the Interior oil
and gas field surveys, 1925-36. SEE ALSO 49.16.
49.8.4 Records of other districts
Textual Records (in Denver): Small holding claims files (New
Mexico), 1892-1923. Group survey files (Wyoming), 1910-46.
49.9 RECORDS OF DISTRICT LAND OFFICES
1800-1980
History: For most of the active period of public land settlement,
district land offices were the basic operating units that
conducted the business of transferring title. All transactions
relative to the disposal of public land within a declared land
district were handled through its land office by officials
designated as registers, who recorded land applications, and
receivers, who accepted payments for land and issued receipts.
The position of receiver was abolished, July 1, 1925, and the
functions devolved upon the register, whose title was changed to
"manager" by Reorganization Plan No. III of 1946, effective July
16, 1946.
The first of 362 land offices was opened at Steubenville, OH, on
July 2, 1800; the last at Newcastle, WY, on March 1, 1920. The
peak year for land offices was 1890, with 123 in operation. The
subsequent closing of the public domain gradually reduced the
number of land offices, until, in 1933, only 25 offices remained.
Under BLM, the district land offices and their functions were
integrated into regional administrative structures, becoming,
variously, elements (sometimes styled land offices) in the
regional office hierarchies or components of multifunction
district offices. The process was concluded by BLM Circular 2342,
May 2, 1973, which formally discontinued use of the term "land
offices." Records described below include some created by
successor organizational units, but assigned by GLO and BLM to
series begun by district land offices.
49.9.1 Records of Alabama land offices
Textual Records (in Atlanta): Records of the Cahaba land office
(1819-56), consisting of receipt stubs for land sales, 1851-54.
Records of the Mobile land office (1869-79), consisting of press
copies of letters sent, 1880-83, 1890-92. Records of the
Huntsville land office (1811-61, 1867-1905) and its predecessor
at Nashville, TN (1809-11), consisting of record of Creek
reservations under the Treaty of 1832, 1840-54. Records of the
St. Stephens land office (1806-61), consisting of record of
preemption rights confirmed by the old Board of Commissioners,
1805-33.
49.9.2 Records of Alaska land offices
Textual Records (in Anchorage): Records of the Rampart land
office (1900-1) and its predecessor at Circle City (1898-1900),
consisting of register and tract books, 1899-1901. Records of the
Juneau land office (1902-23), consisting of register and tract
books, 1902-19. Records of the St. Michael land office (1900-1)
and its predecessors at Nukalo (1898), Weare (1898), and Rampart
(1898-1900), consisting of register and tract books, 1898-1902.
Records of the Sitka land office (1885-1902), consisting of
register and tract books, 1885-1909. Records of the Anchorage
land office (1923-73), consisting of register and tract books,
1914-64. Records of the Fairbanks land office (1907-73),
consisting of register and tract books, 1911-64.
49.9.3 Records of Arizona land offices
Textual Records (in Los Angeles): Records of the Phoenix land
office (1905-50) and its predecessors at Florence (1873-81) and
Tucson (1881-1905), including correspondence with the
Commissioner, 1880-1943 (88 ft.); rights-of-way case files, 1882-
1958; tract books, 1873-1908; records of the receiver, 1873-1942;
and records of land entries, 1870-1930, including serialized land
entry case files, 1908-22 (48 ft.). Records of the Prescott land
office (1868-1905), consisting of land entry records, 1870-1908.
49.9.4 Records of Arkansas land offices
Textual Records (in Fort Worth): Records of the Dardanelle land
office (1871-1909) and its predecessor at Clarkesville (1839-61,
1867-71), consisting of letters sent, 1857-59. Records of the
Champagnolle land office (1845-61), consisting of record of lands
located with military bounty land warrants and fees collected,
1857-61. Records of the Little Rock land office (1821-60, 1866-
1933), including contest dockets and records of the proceedings
of the United States Commission for the Disposal of the Hot
Springs Reservation of Arkansas, 1877-79.
49.9.5 Records of California land offices
Textual Records: Records (in San Francisco) of the Eureka land
office (1899-1925) and its predecessor at Humboldt (1858-99),
including registers of applications for mineral lands, 1858-1907;
records of the receiver, 1873-1907; register of patents
delivered, 1884-1914; schedules of Indian allotments for the
Hoopa, Klamath, and Round Valley Indian Reservations, 1883-1913;
and unpatented land entry case files, 1908-24. Records (in San
Francisco, except as noted) of the Independence land office
(1887-1925) and its predecessors at Aurora, NV (1869-73),
Independence (1873-78), and Bodie (1878-87), including registers
of applications for mining patents, 1871-1908; records of the
receiver, 1873-1907; records of land entries, 1905-24; and (in
Los Angeles) rights-of-way case files, 1903-29. Records (in Los
Angeles) of the Los Angeles land office (1853-65, 1869-1961),
including letters sent, 1853-80, letters received, 1853-1919, and
correspondence of the register, 1883-1928; tract books, 1881-
1936; decision letters from the Commissioner, 1931-48 (34 ft.);
records of the receiver, 1863-1938; consolidated file of letters
received by the register and receiver from the Commissioner and
Assistant Commissioner, 1885-1964; records relating to rights-of-
way, 1878-1959; and records relating to land entries, 1859-1964,
including case files of the Interior Department's Division of
Investigation, 1928-52. Records (in San Francisco) of the
Marysville land office (1855-1925), including registers of
applications for mineral patents, 1867-1905; registers of mineral
entries, 1867-1911; registers of mineral lands sold, 1883-1907;
and record of patents delivered, 1884-1925. Records (in San
Francisco) of the Redding land office (1890-1925) and its
predecessor at Shasta (1870-90), including registers of mineral
applications and mineral entries, 1871-1908; records of patents
delivered, 1860-1914; and records of land entries, 1906-24.
Records (in San Francisco) of the Sacramento land office (1867-
1945), including registers of mineral entries, mineral
applications, and mining claims, 1867-1908. Records (in San
Francisco) of the San Francisco land office (1911-27) and its
predecessors at Benicia (1853-57), San Francisco (1857-1906), and
Oakland (1906-11), including correspondence of the register,
1908-13, and receiver, 1908-14; and land entry case files, 1908-
27. Records (in San Francisco) of the Stockton land office (1858-
1906), including registers of mineral applications and entries,
1866-1906; record of delivered patents, 1861-1906; record of
canceled applications, 1905-45; and township survey plat book
with amended survey plats, Mount Diablo Meridian, 1856-1908.
Records (in San Francisco) of the Susanville land office (1871-
1925), including registers of mineral applications and entries,
1871-1908; a timber trespass docket that includes entries for WI,
1903-4, and CA, 1904-6; land entry case files, 1908-26;
Grazing Service committee files, 1964-66; records of the
Grazing Service Advisory Board, 1965-67; long range
management plans, 1971-72; cooperative agreements,
1976-77; and watershed studies, n.d.
Records (in San Francisco, except as noted) of the Visalia land
office (1858-1927), including a register of school land
locations, 1861-94; records relating to mining land entries and
patents, 1873-1906; land entry case files, 1908-28; and (in Los
Angeles) rights-of-way case files, 1925-28.
Maps (9,236 items, in San Francisco, except as noted): Mount Diablo Meridian mining entry survey plats, 1873-84 (25 items); Humboldt Meridian
township maps, 1856-94 (35 items); and forest homestead survey
plats, 1904-6 (48 items), maintained by the Eureka land office.
Power project survey maps, 1916-27 (50 items), maintained by the
Independence land office. Survey plats (7,490
items) and mining plats, 1873-1972 (1,242 items), maintained by
the Riverside land office (in Los Angeles). Homestead survey plats and accompanying
field notes, 1912-35 (250 items); and Indian allotment plats,
Hoopa Valley, 1915-25 (6 items), and Klamath National Forest,
1928-36 (40 items), maintained by the Sacramento land office.
Amended survey plats, 1856-1908 (50 items), maintained by the
Stockton land office. SEE ALSO 49.16.
49.9.6 Records of Colorado land offices
Textual Records (in Denver): Records of the Akron land office
(1890-1905), consisting of a register of homestead entries, 1890-
1905. Records of the Central City land office (1868-94),
including tract books, 1868-94; and registers of homestead
entries, coal land cash entries, mineral entries, and timber
culture entries, 1868-94. Records of the Del Norte land office
(1875-1925), including tract books, 1875-1925; registers of
homestead entries and mineral entries, 1875-1915; abstracts of
desert land entries and final certificates, 1891-1908; and
canceled serialized land entry case files, 1890-1924. Records of
the Denver land office (1864-1949) and its predecessor at Golden
City (1863-64), including Commissioner's letters, 1934-47;
miscellaneous correspondence, 1942-52; tract books, 1863-1949;
serial register books, 1908-49; registers of homestead entries,
mineral entries, and timber culture entries, 1863-1908; and
canceled serialized land entry case files, 1912-15. Records of
the Durango land office (1882-1925), including registers of
letters received from the Commissioner, 1889-1908; and rejected, tract books,
1882-1925; serial register books, 1908-25; registers of homestead
entries, mineral entries, and timber culture entries, 1882-93;
abstracts of desert land entries, 1892-1908; and rejected, cancelled, or relinquished
serialized land entry case files, 1908-25. Records of the Glenwood Springs land office
(1884-1927), including Commissioner's letters, 1922-48; serial register books, 1908-27;
and registers of homestead entries, mineral entries, timber
culture entries, and desert land entries, 1884-1908. Records of
the Gunnison land office (1883-1907), including registers of cash
entries, homestead entries, mineral entries, timber culture
entries, and desert land entries, 1883-1907. Records of the Hugo
land office (1890-1922), including tract books, 1890-1922; serial
register books, 1908-22; and registers of cash entries, homestead
entries, timber culture entries, and desert land entries, 1880-
1908. Records of the Lamar land office (1887-1925), including
registers of letters received from the Commissioner, 1894-1908;
tract books, 1887-1925; serial register books, 1908-25; registers
of homestead entries, timber culture entries, and desert land
entries, 1887-1908; and canceled serialized land entry case
files, 1913-24. Records of the Leadville land office (1879-1925)
and its predecessor at Fair Play (1867-79), including
Commissioner's letters, 1920-25; correspondence relating to
national forests, 1907-23; serial register books, 1908-25;
registers of cash entries, mineral entries, and timber culture
entries, 1869-1909; and canceled serialized land entry case
files, 1908-25. Records of the Montrose land office (1888-1925)
and its predecessor at Lake City (1877-88), including
Commissioner's letters, 1922-25; tract books, 1877-1925; serial
register books, 1908-25; registers of homestead entries,
mineral entries, timber culture entries, and desert land entries,
1875-1908; and rejected, cancelled, or relinquished serialized land entry case files, 1908-25.
Records of the Pueblo land office (1871-1950),
including Commissioner's letters, 1930-48; tract books, 1871-
1949; serial register books, 1908-49; registers of cash entries,
homestead entries, mineral entries, and timber culture entries,
1871-1908; and registers of entrymen, 1885-1908. Records of the
Sterling land office (1890-1925), consisting of serial register
books, 1908-25; registers of patents delivered, n.d.; and
abstracts of homestead and desert land entries, 1890-1908.
49.9.7 Records of Florida land offices
Textual Records (in Atlanta): Records of the Gainesville land
office (1873-1933), consisting of lists of offered lands, 1879;
and letters received by registers and receivers, 1932-33.
49.9.8 Records of Idaho land offices
Textual Records (in Seattle): Records of the Boise land office
(1867-1927), consisting of registers of cash sales, 1897-1908;
and registers of land entries, 1869-1908. Records of the
Blackfoot land office (1886-1948) and its predecessor at Oxford
(1879-86), consisting of registers of cash sales, 1899-1906; and
registers of land entries, 1888-1908. Records of the Hailey land
office (1883-1925), consisting of registers of cash sales, 1883-
1909; and registers of land entries, 1883-1908. Records of the
Coeur d'Alene land office (1885-1948), consisting of registers of
cash sales and land entries, 1885-1908. Records of the Lewiston
land office (1867-1925), consisting of registers of cash sales,
1877-1906; and registers of land entries, 1874-1908.
49.9.9 Records of Illinois land offices
Textual Records (in Chicago): Records of the Chicago land office
(1835-55), consisting of abstracts of cash entries, 1835-55; and
abstracts of warrant locations, 1847. Records of the Danville
land office (1831-56), consisting of cash certificates, 1833-56.
Records of the Dixon land office (1840-55), consisting of cash
certificates, 1841-55. Records of the Edwardsville land office
(1816-55), including cash certificates, 1816-49; declarations,
1821-22; and relinquishments, 1821-29. Records of the Dixon land
office (1840-55) and its predecessor at Galena (1835-40),
consisting of cash certificates, 1835-41. Records of the
Kaskaskia land office (1809-55), including applications to
purchase, 1814-18; cash certificates, 1820-55; credit system
receipts, 1814-20; and relinquishments, 1828-29. Records of the
Palestine land office (1821-55), consisting of cash certificates,
1821-51. Records of the Quincy land office (1831-55), consisting
of cash certificates, 1831-55. Records of the Shawneetown land
office (1814-55), consisting of cash certificates, 1820-55.
Records of the Springfield land office (1823-76), consisting of
cash certificates, 1823-76. Records of the Vandalia land office
(1821-55), consisting of cash certificates, 1821-55.
49.9.10 Records of Indiana land offices
Textual Records (in Chicago): Records of the Crawfordsville land
office (1823-53) and its predecessor at Terre Haute (1820-23),
consisting of cash certificates, 1820-53. Records of the Fort
Wayne land office (1823-52), consisting of cash certificates,
1823-53. Records of the Indianapolis land office (1825-76) and
its predecessor at Brookville (1820-25), consisting of cash
certificates, 1820-76; and abstracts of warrant locations, 1847-
69. Records of the land office at Jeffersonville (1808-55),
consisting of cash certificates, 1820-54; credit certificates,
1808-11; and abstracts of warrant locations, 1847-55. Records of
the land office at Winamac (1840-55) and its predecessor at
Laporte (1833-39), consisting of cash certificates, 1836-55; and
cash certificates and warrant locations, 1833-54. Records of the
Vincennes land office (1807-61), consisting of cash certificates,
1820-59; credit applications, 1808-11; receivers returns, 1807-
17; and abstracts of warrant locations, 1847-55.
49.9.11 Records of Iowa land offices
Textual Records (in Kansas City): Records of the Burlington-
Fairfield land office (1838-55), including receipt registers,
1840-57; registers of certificates, 1836-55; and abstracts of
military warrants, 1847-55. Records of the Chariton land office
(1853-59), including abstracts of military warrant locations,
abstracts of land sold, and registers of certificates, 1853-59.
Records of the Council Bluffs land office (1855-73) and its
predecessor at Kanesville (1853-55), including abstracts and
registers of receipts, 1853-73; abstracts of military warrant
locations, 1853-71; and a register of homestead entries, 1853-63.
Records of the Osage land office (1856-59) and its predecessor at
Decorrah (1855-56), including abstracts of military warrant
locations, 1855-59. Records of the (Fort) Des Moines land office
(1852-1910), including registers of certificates issued to cash
purchasers, 1853-1909; abstracts of military warrants, 1853-80;
and registers of entries, receipts, and final certificates for
homesteads, 1863-1908, and timber culture, 1874-1902. Records of
the Dubuque land office (1843-59) and its predecessors at Dubuque
(1838-43) and Marion (1843), including registers of certificates
issued to land purchasers, 1838-54; abstracts of land sold, 1854-
55; abstracts of military warrant locations, 1848-59; and town
lot appraisals, Peru (Dubuque County), IA, December 1886. Records
of the Fort Dodge land office (1855-73), including abstracts of
land sold, 1855-72; registers of receipts, 1857-73; and registers
of homestead entries, receipts, and certificates, 1863-73.
Records of the Iowa City land office (1846-56), including
abstracts of land sold, 1846-56; and registers of receipts, 1846-
56, and final certificates, 1853-56, issued to cash purchasers.
Records of the Sioux City land office (1849-78), including
abstracts of military warrant locations, 1849-74; registers of
homestead entries, receipts, certificates, and declarations,
1863-78; and registers of timber culture entries and receipts,
1873-78.
49.9.12 Records of Kansas land offices
Textual Records (in Kansas City): Records of the Colby land
office (1893-1908) and its predecessor at Oberlin (1880-93),
including tract books, 1880-1908; homestead entry papers, 1881-98; records relating to
contested claims, 1885-97; declaratory statements, 1884-90; and
records relating to rejected homestead entries, 1894-99. Records
of the Concordia land office (1870-89), including tract books, 1870-89; correspondence,
1871-87; declaratory statements and filing receipts, 1871-74;
homestead entry papers, 1871; and agricultural college scrip
records, October 1871. Records of the Dodge City land office
(1893-1919) and its predecessor at Garden City (1881-93),
including tract books, 1881-1919; declaratory statements, 1885-91; and papers relating to
homestead contests, cancellations, and relinquishments, ca. 1900-
19. Records of the Independence land office (1872-89) and its
predecessors at Fort Scott (1857-61), Humboldt (1861), Mapleton
(1861-62), Humboldt (1862-71), and Neodesha (1871-72), including
tract books 1857-89; letters received, 1857-89; correspondence relating to Osage ceded
lands, 1867-89, cash entries, 1870-89, and military bounty land
warrant claims, 1872-88; declaratory statements, 1857-86, and
filing receipts, 1868-75; purchase applications, 1862-88; cash
entry register, 1857-65; and homestead entry papers, 1865-89.
Records of the Kirwin land office (1875-93) and its predecessor
at Cawker City (1872-75), including tract books 1872-93; declaratory statements, 1872-
88, and filing receipts, 1872-84; and homestead entry papers,
1872-87. Records of the Larned land office (1874-93), including tract books, 1874-93;
canceled checks, 1880; and cash entry papers, 1884-87. Records of
the Salina land office (1871-93), and its predecessors at Ogden
(1857-59) and Junction City (1859-71), including tract books, 1859-93; a register of
homesteads, 1863-70; and homestead entry papers, 1872-89. Records
of the Topeka land office (1861-1925) and its predecessor at
Lecompton (1854-61), including tract books, 1854-93; letters received, 1866-1901;
correspondence relating to Osage ceded lands, 1882-91; circulars
received, 1853-89; financial records, 1861-85; declaratory
statements, 1874-89, and filing receipts, 1867-72; homestead
entry papers, 1865-90; military bounty land papers, 1863-92;
timber culture claims, 1883-89; and papers relating to homestead
contests, cancellations, and relinquishments, ca. 1900-25.
Records of the Wichita land office (1872-89) and its predecessor
at Augusta (1870-72), including tract books, 1870-89; letters received, 1872-89;
correspondence relating to Osage ceded lands, 1872-89;
declaratory statements, 1872-86, and a filing receipt, 1871;
records relating to contested claims, 1872-89, and preemption
claims, 1872-86; papers relating to cash entry, 1872-89,
homestead entry, 1872-88, and timber culture claims, 1876-89; and
Oklahoma land rush affidavits, 1892. Records of the Wakeeny land
office (1879-1905) and its predecessor at Hays City (1874-79),
consisting of tract books, 1874-1905; a single declaratory statement, 1878; a contest
affidavit, 1890; a contested claim case docket sheet, 1891; and a
tract book entry, 1890.
Maps (7 items, in Kansas City): Plat maps of Pawnee, Ford,
Comanche, Pratt, Barber, Barton, and Rice Counties, published in
the 1874 annual report of the Kansas Board of Agriculture, and
used by the Larned land office, 1875. SEE ALSO 49.16.
49.9.13 Records of Louisiana land offices
Textual Records (in Fort Worth): Records of the Baton Rouge land
office (1911-27), and its predecessors at St. Helena (1819-37),
Greensburg (1837-43), Baton Rouge (1844), and Greensburg (1844-
61), consisting of a docket of cash entries, 1854-1907; and
abstracts of credit accounts, 1847. Records of the Monroe
(Ouachita) land office (1821-61, 1867-69, 1872-78), consisting of
dockets of cash entries, 1832-60, and suspended cash entries,
1838-60.
49.9.14 Records of Minnesota land offices
Textual Records (in Chicago): Records of the Benson land office
(1876-89) and its predecessors at Minneapolis (1854-58), Forest
City (1858-62), Minneapolis (1862-66), Greenleaf (1866-69), and
Litchfield (1870-76), consisting of a docket book of cash
entries, 1855-82.
49.9.15 Records of Mississippi land offices
Textual Records (in Atlanta): Records of the Paulding land office
(1860-61) and its predecessor at Augusta (1820-59), consisting of
abstracts of land entries, 1851-54, 1865. Records of the Columbus
land office (1833-61), consisting of quarterly accounts of the
receiver, 1849-60; abstracts of land entries, 1833-1917; and a
register of receipts, Confederate land office in Augusta, 1861-
65. Records of the Grenada land office (1840-60) and its
predecessor at Chocchuma (1833-40), consisting of a register of
cash receipts, 1833-36; and abstracts of land entries, 1836-60.
Records of the Jackson land office (1823-27, 1836-61, 1866-1925),
consisting of minutes of meetings, register and receiver,
concerning preemption claims, 1821-23; and abstracts of land
entries, 1823-1908, receivers' receipts, 1820-61, and homestead
entries, 1866-1907. Records of the Washington land office (1807-
61), consisting of abstracts of applications, 1809-18, registers'
certificates, 1807-21, and land entries, 1820-62; and registers
of credit receipts, receiver of the land office west of the Pearl
River, 1807-21. Letters sent and other records, 1833-73, possibly
of the Pontotoc land office (1836-61), relating to the Chickasaw
cession under the Treaty of 1832, and to Chickasaw reservations
under the Treaty of 1834.
49.9.16 Records of the Missouri land offices
Textual Records (in Kansas City): Correspondence of the land offices in
Missouri, 1843-1922. Duplicate copies of receipts for land entries and
cash sales at land offices in Missouri, 1820-1908.
49.9.17 Records of Montana land offices
Textual Records (in Denver): Records of the Billings land office
(1906-60), including tract books, 1906-60; serial register books,
1908-50; land entry case files, 1908-50; and a grazing lease
register, 1935-40. Records of the Bozeman land office (1874-
1925), including tract books, 1874-1925; serial register books,
1908-25; and land entry case files, 1908-25. Records of the
Glasgow land office (1907-25), including tract books, 1907-25;
serial register books, 1908-25; and land entry case files, 1908-
25. Records of the Great Falls land office (1902-50), including
tract books, 1902-50; serial register books, 1908-50; and
registers of homestead entries, desert land entries, and mineral
entries, 1902-8. Records of the Havre land office (1910-25),
consisting of serial register books and land entry case files,
1908-25. Records of the Helena land office (1867-1925), including
tract books, 1867-1925; serial register books, 1908-25; land
entry case files, 1908-25; contest dockets, 1865-1909;
registers of homestead entries, timber culture entries, and
mineral entries, 1868-1908; and railroad selections, 1906-7.
Records of the Kalispell land office
(1897-1925), including tract books, 1897-1925; serial register
books, 1908-25; and land entry case files, 1908-25. Records of
the Lewistown land office (1890-1925), including tract books,
1890-1925; serial register books, 1911-25; land entry case
files, 1908-25; and closed serialized land entry case files, 1910-11.
Records of the Miles City land office (1880-
1925), consisting of serial register books and land entry case
files, 1908-24. Records of the Missoula land office (1891-1925),
including tract books, 1891-1925; serial register books, 1908-25;
and land entry case files, 1908-25.
49.9.18 Records of Nebraska land offices
Textual Records (in Kansas City): Records of the Alliance land
office (1890-1933), consisting of letters received, 1900-31;
summary records of applications for use of the public domain
("Serial Register"), 1905-24; contest dockets, 1912-34; record
book of patents delivered, 1890-1907; and registers of homestead
entries, 1890-1908, and final homestead certificates, 1905-8.
Records of the Broken Bow land office (1890-1922), consisting of
summary records of applications for use of the public domain
("Serial Register"), 1904-27; and record book and register of
patents delivered, 1886-1912. Records of the Chadron land office
(1886-94), consisting of abstracts of land sold, 1887-94. Records
of the Lincoln land office (1868-1925) and its predecessor at
Nebraska City (1857-68), consisting of summary records of
applications for use of the public domain ("Serial Register"),
1908-25. Records of the McCook land office (1883-1905),
consisting of record books of patents delivered, 1859-1905.
Records of the North Platte land office (1872-1918), consisting
of summary records of applications for use of the public domain
("Serial Register"), 1904-19; record books of patents delivered,
1876-93, and military bounty land warrants, 1882-1905; and
registers of homestead patents, 1875-1908, cash patents, 1875-
1909, and timber culture entry patents, 1884-1906. Records of the
O'Neill land office (1888-1918), consisting of summary records of
applications for use of the public domain ("Serial Register"),
1909-18; record book and register of patents delivered, 1859-
1918; and registers of final homestead patents, 1873-94, cash
patents, 1860-94, and timber culture entry patents, 1887-1912.
Records of the Sydney land office (1887-1906), consisting of a
record book and register of cash patents, 1884-1908; and
registers of homestead and timber entry patents, 1890-1906.
Records of the Valentine land office (1883-1918), consisting of
summary records of applications for use of the public domain
("Serial Register"), 1908-20; record book and register of cash
patents, 1882-1919; register of timber culture entry patents,
1890-1908; and declaratory statement abstracts, 1890-1908.
49.9.19 Records of Nevada land offices
Textual Records (in San Francisco): Records of the Carson City
land office (1864-1949), and the absorbed land offices at Belmont
(1862-73)/Pioche (1874-76), Elko (1872-77), Austin (1867-
73)/Eureka (1873-93), Aurora (1868-73), and Elko (1917-27),
including tract books, 1864-1934; letters sent by the register, 1868-1926, and receiver,
1864-1909; registers of letters received from the Commissioner,
1890-94, 1905-18; accounts and other financial records of the
receiver, 1880-1914; contest dockets, 1879-1926; railroad
selection lists, 1875-1934; records relating to desert land
entries, 1877-1908; registers of homestead entries, final
certificates, receipts, and final receipts, 1869-1908; and
registers of mining lands entries, 1862-1908, applications for
mining patents, 1866-1908, and receipts for sold mineral lands,
1875-1906. Records of the Elko land office (1872-77, 1917-27),
including Mount Diablo Meridian township tract books, 1872-1913;
lieu land selection case files, 1913-55; and land entry case
files, 1915-28. Records of the Eureka land office (1873-94) and
its predecessor at Austin (1867-73), including letters sent by
the register, 1879-91, and receiver, 1889-94; letters received
from the Commissioner, 1879-93; registers of homestead
certificates and receipts, 1868-93; and case files of adverse
mining claims, 1878-91.
Maps (228 items, in San Francisco): Copies of plats of Indian
reservation surveys, 1861-1935 (28 items), and farm unit diagrams
of the Newlands (Truckee-Carson) Reclamation Project, 1900-30
(200 items), maintained by the Carson City land office. SEE ALSO
49.16.
49.9.20 Records of New Mexico land offices
Textual Records: Records (in Denver) of the Clayton land office
(1892-1925) and its predecessor at Folsom (1888-92), including tract books, 1888-1925;
letters received, 1908-25; serial register books, 1908-22;
registers of homestead entries, contested homestead entries,
timber culture entries, and desert land entries, 1881-1908; and
serialized selection lists, 1909-22. Records (in Fort Worth,
except as noted) of the Fort Sumner land office (1910-25),
including tract books, 1910-25; serial register books, 1908-22 (in Denver); contest
dockets, 1910-24; abstracts of money received, 1915-24; record of
accounts current, 1912-24; and schedules and abstracts of land
entries and money transferred from Roswell to Fort Sumner, 1910-
14. Records (in Denver, except as noted) of the Las Cruces land
office (1883-1949) and its predecessor at La Mesilla (1874-83),
including tract books,1874-1949; letters received, 1915-48; serial register books, 1908-
49; registers of homestead entries, mining entries, and desert
land entries, 1876-1903; selection lists, 1921-51; contest
dockets, 1885-1904, 1926-44; patent conveyance case files, 1949-
51; color of title actions, 1938-58; monthly abstracts of
declaratory statements, 1877-89 (in Fort Worth); and abstracts of
desert land entries, 1877-92 (in Fort Worth). Records (in Fort
Worth, except as noted) of the Roswell land office (1889-1925),
including tract books, 1889-1925; serial register books, 1908-25 (in Denver); register of
certificates issued on cash entries, 1890-1906; a record of
rejected claims, 1890-1903; and abstracts of cash and final cash
certificates, 1875-89, desert land entries, 1889-98, and timber
culture entries, 1878-89. Records (in Denver, except as noted) of
the Santa Fe land office (1858-1954), including letters received,
1908-49; serial register books, 1908-56; tract books, 1856-1956;
registers of homestead entries, donation entries, mining entries,
timber culture entries, and desert land entries, 1858-1908;
registers of receipts, 1868-1906; contest dockets, 1921-46;
selection lists, 1930-51; patent conveyance case files, 1922-52;
and abstracts of homestead entries, 1868-89 (in Fort Worth).
Records (in Denver) of the Tucumcari land office (1908-22) and
its predecessor at Clayton (1892-1908), including tract books, 1892-1908; serial register
books, 1908-21; and registers of homestead entries and desert
land entries, 1889-1907.
49.9.21 Records of North Dakota land offices
Textual Records (in Denver): Records of the Bismarck land office
(1874-1948), including tract books, 1874-1950; serial register
books, 1908-50; registers of homestead entries, 1874-1908,
including entries from the Dickinson land office; state selection
lists, 1905-10; and land entry case files, 1908-50. Records of
the Devil's Lake land office (1884-1913) and its predecessor at
Creelsburg (1883-84), including tract books, 1883-1913; serial
register books, 1908-13; registers of homestead entries and
timber culture entries, 1883-1902; state selection lists, 1892-
96; and land entry case files, 1908-13. Records of the Dickinson
land office (1904-25), consisting of tract books, 1904-25; serial
register books, 1908-25; registers of desert land entries, 1904-
8, and timber culture entries, 1886-91; abstracts of homestead
entries, 1907-8; and land entry case files, 1908-25. Records of
the Fargo land office (1874-1913) and its predecessor at Pembina
(1870-74), including serial register books, 1908-12; registers of
homestead entries, 1881-1908; state selection lists, 1894-1906;
and land entry case files, 1908-12. Records of the Grand Forks
land office (1880-1905), including registers of homestead entries
and timber culture entries, 1880-1905. Records of the Minot land
office (1890-1922), including tract books, 1891-1922; serial
register books, 1908-22; registers of homestead entries, 1891-
1906; state and indemnity selections, 1898-1905; and land entry
case files, 1908-12. Records of the Williston land office (1906-
22), consisting of tract books, 1906-22; serial register books,
1908-22; abstracts of homestead entries, 1906-8; and land entry
case files, 1908-22.
49.9.22 Records of Ohio land offices
Textual Records (in Chicago): Records of the Wooster land office
(1816-40) and its predecessor at Canton (1808-16), consisting of
credit applications, 1806-11. Records of the Chillicothe land
office (1801-76), consisting of credit applications, 1801-13;
credit certificates, 1801-11; and credit final certificates,
1813-24. Records of the Cincinnati land office (1801-40),
consisting of credit applications, 1817-28; and credit
certificates, 1803-11. Records of the Steubenville land office
(1800-40), consisting of credit certificates, 1806-11. Records of
the Zanesville land office (1804-40), consisting of credit
certificates, 1800-11.
49.9.23 Records of the Oklahoma land offices
Textual Records (in Fort Worth): Local tract books for Oklahoma,
1892-1926.
49.9.24 Records of Oregon land offices
Textual Records (in Seattle): Records of the Portland land office
(1905-27) and its predecessor at Oregon City (1854-1905),
consisting of letters received by the register and receiver,
1858-1915; Oregon Donation Land Claims land entry papers, 1853-
1900; registers of cash sales and land entries, 1857-1908; Oregon
and California Railroad selection lists, 1870-1920; lists of
state selections, 1857-1908; and Indian allotment registers for
the Grand Ronde Indian Reservation, 1891-1904, and the Siletz
Reservation, 1873-1904. Records of the Roseburg land office
(1860-1948) and its predecessor at Winchester (1855-60),
consisting of letters received by the register and receiver,
1859-1910; Oregon Donation Land Claims land entry papers, 1857-
80; registers of cash sales and land entries, 1863-1908; Oregon
and California Railroad selection lists, 1870-1920; register
for public domain Indian allotments under Section 4 of the
General Allotment Act, 1892-1901; publications, 1942-80;
interagency, advisory, or international committee files, 1948-61;
and management plans for public lands, 1946-62.
Records of The Dalles land office (1875-1948), consisting of correspondence, 1930-48;
registers of cash sales and land entries, 1875-1908; lists of
state selections, 1875-1908; register for Indian allotments under
Section 4 of the General Allotment Act, 1891-1921; and Fort
Dalles military reservation town lot lists, 1882-1908. Records of
the La Grande land office (1867-1925), consisting of registers of
cash sales and land entries, 1867-1908; lists of state
selections, 1851-1910; Indian allotment lists for lots on the
Umatilla Indian Reservation, 1891-93; and Pendleton town lot
lists, 1883-1905. Records of the Lakeview land office (1877-1948)
and its predecessor at Linkville (1873-77), consisting of
correspondence, 1908-48; registers of cash sales and land
entries, 1896-1908; lists of state selections, 1884-1909; Oregon
and California Railroad selection lists, 1901-20; and register of
public domain Indian allotments for absentee Wyandotte Indians
under Section 4 of the General Allotment Act, 1900-7.
49.9.25 Records of South Dakota land offices
Textual Records (in Denver): Records of the Aberdeen land office
(1882-1911), consisting of tract books, 1892-1911; a register of
homestead entries, 1891-1908; abstract of scrip locations, n.d.;
and a record of patents delivered, 1903-6. Records of the Belle
Fourche land office (1909-25), consisting of serial register
books, 1908-30. Records of the Chamberlain land office (1890-
1913), consisting of serial register books, 1908-13; and register
of homestead entries, 1890-1908. Records of the Gregory land
office (1909-22) and its predecessors at Vermillion (1861-73),
Sioux Falls (1873-79), and Mitchell (1880-1909), including serial
register books, 1908-30; registers of homestead entries, 1863-71,
and timber culture entries, 1873-95; and abstracts of cash
entries, 1862-73, and of warrant and scrip locations in Dakota
Territory, 1864-80. Records of the Huron land office (1882-1908),
including tract books, 1882-1908; registers of homestead entries
and final certificates, 1882-1908; and registers of Sioux Indian
Lands homestead final certificates and final receipts, 1896-1907.
Records of the Lemmon land office (1908-22), consisting of serial
register books, 1908-26. Records of the Pierre land office (1890-
1948), including registers of letters sent, 1901-17, and
received, 1905-37; tract books, 1890-1940; serial register books,
1908-51; registers of homestead entries, 1905-8; registers of
Sioux Indian Lands homestead entries and final certificates,
1890-1905; and a register of Lower Brule Lands homestead entries,
1907-8. Records of the Rapid City land office (1889-1925) and its
predecessor at Deadwood (1887-88), consisting of tract books,
1877-88; serial register books, 1908-30; registers of homestead
entries and mineral entries, 1879-1908; registers of applications
for mineral patents, 1877-1908; and a record of patents
delivered, 1880-1908. Records of the Timber Lake land office
(1911-18), consisting of serial register books, 1908-28. Records
of the Watertown land office (1879-1907) and its predecessor at
Springfield (1870-79), consisting of registers of cash receipts
and homestead receipts, 1870-91; registers of timber culture
entries, 1873-94, and timber culture final certificates, 1894-
1904; register of final certificates issued, n.d.; abstracts of
agricultural college scrip, 1870-81; index to letters received,
1882-86; record of Sioux lands sold under Presidential
proclamation, 1881; and state selection lists, 1894-97. Records
of the Yankton land office (1872-93), consisting of registers of
homestead entries, 1891-93; registers of timber culture entries,
1873-92, and timber culture final receipts, 1882-93; abstracts of
military bounty land warrants, 1873-89, and declaratory
statements, 1872-91; and agricultural college scrip locations,
1872-93.
49.9.26 Records of Utah land offices
Textual Records (in Denver): Records of the Salt Lake City land
office (1869-1959), including registers of cash entries and
homestead entries, 1869-1908; abstracts of desert land entries
and final certificates, 1877-1908; and abstracts of agricultural
college scrip entries, 1870-89, and military bounty land warrant
and scrip locations, 1869-1907. Records of the Vernal land office
(1905-27), consisting of townsite tract books, 1905-50; and
schedules of allotments to Uintah, White River Ute, and
Uncompahgre Ute Indians of the Uintah reservation, 1897-98, 1905.
Consolidated Salt Lake City-Vernal records, including tract
books, 1870-1959; and canceled land entry case files, 1908-29.
49.9.27 Records of Washington land offices
Textual Records (in Seattle): Records of the (New) Olympia land
office (1890-1915), consisting of correspondence, 1908-15; state
selection lists, 1892; and registers of land entries and cash
sales, 1890-1908. Records of the Spokane Falls (Spokane) land
office (1883-1949) and its predecessor at Colfax (1876-83),
consisting of correspondence, 1902-54; indemnity school land
selections, 1906; and registers of cash sales and land entries,
1882-1927. Records of the Vancouver land office (1861-1925),
consisting of correspondence, 1908-25; and abstracts of land
entries and cash sales, 1861-1914. Records of the Walla Walla
land office (1871-1925), consisting of correspondence, 1911-25;
and registers of land entries and cash sales, 1871-1925. Records
of the North Yakima land office (1885-1925) and its predecessor
at Yakima (1880-85), consisting of correspondence, 1905-25; and
registers of land entries and cash sales, 1880-1913. Records of
the Waterville land office (1890-1925), consisting of
correspondence, 1908-25; registers of land entries and cash
sales, 1890-1908; and register of public domain Indian allotments
under Section 4 of the General Allotment Act, 1900. Records of
the Seattle land office (1887-1927) and its predecessor at
Olympia (1855-87), consisting of correspondence, 1907-27;
registers of land entries and cash sales, 1898-1908; and register
of public domain Indian allotments (mostly to Skagit Indians)
under Section 4 of the General Allotment Act, 1893-1910.
49.9.28 Records of Wisconsin land offices
Textual Records (in Chicago): Records of the Wassau land office
(1872-1925) and its predecessor at Stevens Point (1853-72),
consisting of press copies of letters sent, 1888, 1905.
49.9.29 Records of Wyoming land offices
Textual Records (in Denver): Records of the Buffalo land office
(1887-1950), including letters received from the Commissioner,
1934-46; tract books, 1888-1940; enlarged homestead, 1909-40, and
stockraising, 1925-40, designations; combined abstracts of cash
entries and coal land sold, 1880-1908; and registers of homestead
entries, homestead final certificates, and desert land final
entries, 1888-1908. Records of the Cheyenne land office (1870-
1950), including letters received from the Commissioner, 1890-
1946, with a register, 1905-11; registers of homestead entries,
1870-1908, final receipts, 1900-8, and final certificates, 1874-
1902; registers and other records relating to mineral lands,
1876-1908, timber culture, 1874-1903, coal lands, 1881-1908, and
desert lands, 1877-1924; land entry contest dockets, 1907-18; and
record of published notices for final proof, 1921-25. Records of
the Douglas land office (1890-1925), including tract books, 1890-
1925; registers of homestead entries and final certificates,
1890-1908; abstracts of desert land entries, 1891-1908; and
contest dockets, 1911-23. Records of the Evanston land office
(1876-1950), including letters received from the Commissioner,
1908-37, with a register, 1905-41; tract books, 1877-1940;
combined abstract of cash entries and coal cash certificates,
1878-1908, with register and indexes; registers of homestead
entries, entry receipts, and final certificates, 1878-1908, with
indexes; registers of mineral patent applications and mineral
land entries, 1882-1907; records relating to coal lands, 1877-
1908; records relating to desert lands, 1877-1908; and closed serialized land entry case
files,
1908-42. Records of the Lander land office (1890-1927), including letters received
from the Commissioner, 1926-27; tract books, 1890-1927; registers
of homestead entries, 1890-1908, homestead entries on Shoshone
Indian land, 1906-8, and homestead final certificates, 1890-1908;
records relating to mineral and coal lands, 1891-1908; registers
of timber culture entries and final certificates, 1890-1901;
desert land entry abstracts and final certificate registers,
1890-1908; and register of cash certificates issued for entries
made on ceded Shoshone and Wind River Indian lands, 1906-8.
Records of the Newcastle land office (1920-25) and its
predecessor at Sundance (1890-1920), consisting of letters
received from the Commissioner, 1911-18. Records of unidentified
or various land offices, including tract books, 1890-1920; land
grant files, 1871-1921; enlarged homestead designations, 1909-41;
and stockraising designations, 1918-41.
Maps (371 items, in Denver): Wyoming oil fields, 1920 (21 items).
Right-of-way and railroad land grant plats, 1874-1927 (350
items). SEE ALSO 49.16.
49.10 RECORDS OF BOARDS OF TOWNSITE TRUSTEES
1889-1930
History: Boards of townsite trustees were established for
Oklahoma and Alaska in accordance with statute law and
implementing GLO regulations to facilitate urbanization in newly
opened areas of the public domain. GLO Circular Instructions,
July 9, 1886, in effect at the time of the Oklahoma land rush,
provided that pursuant to acts of March 2, 1867 (14 Stat. 541),
and March 3, 1877 (19 Stat. 392), lands actually occupied as
townsites could be entered as such by municipal officials (for
incorporated towns) or by county judges (for unincorporated
communities), acting as trustees for the occupants. Alaska
townsite trustees were governed by the act of March 3, 1891 (26
Stat. 1095), and implementing GLO Circular of July 11, 1899,
which provided that all townsite entries be made by trustees
appointed by the Secretary of the Interior. The boards of
townsite trustees were required to file for lands through the
local land offices.
49.10.1 Records of Alaska boards of townsite trustees
Textual Records (in Anchorage): Townsite deed and register books,
minutes, and other records of boards of townsite trustees for
Cordova, 1923-25; Craig, 1924-29; Douglas, 1918-19; Eagle, 1903-
19; Fairbanks, 1911-22; Haines, 1917-19; Hyder, 1924-27; Juneau,
1921-24; Ketchikan, 1912-30; Nome, 1904-11; Petersburg, 1919-20;
Sitka, 1927-29; Skagway, 1908-12; Tenakee, 1925-26; Valdez, 1911-
13; and Wrangell, 1909-19.
49.10.2 Records of Oklahoma boards of townsite trustees
Textual Records (in Fort Worth): Proceedings of boards of
townsite trustees ("Minutes"), docket books, assessment ledgers,
records of accounts, cash entry books, records of lots purchased
("Block Diagrams"), and other records of Townsite Boards No. 1-4,
6-7, 9-10, and 12-14, relating to townsites in Alva (Townsite
Board No. 10), 1893-95; Blackburn (Townsite Board No. 13), 1894-
95; Blackwell (Townsite Board No. 14), 1894-95; Choctaw City
(Townsite Board No. 2), 1893-95; Cleo (Townsite Board No. 10),
1894-95; Downs (Townsite Board No. 6), 1891-92; Edmond (Townsite
Board No. 2), 1891; El Reno (Townsite Board No. 4), 1891-96; Enid
(Townsite Board No. 9), 1891-97; Frisco (Townsite Board No. 7),
1891-94; Guthrie (Townsite Board No. 6), 1890-99; Hennessey
(Townsite Board No. 3), 1891-97; Jonesville (Townsite Board No.
6), 1898; Kingfisher (Townsite Board No. 3), 1890-97; Lexington
(Townsite Board No. 4), 1890-94; Mulhall (Townsite Board No. 1),
1891; Newkirk (Townsite Board No. 14), 1894-97; Norman (Townsite
Board No. 4), 1889-1902; Noble (Townsite Board No. 4), 1890-91;
Oklahoma City (Townsite Board No. 2), 1890-95; Pawnee (Townsite
Board No. 13), 1893-96; Perkins (Townsite Board No. 1), 1891;
Perry (Townsite Board No. 6), 1893-1909; Reno City (Townsite
Board No. 3), 1891; Round Pond (Townsite Board No. 12), 1893-98;
Stillwater (Townsite Board No. 6), 1890-91; and Woodward
(Townsite Board No. 6), 1893-1913. Fragmentary records of
Anadarko, Hobart, and Lawton, established as county seats, August
6, 1901, pursuant to the act of March 3, 1901 (31 Stat. 1093),
opening the Kiowa, Comanche, Apache, and Wichita ceded lands to
settlement, n.d.
49.11 RECORDS OF THE RANGE DEVELOPMENT SERVICE (RDS)
1939-48
History: Established within the GLO pursuant to the Taylor
Grazing Act amendments (49 Stat. 1976), June 26, 1936, to
administer a range improvement program for tracts of land not
included within the Taylor Act Grazing Districts administered by
the Grazing Service. Transferred to BLM upon establishment of
that agency by merger of GLO and Grazing Service, 1946. (SEE
49.1.) Functions of RDS transferred to BLM Branch of Range
Management by BLM Administrative Order No. 3, May 16, 1947, with
bureau regional administrators assigned responsibilities formerly
vested in the Chief, RDS.
Textual Records: General administrative files, 1939-47. Range
improvement and soil and moisture conservation files, 1939-48.
49.12 RECORDS OF BLM REGIONAL OFFICES
1866-1954 (bulk 1927-51)
History: Regional system in place by mid-1947. Patterned after
that of the Grazing Service, with seven regional offices,
designated as Region 1, ID, OR, and WA (Portland, OR); Region 2,
CA and NV (San Francisco, CA); Region 3, KS, IA, MO, MT, NE, ND,
SD, and WY (Billings, MT); Region 4, CO and UT (Salt Lake City,
UT); Region 5, AZ, AR, LA, NM, OK, and TX (Albuquerque, NM);
Region 6, MN and all states east of the Mississippi River
(Washington, DC); and Region 7, AK (Anchorage, AK). In 1950 the
western boundary of Region 6 was extended to include IA and MO
(from Region 3) and AR and LA (from Region 5). In 1954 the
existing regions were abolished. Region 6 was redesignated as the
Eastern States Office. The remaining states were organized into
four area offices. (SEE 49.13.) Regional offices supervised
district grazing, land, and forestry offices within their
jurisdictions.
Textual Records (in San Francisco): Records of the Regional
Office, Region 2, including general correspondence, 1947-51;
Manzanar and Tule Lake Relocation Center disposal files, 1945-48;
records relating to the court case, U.S. v. U.S. Borax Company,
1942-47; records of the Regional Cadastral Engineer, including
index to field notes of surveys of Mount Diablo, San Bernardino,
and Humboldt Meridians, 1906-50; register of appointment of U.S.
mineral surveyors, 1906-50; and register of certificates of
deposit for mineral surveys, 1915-51. Records absorbed by the
Region 2 Land Planning Division from the San Francisco office of
the GLO Field Examination Branch (1942-46) and its predecessors
in the GLO Field Service (1909-32) and Division of
Investigations, Department of the Interior (1933-42), including
general correspondence, 1933-45; investigative case files, 1927-
45, with index (57 ft.); railroad selection (clear) lists, 1866-
1945; general administrative files, 1917-40; records relating to
evaluation and administration of the Taylor Grazing Act, 1928-41;
and schedules of various land office serial case numbers for
conversion to Sacramento and Los Angeles land office case
numbers, 1924-36. Records of the Nevada Land and Survey Office,
Region 2 (Reno, NV), including records of land entry serial
numbers, 1948-54; records of patents, 1913-53; and mineral survey
certificates of deposit, 1912-48.
Maps (50 items, in San Francisco): Copies of plats of NV state
boundary surveys, 1912-48, consolidated at the Nevada Land and
Survey Office (Reno, NV). SEE ALSO 49.16.
49.13 RECORDS OF BLM STATE OFFICES
1853-1990
History: Regional offices were abolished, 1954. Old Region 6
became the Eastern States Office, with headquarters in
Washington, DC (Silver Spring, MD, 1967-79, Alexandria, VA ,
1979- ). The remaining states were organized into area offices,
designated as Area 1, OR and WA (Portland, OR); Area 2, (AZ, ID,
NV, and UT (Salt Lake City, UT); Area 3, CO, KS, MT, NE, NM, ND,
OK, SD, TX, and WY (Denver, CO); and Area 4, AK (Anchorage, AK;
Juneau, 1957-61). Under the area offices (except in Area 4) were
individual state offices headed by state supervisors. Area
offices were abolished, May 1961, and state offices (some with
multistate jurisdiction) became under state directors the highest
level in the BLM regional structure, with responsibility for
range, forest, and land management, and for supervision of
district offices.
State offices and headquarters, 1954-61: AZ (Phoenix), CA
(Sacramento), CO (Denver), ID (Boise), MT (Billings), NV (Reno),
NM (Santa Fe), OR (Portland), UT (Salt Lake City), WA (Spokane),
WY (Cheyenne). There were no separate state offices for KS, NE,
ND, OK, SD, and TX. These states were administered directly out
of the Area Office for Area 3.
State offices, headquarters, and jurisdictions, 1961- :
Office |
Headquarters |
Jurisdiction |
Alaska |
Anchorage |
AK |
Arizona |
Phoenix |
AZ |
California |
Sacramento |
CA |
Colorado |
Denver |
CO, KS (1983-85 only) |
Idaho |
Boise |
ID |
Montana |
Billings |
MT, ND, SD |
Nevada |
Reno |
NV |
New Mexico |
Santa Fe |
KS (from Colorado, 1985), NM, OK, TX |
Oregon |
Portland |
OR, WA |
Utah |
Salt Lake City |
UT |
Wyoming |
Cheyenne |
KS (to Colorado, 1983), NE, WY |
49.13.1 Records of the Alaska State Office
Textual Records (in Anchorage): Field notes for surveys of the
Fairbanks base line, 1910; for townsite surveys, 1900-10; for
rectangular surveys, 1914-77; for metes and bounds surveys, 1892-
1976; for mineral surveys, 1896-1976; and for U.S. Coal Surveys,
1907-8. Serialized case files for canceled and relinquished land
transactions, ca. 1865-1969. Townsite tract books for Anchorage,
1914-64; Aniak, 1952-65; Baranof, 1956-60; Bethel, 1963-77; Birch
Lake, 1958; Buffalo Center, 1954-56; Cantwell, 1958-59; Cordova,
1925-33, 1953-63; Craig, 1924-29; Dillingham, 1950-64; Douglas,
1918-19; Eagle, 1909-10, 1963; Fairbanks, 1911-22, 1938-39, 1958-
60; Fort Yukon, 1956-64; Girdwood, 1923-62; Graehl, 1922-25;
Haines, 1918, 1953-62; Hoonah, 1933-78; Hyder, 1924-37; Juneau,
1921, 1962-63; Kake, 1948-78; Kasilof, 1963-64; Kenai, 1951-66;
Ketchikan, 1912-25, 1958-69; Kodiak, 1945-64; Kotzebue, 1955-69;
Loring, 1966-71; McGrath Pass, 1950; Nenana, 1916-61; Ninilchik,
1957-78; Nome, 1905-11; Pelican, 1949-58; Petersburg, 1919-20,
1942-64; Portage, 1949-52; Saxman, 1952-68; Seldovia, 1931-69,
1955-77; Seward, 1916-55; Sitka, 1927-29, 1953-66; Skagway, 1909-
12; Talkeetna, 1919-23, 1936-58; Tanacross, 1963; Tanana, 1958-
62; Teller, 1957-64; Tenakee, 1925-26; Tok, 1951-56; Unalaska,
1940-63; Valdez, 1912-13; Wasilla, 1918-51; Whittier, 1942;
Wrangell, 1909-19, 1933-66; and Yakutat, 1953-78.
Maps (3,922 items, in Anchorage): Numbered survey plats for metes
and bounds surveys, 1892-1976 (2,716 items); mineral surveys,
1885-1974 (445 items); and coal surveys, 1885-1977 (761 items).
SEE ALSO 49.16.
49.13.2 Records of the Arizona State Office
Textual Records (in Denver, except as noted): Commissioner's
letters, 1903-62. Serial register books, 1908-70. Tract books,
ca. 1875-1959. Contests, patents, and state selections, 1968-70.
Land entry case files, 1970. General reports, 1918-44. Sale and lease case files, 1940-41.
Closed right-of-way files, 1965-76. Correspondence, 1955-59, and miscellaneous case files,
1955-61, of the State Supervisor (in Los Angeles). Patent conveyance files, 1916-56 (in Los
Angeles). Right-of-way case files, 1955(in Los Angeles). Mineral survey case files, 1965-69
(in Los Angeles). Patent files-allowed, 1919-64 (in Los Angeles). Patent files-
rejected, 1963-64 (in Los Angeles). Rejected land applications,
1906-46 (in Los Angeles). Cancelled land applications, 1908-50
(in Los Angeles). Land contest files, 1910-59 (in Los Angeles).
Patented land files, 1910-59 (in Los Angeles). Forest exchange
files, 1916-40 (in Los Angeles). Right-of-way files, 1908-46
(in Los Angeles).
49.13.3 Records of the California State Office
Textual Records (in San Francisco, except as noted): Correspondence,
1937-62, and issuances, 1962-81, of the Office of the State Director. Resource Study 1981-85
(in Los Angeles). Impact studies, 1965-74. Cooperative agreements, 1944-71. Enviromental
studies and plans, 1967-77. Records of the Branch of Cadastral Surveys, including group
survey case files, 1910-76; mineral survey case files, 1906-65; supplemental
plat survey case files, 1954-63; index to mineral claim surveys,
1916-57; lot book, Mount Diablo Meridian, 1869-1958; and register
of homestead entry surveys in national forests, 1909-62. Files of the
Grazing Service Advisory Board, 1966-69.
Records of the Land and Minerals Program and Land Office Division,
including contest case files absorbed and updated from the Region
2 and Sacramento District Offices, 1903-72 (85 ft.); and records
relating to forest rehabilitation, 1957-64. Township tract books
consolidated by the state office and covering GLO land districts,
including Eureka, 1856-1970; Independence, 1866-1972; Marysville,
1861-1970; Redding, 1870-1971; Sacramento, 1870-1971, including
mineral claims, 1872-1963; San Francisco, including oil and gas
leases, 1853-1975; Stockton, 1863-1966; Susanville, 1871-1974;
and Visalia, 1866-1974. Patented land entry case files, 1963-74.
Unpatented land entry case files, 1908-74. GLO land status
inventory of federally owned land, 1940-41, updated for Monterey
County only, 1961-62. Records relating to river basin studies
conducted by the Federal Power Commission and the Corps of
Engineers, San Francisco District, 1948-63.
Maps (15,762 items, in San Francisco): Township survey plats
consolidated and continued by the state office from GLO land
offices, including Eureka, 1860-1970 (770 items); Independence,
1857-1971 (990 items); Marysville, 1853-1970 (1,155 items);
Redding, 1855-1973 (1,210 items); Sacramento, 1859-1976 (1,760
items); San Francisco, 1907-71 (1,595 items); Stockton, 1854-1970
(990 items); Susanville, 1867-1950 (715 items); and Visalia,
1855-1950 (715 items). Mineral survey plats continued from the
Sacramento land office, 1882-1972 (5,832 items). Relief maps of
withdrawn land, 1960-61 (30 items). SEE ALSO 49.16.
49.13.4 Records of the Colorado State Office
Textual Records (in Denver): Records relating to hearings, 1960-
72. Survey records, 1960-77. Records relating to contests, 1960-
67. Right-of-way files, 1964. Records relating to land patents,
1965-68. Records of the Denver Service Center, including technical
studies and resource management plans, 1964-71. Field investigation
case files, 1920-40.
49.13.5 Records of the Idaho State Office
Textual Records (in Seattle): Township plats, 1892-1952. Tract
books, 1877-1934. Group survey case files, 1923-70. Serialized
case files for canceled and relinquished transactions, 1908-65.Land acquisition files, 1936-38. Public relations files, 1952-75.
Unit resource analysis, 1964-82. Cooperative agreements,
1979-90. Resource Activity Plan (RAP) records, 1983-91.
History files, 1966-84.
49.13.6 Records of the Montana State Office
Textual Records (in Denver): Closed contested mineral cases,
1961-64. Mineral survey files, 1946. Mineral rights transfer case
files, 1940-60. Contests, 1964. Hearings, 1967-69. Records
relating to land exchanges, 1954-57. Color of title actions,
1908-23. Serialized patent case files, 1963-68. Resource
development records, 1967. Cooperative agreements and
memorandums of understanding, 1939-81. School land
selection cases, 1905-20. Closed contested mineral case
files, 1905-20. Case files for sale or withdrawal of public
land, 1962-73. Long range program and management plans,
and records of advisory boards, 1959-70. Index cards to closed
land use applications, 1907-43. Records relating to state advisory
boards, 1940-78. Studies, publications, and resource inventories,
1956-81. Records of the Dillion Resource Area, including
environmental assessment reports, 1972-81; and improvement
projects, 1939-63.
49.13.7 Records of the Nevada State Office
Textual Records (in San Francisco): General administrative files,
1950-66. Issuances, 1963-71. Records of various advisory boards,
1962-72. Press releases and informational brochures, 1964-72. Records relating to "special
situations," including management of wild horses, 1948-70. Records relating to
grazing and range management, 1935-66; to grazing hearings and
appeals, 1937-71; and to range conservation and improvement,
1941-63. Serialized land entry case files, 1908-74 (410 ft.).
Patented land entry case files, 1964-71. Mineral claim and survey
case files, 1920-70 (95 ft.). Contest case files, 1930-67.
Township tract books, 1864-1964.
Maps (14,873 items, in San Francisco): Triplicate original
township survey plats, consolidated and continued by the state
office, 1861-1962 (4,400 items). Mineral survey plats, 1867-1970
(9,773 items). Connecting sheets, 1920-70 (700 items). SEE ALSO
49.16.
Aerial Photographs (5 items, in San Francisco): Palisades fire,
Elko District, August 18, 1964. SEE ALSO 49.16.
49.13.8 Records of the New Mexico State Office
Textual Records (in Denver): Register's correspondence relating
to homestead and other applications and final certificates, 1908-43.
Contest docket sheets, 1909-25. Case files relating to land
exchanges, 1950-64; terminated rights-of-way, 1951-63; color of
title actions, 1950-69; patent conveyances, 1951-57; and
contested land entries, 1955-56. Records relating to Branch of Soil and
Moisture Conservation programs, studies, and reports, 1937-54.
Interagency cooperative agreements and memorandums of understanding,
1950-79. Withdrawals and adverse proceedings against mining
claims within the Alamagordo and Ordcit bombing ranges, NM,
1942-55. Records relating to Federal legislation affecting public
land in New Mexico, 1954-75. Records relating to land planning,
cooperative, and advisory boards, 1940-76. School land
indemnity and lieu selection case files, 1909-56. Patent files,
1961-69. Studies and reports, 1939-81. Job Corps plans, correspondence and reports relating
to construction and operation of Job Corps camps, 1963-65. Serial register and log sheets,
1962-75. Records of the Denver Service Center, including plans
and reports relating to land withdrawals for Air Force defense
installations, 1963-83.
49.13.9 Records of the Oregon State Office
Textual Records (in Seattle): Tract books for OR and WA, 1867-
1960. Township plats for OR and WA, 1862-1972. Land office serial
books and serialized case files for canceled and relinquished
transactions for OR and WA, 1908-54. Group survey records of OR
and WA, 1910-69. Land office serial books, 1908-54. Proposed
legislation and regulation files, 1934-58. Right-of-way case files,
1942-49. Public relations files, 1934-53. Directives, 1959-71.
Cooperative relations files, 1954-60. Oxbow fire plot records, 1967.
Records of the Division of Resources, including committee files,
1937-79; and real property improvements and development files,
1968-74. Records of the Branch of Engineering, including final
construction project files, 1960-70.
49.13.10 Records of the Utah State Office
Textual Records (in Denver): Registers of serialized land
entries, 1956-68. Contested land entries, 1955-66. Records of
advisory boards, 1942-68. Group survey files, 1910-66. Notices of
location for mining claims, 1909-68. Watershed studies, 1954-69.
Mineral survey files, 1955-67. Records of withdrawals, 1965. Land
patent records, 1967.
49.13.11 Records of the Wyoming State Office
Textual Records (in Denver): Records relating to hearings, 1967.
Right-of-way files, 1959, 1968. Land exchange records, 1959. Townsite survey plats,
1870-1969. Mineral survey and patent registers, and related records, 1869-1936. Indian
allotment schedules, 1860-1960. Serial register pages and logs, 1950-86.
Townsite serial log book, 1909-72.
49.14 RECORDS OF BLM DISTRICT OFFICES
1855-1988
History: BLM adopted the field office structure of its
predecessors, including their district land offices, grazing
offices, and forestry offices. They were gradually consolidated
and redesignated as or superseded by multipurpose district
offices.
49.14.1 Records of Arizona district offices
Textual Records (in Los Angeles): Records of the Phoenix District
Office, including serialized land entry case files, 1919-64 (240
ft.); rejected or withdrawn patent applications, 1908-47; cancelled or
relinquished patent allowed entries, 1908-47; patent contest files,
1909-35; right of way case files, 1908-63;
case files of contested mining claims, 1899-1968; subject
files of district advisory boards, 1943-70; engineering field
notebooks, 1953-69; property conveyance allowed files, 1936-63; property conveyance contest
files, 1916-63; and property conveyance rejected files, 1961-62.
Records of the Safford District Office, including wilderness
inventories, 1979. Records of the Yuma District Office, including
long range management plans, 1970-75.
49.14.2 Records of California district offices
Textual Records: Records (in Los Angeles) of the Bakersfield
District Office, including abandoned or closed range improvement
project files, 1935-69; environmental impact and assessment
reports, 1979-88; environmental analysis files, 1980-84;
publications, 1968-74; real property improvement and
development files, 1960-76; and organization and history files,
1975-76. National Resources Planning Board project
inventory summaries, 1943-48; records of the National, 1955-69,
State, 1949-73, and District, 1939-70, Advisory Boards; and
miscellaneous records relating to grazing, 1954-67. Records (in
Los Angeles) of the Los Angeles District Office, including
serialized land entry case files, 1908-61 (1,017 ft.); field case
files, 1922-60; case files of mining and grazing claims affected
by the construction of the Friant and Shasta Dams as part of the
Central Valley Project, 1935-61; records concerning Joshua Tree
National Monument, 1933-64; case files and other records relating
to BLM efforts to regain title to lands required for military
purposes, 1940-64; case files of contested mining claims, 1936-
64; range improvement records, 1942-60; and San Bernardino
Meridian land entry records, including field case files, 1945-60,
tract and small tract registers, 1941-61, and small tract
classification files, 1940-69. Records (in San Francisco) of the
Redding District Office, consisting of general correspondence,
1951-64; cadastral survey correspondence, 1956-70; and range
resource development and conservation case files, 1941-65,
including case file of the California 6-S (Mount Hebron seeding)
project, 1942-61. Records (in Los Angeles) of the Riverside
District Office, including serialized land entry case files,
1961-70; Mount Diablo Meridian townsite case files, 1948-64,
quitclaim deed files, 1942-69, trespass case files, 1953-70;
and Advisory Committee activity files, 1975-84; and San Bernardino Meridian township tract
books, 1870-1972, small tract books, 1941-64; propose plan information, 1981; and resource
management plans, 1978-81. Records of the Sacramento District
Office, including records of land entries, 1908-66 (342 ft.).
Records of the Susanville District Office, including general
correspondence, 1936-69; press releases, 1938-74; forage and
range surveys, 1959-64; records of cooperative agreements, 1960-
62; range improvement project files, 1935-65; and case files of
hearings and appeals, 1956-69. Records of the Ukiah District
Office, consisting of range improvement and conservation case
files, 1941-60; forest development records, 1959-66; press
releases, 1963-76; and road, trail, and bridge construction
project files, 1963-72. Records of the California Desert District
Office (Riverside), including desert oral history, 1975-77;
archaeology site inventory-mixed gem field data books, 1975;
and memorandums of understanding, 1971-86.
Maps (3,552 items, in Los Angeles): San Bernardino Meridian
preliminary survey plats, 1953-61 (32 items), maintained by the
Los Angeles District Office. San Bernardino Meridian mineral
survey plats, 1877-1973 (640 items), and township survey plats,
1855-1970 (2,880 items), maintained by the Riverside District
Office. SEE ALSO 49.16.
49.14.3 Records of Idaho district offices
Textual Records (in Seattle): Records of the Boise District
Office, including grazing appeals and Job Corps project records,
1964-73. Records of the Burley District Office, including grazing
appeals, grazing association correspondence, advisory board
minutes, and range improvement case files, 1938-67; advisory
board files, 1980; and YCC (Youth Conservation Corps) and
YACC (Young Adult Conservation Corps) program records,
1980. Records of the Coeur d'Alene District Office, including forest inventories,
1958-65; and river basin planning records, 1962-71. Records of
the Idaho Falls District Office, consisting of grazing appeals,
1956-66; range conservation project case files, 1941-59; and environmental assessment
studies; 1975-78. Records of the Malad Resource Center, including grazing operator
case files, 1936-70.
Records of the Shoshone District Office, consisting of grazing
appeals case files, 1946-71; and advisory
board files, 1940-65, 1974-80.
49.14.4 Records of Montana district offices
Textual Records (in Denver): Records of the Miles City District
Office, consisting of range condition and trend studies, 1954-64;
case files for appeal and trespass cases, 1956-63; and abandoned
work programs, 1965-67.
49.14.5 Records of Nevada district offices
Textual Records (in San Francisco, except as noted): Records of
the Battle Mountain District Office, consisting of grazing
appeals records, 1953-66. Records of the Carson City District
Office, consisting of grazing appeals, 1935-70. Records of the
Elko District Office, consisting of range management records,
1938-51; grazing advisory board election records, 1938-56;
grazing hearings and appeals, 1960-63; and lieu land selection
case files, 1913-55. Records of the Ely District Office,
including narrative historical reports, 1938-70; range surveys,
1941-65; range resource development and conservation records,
1944-66; environmental assessments, 1974-77; and grazing appeals
records, 1916-71 (bulk 1940-71). Records (in Los Angeles) of the
Las Vegas District Office, including range improvement project
case files, 1936-67; grazing range studies, 1936-60; forage
inventory and survey sheets, 1957-65; directive files, 1969-76;
range surveys, 1963-67; and Redrock Canyon master plan and
draft, 1975. Records of the Winnemucca
District Office, including general administrative files, 1936-66;
range adjudication survey records, 1936-64; minutes of grazing
advisory boards, 1935-65; and grazing appeals, 1935-68.
Aerial Photographs (76 items, in Los Angeles): Army Map Service
aerial range survey photographs of the Delamar, Panaca, Tule, and
Clover Mountain Units (1954), used by the Las Vegas District
Office in its forage surveys, 1957-65. SEE ALSO 49.16.
49.14.6 Records of the New Mexico district offices
Textual Records (in Denver): Records of the Albuquerque
district office, including interdepartmental Rio Grande Board
committee studies, 1934-38; correspondence relating to
grazing district boundaries, 1933-34; correspondence relating
to establishment and modification of grazing boundaries,
1936-44; records relating to grazing land valuations, patents,
and exchanges, 1935-47; correspondence relating to valuation
and exchange of grazing land, 1936-46; inspection and
classification reports pertaining to the Stockraising Homestead
Act, 1918-20; range improvement project reports, 1935-48;
and index cards to closed Homestead and other entries, 1908-50.
Records of the Las Cruces District Office, including land disposal
case files, 1946-58; watershed studies, resources inventories, and
environmental analysis, 1940-81; contested grazing case files and
related hearings, 1934-54; and records relating to field inspections,
trespass cases, and advisory boards, 1969-71.
49.14.7 Records of Oregon district offices
Textual Records (in Seattle): Records of the Baker District Office,
including lot allotment case files, 1937-72. Records of the Baker
Resource Area, including range and fire reports, 1939-65; fire
records, 1957-70; and records of the interagency, advisory or
international committees, 1949-74.
Records of the Burns District
Office, including range permits, grazing appeals case files,
right-of-way case files, and advisory board minutes, 1934-61.
Records of the Coos Bay District Office, including forest
inventory and timber sale records, right-of-way and easements
for timber access roads, 1951-72; public relations files, 1973; and final report
of youth conservation program, 1980. Records of the Eugene District
Office, consisting of forest inventories and records of timber
access road construction, 1947-67; public relations files, 1972-73;
advisory board minutes, 1945-53; improvement and development
files, 1942-59; press releases, 1974-75; and historical files,
1980-81. Records of the Medford District Office, including forest inventories, 1920-44,
1958-65; timber access road right-of-way case files, 1948-71; public relations files,
1968-73; and environmental assessments, 1975-83. Records
of the Salem District Office, including Oregon and California
(O&C;) revested lands land exchange records, O&C; Advisory Board
minutes, forest inventories, and forest resource studies, 1940-
71. Records of the Tillamook District Office, consisting of
grazing appeal case files, 1936-69. Records of the Vale District
Office, consisting of advisory board minutes, 1935-71; livestock
association cooperation case files, 1954-67; Vale Project (range
restoration) reports and work plans, 1962-68; range improvement
case files, 1939-72; grazing appeals, 1936-69; resource
development and conservation project case files, 1939-71; and wild horse management files,
1959-82. Records of the Lakeview District Office, including range improvement case
files, adjudicated grazing case files, range surveys, and grazing
appeals case files, 1943-69; and advisory board files, 1977.
49.14.8 Records of Utah district offices
Textual Records (in Denver): Records of the Cedar City District
Office, including records of advisory boards, 1939-62; and
resource development and conservation records, 1944-63. Records
of the Moab District Office, including advisory board records,
1935-70; resource development and conservation records, 1935-
66; and originating planning records for Canyonlands National Park
in southern Utah, 1962. Records of the Price District Office,
consisting of watershed plans, timber contracts, and grazing trespass
case files, 1949-63; records relating to range improvement programs,
1957-63; and studies and reports, 1939-59. Records of the Richfield District Office,
consisting of advisory board records, 1941-67. Records of the Salt Lake City
Office, consisting of registers of serialized land entries, 1908-
57 (33 ft.). Records of the Vernal District Office, consisting of
registers of serialized land entries, 1908-57.
49.15 RECORDS OF OTHER FIELD ACTIVITIES
1859-1993
49.15.1 Records of the Oregon and California Railroad
Revested Lands Administration
History: Established in the GLO, June 1, 1938, pursuant to an act
of August 28, 1937 (50 Stat. 874), assigning administrative
responsibility for Oregon and California Railroad Company
revested lands to the Department of the Interior. These were
lands originally granted to the railroad by an act of July 25,
1866 (14 Stat. 239), but to which the Federal Government
reasserted title by an act of June 9, 1916 (39 Stat. 218),
following a successful court proceeding against the railroad for
violation of the provisions of the original land grant.
Textual Records (in Seattle): Tract books, 1859-1967. Historical
data files, 1914-59.
49.15.2 Records of the Boise Interagency Fire Center,
ID
History: Established in the BLM, April 1, 1965, as a cooperative
venture of the BLM, National Park Service, Bureau of Indian
Affairs, Fish and Wildlife Service, and Forest Service. Provides
nationwide logistical support in the suppression of forest and
range fires, including support to the states and, through the
Department of State, to foreign countries.
Textual Records (in Seattle): Original fire reports, 1939-63. Fire reports
for AK, CA, CO, ID, MT, NM, OR, SD, UT, WA, and WY, 1964-78. History files, 1974. Interagency
training, documents, 1976-93.
49.16 CARTOGRAPHIC RECORDS (GENERAL)
1827-1992
Maps (5,789 items): Administrative maps showing activities of the
agency, historical acquisition of the public domain, principal
meridians and baselines used in the establishment of the township
and range system, the format to be used in printing township
plats, and locations of surveys planned for the United States and
Alaska during selected years, 1909-46 (18 items). "Standard
published" (SP) maps, issued in updated editions by both the GLO
and the BLM, of the United States and individual states and
territories, showing the extent of public surveys, land purchases
and cessions by the Federal Government, township and range lines,
private land claims and grants, Indian and military reservations,
national parks and forests, railroad land-grant limits, and the
locations of land offices and offices of the surveyors general,
1873-1964 (460 items). Set of SP maps arranged into an atlas of
the public land states, 1876 (19 items). Reference maps used in
the compilation of the published state maps, 1903-40 (317 items).
"Special published" (P) maps showing routes of principal
explorations in the United States, the progress of public land
surveys for specific years, Federal Government reservation
boundaries, locations of abandoned military reservations, Indian
lands, and selected coal, gas, and oil fields, 1836-1946 (360
items). "Published boundary" (PB) maps, many relating to the
Oklahoma-Texas boundary dispute along the Red River, 1827-1926
(29 items). Plans of federal reserves for the protection of
native birds and certain national monuments, with attached copies
of Presidential proclamations and Executive orders authorizing
their establishment, 1903-26 (88 items). Maps relating to land
classification in parts of the western states, annotated to show
withdrawals of public lands, dates of proclamations authorizing
the withdrawals, names of persons leasing land on grazing
districts in AZ, and certain vacant lands, ca. 1916-45 (116
items). County highway maps annotated to show federally owned
lands in the western states except AZ, from an inventory project
begun under the National Resources Committee, 1939, and continued
by the GLO, 1940-46 (1,219 items). Atlases of Alaska, showing
federal land withdrawals and reservations, 1952, 1958 (120
items). Surveys of the LA coast, 1954-57 (41 items). Published
Surface Management Status, Surface Minerals Management Status,
and Wilderness Status maps of the public land states, printed by
the Geological Survey for the BLM, 1974-89 (3,000 items).
Map and legal description of the land withdrawn under the Waste
Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Land Withdrawal Act of January 3,
1992 (PL 102-579), 1990-92 (2 items).
Aerial Photographs (700 items): LA coast, made in connection with
a study of submerged lands, 1953-54.
SEE Maps UNDER 49.3.2, 49.3.4, 49.3.6, 49.3.7, 49.3.10, 49.3.14,
49.6.1, 49.6.4, 49.7.2, 49.7.5, 49.7.7, 49.7.8, 49.7.9, 49.7.11,
49.7.13, 49.8.3, 49.9.5, 49.9.12, 49.9.19, 49.9.29, 49.12,
49.13.1, 49.13.3, 49.13.7, and 49.14.2.
SEE Aerial Photographs UNDER 49.13.7 and 49.14.5.
Finding Aids: Laura E. Kelsay, comp., List of Cartographic
Records of the General Land Office, SL 19 (1964).
49.17 MOTION PICTURES (GENERAL)
1956-ca. 1970
14 reels
Public Information films and spot announcements reflecting the
Bureau of Land Management's protection and management of the
nation's land and natural resources, 1956-ca. 1970.
49.18 STILL PICTURES (GENERAL)
1893-1982
Photographs (12,676 images): BLM and predecessor agency
activities in the western United States, including Alaska, 1893-
1982 (WLM, 12,581 images). GLO Commissioners (1814 to 1933),
including photographs of paintings and engravings, 1965 (CP, 24
images). Ferry Lake, LA, ecological survey, 1914 (FL, 71 images).
Photographic Prints (626 images): Oil fields, derricks,
equipment, people, and communities in CA, in albums, some taken
by Frank C. Ashton, and used in a GLO investigation, 1898-1900
(KRA, 183 images). Settlers at the opening of the Cherokee Strip
in OK, panel cards taken by W.A. Flowers, Guthrie, OK, and
collected by Anthony Rice, Chief of the Homestead Division, 1893
(AR, 24 images). Geological formations and conditions in CA, 1916
(DC, 384 images). War Relocation Centers, Manzanar and Tule Lake,
CA, 1946 (RC, 35 images).
Color Slides and Transparencies (1,000 images): BLM and predecessor
agency activities in the western United States, including Alaska, 1953-63 (SWL).
Bibliographic note: Web version based on Guide to Federal Records in the National Archives of the United States. Compiled by Robert B. Matchette et al. Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 1995.
3 volumes, 2428 pages.
Ordering information
This Web version is updated from time to time to include records processed since 1995.
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