ABOUT THE COUNTY ABSTRACTS Supporting Documentation For Online Abstracts of Original Texas Land Titles The following document supports the use of online versions of the Texas General Land Office's Abstracts of Original Texas Land Titles. The Online Abstracts were taken from the published text: ABSTRACT OF ALL ORIGINAL TEXAS LAND TITLES COMPRISING GRANTS AND LOCATIONS TO AUGUST 31, 1941, General Land Office, Austin, Texas. Volumes 1 to 8. This supporting document was assembled from online materials of the Texas General Land Office with the help of their archivists. CONTENTS: A. Display of Online Abstract Files B. Description of Columns of Online Abstracts C. General Information - Records of Land Grants After 1836 D. Categories of Land Grants in Texas E. General Information About Spanish and Mexican Records ================================================================= A. DISPLAY OF ONLINE ABSTRACT FILES The files contain plain-text ASCII characters except for a carriage-return/line-feed (CRLF) at the end of each line. The lines are variable in length, up to a maximum of 201 characters. the files can be parsed into a spreadsheet or sorted differently by using the column width information in the file header. ================================================================= B. DESCRIPTION OF COLUMNS OF ONLINE ABSTRACTS With the exception of a new first column to identify the county, the columns of the original abstracts have been maintained. 1. COUNTY: First six characters of county name, except for Coll'h (Collingsworth), Harr'n (Harrison), and Robe'n (Robertson). 2. ABST NO: Abstract number from the original 1941 Abstract book. This is a unique number within the county and the best way to identify a survey. 3. ORIGINAL GRANTEE: The name of the person receiving the original land grant and entitled to make the survey. (Spelling errors or variations may have occurred in transcribing the handwritten records). 4. CERT NO: Certificate Number assigned by the Board of Land Commissioners for this land grant certificate. Sometimes the certificate numbers will have fractions. This was simply an arbitrary system usually used by the GLO when issued duplicate certificates. 5. PATENTEE: Name of person to whom the patent was issued. 6. DATE OF PATENT: Date of issue of Patent. 7. PATENT NO: Sequential number of the Patent in the Patent Volume. 8. PATENT VOL: Patent Volume Number. Must be paired with column 14, CLASS, to be identifiable at the General Land Office. 9. SURVEY DESCRIPTION: Survey (section) number. Not necessarily unique. 10. BLOCK DESCRIPTION: Identification of a block number within the county, if applicable. 11. ACRES: Number of acres in the survey. 12. PORTION IN ADJ COUNTY (acres): Number of acres (out of the acreage in column 11) in the named adjoining county or counties. 13. PORTION IN ADJ COUNTY (name): Name of adjoining county or counties containing part of the land survey, same abbreviation as for Column 1. 14. CLASS: Classification of original land grant. See sections C-D, below, for more information on classes. The word Title appearing in the class column means the survey was a Mexican Title. 15. FILE NO: File Number to be paired with Class to designate a unique GLO file number. 16. REMARKS: Notes whether a survey was forfeited or canceled. Sometimes gives cross-reference to another survey or file. ================================================================= The following sections were taken from the World Wide Web pages of the Texas General Land Office in 1995. C. GENERAL INFORMATION - RECORDS OF LAND GRANTS AFTER 1836 Prior to Texas independence in 1836, Mexican colonization laws provided inexpensive land to attract settlers (For more infor- mation about records regarding lands granted under these laws, see "E. SPANISH AND MEXICAN RECORDS OF THE TEXAS GENERAL LAND OFFICE", below). Similar policies made land available under the Republic of Texas through headrights and military land grants. After annexation by the United States in 1845, Texas retained control of its public domain, unlike other western states, and continued to distribute its land. Before 1900, land was used by the government to secure and pay off debt, reward veterans, encourage the building of railroads and other forms of economic development, finance the public schools, and even to build its state capitol. One result of Texas' generous public lands programs was the cre- ation of extensive records documenting settlement in Texas - a wealth of information for historical research. These records include files on individual tracts of land, records of land certificates, claims files, maps, and many other useful sources of information about people and places in Texas. The Land Grant Process The land grant process under the republic and state involved three basic steps which resulted in different kinds of documents that may be found in files of the TGLO Archives: STEP 1: Individuals received a land certificate for a specified amount of land if certain qualifications were met. Texas created a variety of programs with different qualifications for land (see "D. Categories of Land Grants in Texas"). STEP 2: The grantee (person who was originally awarded the land certificate) or the assignee (person who owned the certificate) would locate available land from the public domain. Using the certificate, a grantee could have the desired land surveyed. The field notes, a written description of the survey, were sent to the Texas General Land Office and filed. STEP 3: After fulfilling any conditions of the grant, such as making improvements, and paying any required fees, the individual could then apply for a patent (the legal conveyance of title) from the Texas General Land Office. The basic documents concerning a land grant which may be found in the Archives are land certificates, field notes and patents. In addition, other legal instruments may be present such as certif- ificate transfers, duplicate certificates and powers of attorney. Depending on the type of certificate, there may be additional instruments. For instance, in certain cases evidence had to be presented by an individual in order to prove their claim for a certificate. This evidence is often in the form of affidavits and depositions. Several general characteristics of the land grant process are important to note: Land grant certificates were not issued for a specific tract of land. It was the responsibility of the certificate holder to find vacant public land, obtain a survey and apply for the patent. Land did not have to be located in the same county where the certificate was issued. For example, John Smith may have received a certificate in Harris County but actually located the survey in Travis County. A grantee could sell, or "assign", their land certificate to another individual. As a result, many people who received land certificates did not actually settle on the tract of land which bears their name. Individual Name Search If you are conducting research on an individual who may have been issued a land certificate, the research staff of the Archives and Records Division can conduct a search for any records that may be in the master index. This search covers the official records of Texas land grants, and will inform you of recorded land grants received by the individual, along with a summary of the documents in the files. When requesting this service, please indicate the name(s) to be searched and date(s) of immigration, if known. Land History Search If you are conducting research on a particular parcel of land and wish to know about the original grantee, please indicate the name of the grantee and location of land (county and legal description if known). The research staff will send a list of documents on file for that location from which you may then order copies. Potential researchers should be aware that records regarding any subsequent deed transfers of land after the original patent or title are not located at the Texas General Land Office and should be sought at the county level. Other Sources of Information about land grants in Texas: Thomas Lloyd Miller, The Public Land of Texas, 1519-1970. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1972. Land, A History of the Texas General Land Office. Austin: Texas General Land Office, 1992. ================================================================= D. CATEGORIES OF LAND GRANTS IN TEXAS CONTENTS Headright and Similar Land Grants First Class Headright, Second Class Headright, Third Class Headright, Fourth Class Headright, Pre-emption Grant Empresario Colonies in the Republic of Texas Peters' Colony, Fisher and Miller's Colony, Mercer's Colony, Castro's Colony Military Land Grants Bounty Grant, Donation Grant, Military Headright Grant, Republic Veterans Donation Grant, Confederate Scrip Loan and Sales Scrip Bryan Scrip, Sam Houston Scrip, Toby Scrip, White Scrip, James Erwin Scrip, First Loan Scrip, Funded Debt Scrip, General Land Office Scrip, Sales Scrip Internal Improvement Scrip Central National Road, Scrip for Building Steamboats, Steamships and Other Vessels Railroad Scrip, Industry Scrip, Navigation Scrip, Irrigation Canal Scrip School Land The End of Unappropriated Public Domain HEADRIGHT AND SIMILAR LAND GRANTS First Class Headright: Issued to those who arrived before March 2, 1836. Heads of families received one league (4,428 acres) and one labor (177.1 acres), while single men received 1/3 league (1,476.1 acres). Second Class Headright: Issued to those who arrived between March 2, 1836 and October 1, 1837. Heads of families received 1,280 acres, while single men received 640 acres. Third Class Headright: Issued to those who arrived between October 1, 1837 and January 1, 1840. Heads of families received 640 acres, while single men received 320 acres. Fourth Class Headright: Issued to those who arrived between January 1, 1840 and January 1, 1842. The amounts issued were the same as for third class headrights, plus the requirement of cultivation of 10 acres. Pre-emption Grant: Similar to the headright grants, pre-emption grants were made after statehood. From 1845 to 1854 homesteaders could claim 320 acres. From 1854 to 1856, and 1866 to 1898, up to 160 acres could be claimed. Homesteaders were required to live on the land for three years and make improvements (such as building a barn) in order to qualify for a pre-emption grant of 160 acres. EMPRESARIO COLONIES IN THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS Four contracts were made to designate "colonies" and bring immigrants to the Texas frontier. Contractors were to receive 10 sections of land for each 100 colonists introduced and up to half of the colonists' grants. Colonists were to receive grants similar in amount and requirements to fourth class headrights, with the requirement of placing 15 acres into cultivation. Peters' Colony - Several contracts were made, beginning in 1841 -- taken over by the Texas Land and Emigration Company. Located in north Texas. Fisher and Miller's Colony - Made in 1842, taken over by the Society for the Protection of German Immigrants, and later the German Immigration Company. Located in the hill country in the area of Fredericksburg. Mercer's Colony - Made in 1842 and the subject of serious legal problems due to conflicts with Peter's Colony. The contract was held invalid by the U.S. Supreme Court, 1882. Castro's Colony - Made in 1842. This as an Alsatian colony located south of San Antonio. MILITARY LAND GRANTS Bounty Grant - Grants awarded for military service during the revolution (law on 1837). Amount of land depended on length of service: 320 acres for each 3 months service up to 1,280 acres. Soldiers were also awarded 240 acres for guarding the frontier. 7,469 bounty grants were issued for 5,354,250 acres. Donation Grant - Grants issued for participation in specific battles during the war for independence. Those who participated in the siege of Bexar and the battle at San Jacinto (including the baggage detail at Harrisburg), and those who fell at the Alamo and Goliad were eligible for 640 acres. 1,816 donation warrants were issued for 1,162,240 acres. Military Headright Grant - Special grants issued to: (1) Soldiers arriving in Texas between March 2 and August 1, 1836 (2) Heirs of soldiers who fell with Fannin, Travis, Grant and Johnson (3) Those permanently disabled in the service of Texas Republic Veterans Donation Grant - A grant issued to veterans, or the widows of veterans, of the revolution and signers of the Declaration of Independence. Two laws were passed: (1) (Law of 1879) provided 640 acres, proof of indigency required (2) (Law of 1881) provided 1,280 acres, and the indigency requirement was dropped. The veteran was required to have received a bounty grant or have been entitled to one. This grant was repealed in 1887 with 1,278 certificates issued for 1,377,920 acres. Confederate Scrip - A grant created in 1881 providing 1,280 acres to confederate soldiers who were permanently disabled, or widows of confederate soldiers. This grant was repealed in 1883 with 2,068 certificates issued. LOAN AND SALES SCRIP Loan scrip was a land certificate issued to provide for or repay loans made to the government of Texas. Sales scrip was a land certificate directly sold to raise money for Texas. Most of this scrip was issued to cover costs of the war. The following is a list of the categories of scrip indicated with the name by which they were known. Bryan Scrip - Land scrip was issued to William Bryan equal to the amount of debts owed to him for loans made during the war for independence. December 6, 1836. Sam Houston Scrip - The president (Sam Houston) was authorized to negotiate a loan for $20,000 for the purpose of purchasing ammunition and munitions of war. To do this, he was authorized to sell a sufficient amount of land scrip at a minimum of $0.50 per acre to raise money for the loan. December 10, 1836. Toby Scrip - The president was authorized to issue scrip to the amount of five hundred thousand acres of land. This scrip was to be transmitted to Thomas Toby of New Orleans and sold at a minimum of $0.50 per acre. December 10, 1836. White Scrip - An agency was established in the city of Mobile, and David White was authorized as an agent of Texas to sell land scrip at a minimum rate of $0.50 per acre for the benefit of the government. December 10, 1836. James Erwin Scrip - On January 20, 1836, Stephen F. Austin, Branch T. Archer and William Warton contracted with James Erwin and others in New Orleans for a loan of $50,000. June 3, 1837. First Loan Scrip - The president of the Republic was authorized to issue land scrip to the stockholders as payment for the first loan to Texas "..to fulfill and carry into effect the contract of compromise made on April 1, 1836 between (the interim Texas government) and the stockholders in the first loan (for $200,000) negotiated in New Orleans on January 11, 1836." May 24, 1838. Funded Debt Scrip - Any holder of promissory notes, bonds, funded debt or any other liquidated claims against the government could "surrender the same, and receive in lieu thereof, land scrip." The scrip was issued at a rate equal to $2.00 per acre. February 5, 1841. General Land Office Scrip - The Commissioner of the General Land Office was authorized to issue land scrip at $0.50 per acre for the liquidation of the public debt of the late Republic of Texas. February 11, 1850. Sales Scrip - The Commissioner of the General Land Office was authorized to issue land scrip in certificates of not less than 160 acres at $1.00 per acre for the sale of the public domain. February 11, 1858. INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT SCRIP Central National Road - Under a law passed in 1844, various amounts were issued to road commissioners, surveyors and contractors for building a road from the Red River to the Trinity River in what is now Dallas. Certificates were issued for 27,716 acres. Scrip for Building Steamboats, Steamships and Other Vessels - Certificates for 320 acres were issued for building a vessel of at least 50 tons, with 320 acres for each additional 25 tons. Sixteen ships were built taking advantage of this 1854 law. Railroad Scrip - Several laws were passed beginning in 1854. Exact provisions varied, but generally an amount of land was offered for each mile of rail constructed. The Constitution of 1876 provided 16 sections per mile. Railroads were required to survey an equal amount of land to be set aside for the public school fund. Certificates were issued for 35,777,038 acres. Industry Scrip - For building factories. 320 acres were offered for each $1,000 valuation. 1863 law. Certificates were issued for 111,360 acres. Navigation Scrip - Several acts were passed beginning in 1854 for building ship channels, and improving rivers and harbors for navigation. Certificates were issued for various amounts of land for each mile completed. (For example, 320 certificates for 640 acres each were issued for building a ship channel 8 feet deep and 100 feet wide across Mustang Island). Certificates were issued for 4,261,760 acres. Irrigation Canal Scrip - Sections of land were provided based on the class of ditch as specified by acts passed in 1874, 1875 and 1876. Certificates were issued for 584,000 acres. All legislation authorizing internal improvement scrip was repealed in 1882. SCHOOL LAND Sale of the school lands began in 1874. Until 1905, the price, amount of land that could be purchased, method of purchase and eligibility requirements varied a great deal. Legislation in 1905 required that the school lands be sold through competitive bidding. Purchasers could buy a maximum of 4 sections with residence required in most counties, or 8 sections with no residence required in other designated (western) counties. The end of the unappropriated public domain: In Hogue v. Baker, 1898, the Texas Supreme Court declared that there was no more vacant and unappropriated land in Texas. In fact there was. As a result of the decision, a complete audit was ordered by the Legislature. The audit determined that the public school fund was short of the amount of land it should have had by 5,009,478 acres. In 1900 an act was passed "to define the permanent school fund of the State of Texas, to partition the public lands between said fund and the State, and to adjust the account between said fund and said state; to set apart and appropriate to said school fund, the residue of the public domain..." Thus, all of the remaining unappropriated land was set aside by the legislature for the school fund. ================================================================= E. GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT SPANISH AND MEXICAN RECORDS The Texas General Land Office is the repository of original Spanish and Mexican land titles in Texas. Along with a variety of associated materials, these records make up the Spanish Collection, which constitutes the primary source of documentation for land distribution in Texas prior to 1836. The Spanish Collection is also a rich source of information for studying the settlement of Texas and the activities in the empresario colonies prior to independence. The records encompass the period from 1720 to 1836, but the bulk of the material is from 1824-1836. Some of the most frequently sought records are discussed below. For other records and more detailed descriptions, see the individual finding aids. Nuevo Santander Auto de la general visita (Acts of the Visit of the Royal Commissioners): Transcribed from archives in Mexico, these volumes record the distribution of land by the royal Spanish commissioners in 1767 to the Rio Grande settlements of Laredo, Mier, Camargo, Revilla (later Guerrero), and Reynosa established by Jose de Escandon. About 170 of the porciones granted to individual settlers at that time are located within the present boundaries of Texas. The Texas General Land Office copies include a translation of the commissioners' proceedings. For an index to TGLO information on specific porciones and other Spanish and Mexican grants in this area, see Texas General Land Office, Guide to Spanish and Mexican Land Grants in South Texas. For a general history of these grants, see Florence Johnson Scott, Historical Heritage of the Lower Rio Grande. See also Carlos Castaneda, Our Catholic Heritage in Texas, 1519-1936. Land Titles: The Texas General Land Office contains files on some 35 large Spanish land grants in the area between the Nueces River and Rio Grande River, although only a few of the titles, in the form of testimonios (duplicate copies of the originals), are actually in the Land Office. Most of the Texas General Land Office documents on these grants pertain to their confirmation and patenting by the state of Texas. See Florence Johnson Scott, Royal Land Grants North of the Rio Grande, 1777-1821: Early History of Large Grants Made by Spain to Families in Jurisdiction of Reynosa which Became a Part of Texas after the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo 1848, for the history of several of these grants. Report of the Bourland and Miller Commission (1851): This report contains a summary of the findings and recommendations of the commissioners appointed in 1850 by the state of Texas to investigate Spanish and Mexican land titles south of the Nueces River. The commissioners' recommendations were the basis of the Confirmation Act of February 10, 1852. Province of Texas Land Titles: Approximately 60 titles from the Spanish period remain on record in the Texas General Land Office, most of them from the Nacogdoches area. The Texas General Land Office records include fewer than ten titles from the San Antonio and Bahia del Espiritu Santo areas. Mission Records regarding the Spanish missions include copies of titles (Concepcion, San Juan Capistrano and San Francisco de la Espada), inventories and correspondence. The records concern matters of ownership, disputes between missions and ranchers, secularization and distribution of Espada mission lands. The title to the San Jose Mission (1720), the oldest extant title to Texas land, is on loan to the Texas General Land Office from the Moody Foundation. Town Records: These files contain correspondence, field notes, and lists of settlers associated with the founding of San Marcos de Neve and Trinidad de Salcedo. Province of Chihuahua No originals or copies of Spanish land grants in this area have reached the TGLO. Records on several of these grants can be found in TGLO Bexar First Class Files and in El Paso County Sketch Files (located in the Texas General Land Office Surveying Division). For a history of grants in this area, see J.J. Bowden, Spanish and Mexican Land Grants in the Chihuahuan Acquisition. State of Tamaulipas Land Titles: Some 120 titles to land in Texas from the Mexican State of Tamaulipas have been recognized as valid. Of these, about 40 testimonios have been deposited in the Texas General Land Office. The land covered by these titles is between the Nueces and Rio Grande Rivers. Many of these grants are included in the "Report of the Bourland and Miller Commission." State of Coahuila and Texas Land Titles: The Spanish Collection contains over 3,700 titles issued by commissioners, alcaldes and political chiefs in Texas under the colonization laws of Coahuila and Texas. The titles generally contain the formal petition for land, a report on the petitioner, an order of survey, field notes and the title of possession. The titles are in Spanish; however, translations are available for many. The collection also includes approximately 1,400 unfinished titles which, nonetheless, often contain information of interest to genealogists. Original Field Notes: Closely associated with the land titles, these descriptions and sketches were prepared by the actual surveyors of the tracts. These field notes, written in English, can sometimes show features such as roads, homesites and Indian villages. The names of the chain carriers and markers are also frequently mentioned. Character Certificates: Most are dated 1834-1835 and were issued by local authorities in the Department of Nacogdoches to settlers who intended to petition for land grants in that area. Many are in English and may give place of origin, year of immigration, marital status, and size of the settler's family. Proof of good character was required before becoming eligible to receive land. See Gifford White, ed., Character Certificates in the Texas General Land Office of Texas for a compilation of the genealogical information in the character certificates, applications for admission, and unfinished titles. Applications and Certificates of Admission: The Spanish Collection includes a number of standardized applications for admission in Austin's colony. In most instances the information from these applications was also recorded in "Austin's Register of Families." Printed certificates of admission can be found with the titles issued to Green DeWitt's colonists. These certificates give the date of arrival in the colony, marital status, and size of the colonist's family. Registers of Families: Registers exist for settlers seeking admission in the colonies of Stephen F. Austin, Benjamin R. Milam, Sterling C. Robertson and Arthur Wavell. Individual entries may include place of origin, age, marital status, name of spouse, size of family and occupation. A typescript list of Commissioner Charles S. Taylor's orders of survey supplies similar information. The registers do not include all settlers admitted in these colonies. See Villamae Williams, ed., Stephen F. Austin's Register of Families. See also Gifford White, ed., 1830 Citizens of Texas for a compilation of information from Austin's "Register of Families." Correspondence: The Spanish collection includes approximately 2.5 linear feet of official correspondence on political affairs in Texas dating from 1821-1835. The largest group consists of letters and official communications to and from the political chief of Texas at Bexar, mostly regarding land matters. Correspondents include empresarios, alcaldes, the commandant general of the Eastern Interior Provinces and the governor of Coahuila and Texas. Another group of correspondence pertains to the political chief of Nacogdoches. Legal Documents, Decrees, Proclamations, Census Records, Official Appointments, Treaties, etc.: A large number of official documents are present which concern empresario contracts, slavery, Indian affairs, government and other subjects of significance during this period. Town Records: These records consist of the surveys of San Felipe de Austin, Gonzales and Victoria, and the title to town lots in Liberty and Victoria. Original Minutes of the Ayuntamiento of San Felipe de Austin (1828-1832) For a printed version of these minutes see the Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Vols. XXI, XXII, XXIII and XXIV. State of Chihuahua No original records of Mexican land grants in West Texas have reached the Texas General Land Office. Documents on the Mexican land grants confirmed in this area are found in the TGLO Bexar First Class Files. See J.J. Bowden, Spanish and Mexican Land Grants in the Chihuahuan Acquisition. Additional References Eugene C. Barker, ed., The Austin Papers. Henry Putnam Beers, Spanish and Mexican Records of the American Southwest. Malcolm McLean, ed., Papers Concerning Robertson's Colony in Texas. William Herman Oberste, Texas Irish Empresarios and Their Colonies: Power, Hewetson, McMullin and McGloin: Refugio and San Patricio. Virginia H. Taylor, The Spanish Archives of the General Land Office of Texas. =================================================================