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Florida Research Outline |
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Table of Contents
Records Of The Family History Library
Family History Library Catalog
Archives And Libraries
Bible Records
Biography
Cemeteries
Census
Church Records
Court Records
Directories
Emigration And Immigration
Gazetteers
Genealogy
History
Land And Property
Maps
Military Records
Naturalization And Citizenship
Newspapers
Periodicals
Probate Records
Taxation
Vital Records
For Further Reading
Comments And Suggestions
LAND AND PROPERTY
Florida was a disputed possession of England, France, and Spain in turn until it finally became a possession of the United States in 1821. A board of land commissioners for West Florida was established in 1822 and for East Florida in 1823 to process claims to lands previously granted by other nations. These documents, as well as land ancestries and homestead
Florida eventually became a public domain
After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were recorded by the clerk of the circuit court, who was the county recorder. In some counties land records were recorded by a county court or a county judge.
The Family History Library has land records from many Florida counties. These include deeds
The University of Florida in Gainesville has the largest collection of Florida maps. The Florida State University also has a sizable map collection.
The Family History Library has a small collection of maps dating from the colonial era and other maps made by the General Land Office
The U.S. Military Records Research Outline (34118) provides more information on federal military records and search strategies.
Many military records are found at the Family History Library, the National Archives, and other federal and state archives. The United States Research Outline provides more information about the federal records. For Florida the following sources are also very helpful:
An index to compiled military service records for Indian Wars and disturbances from 1815 to 1858 is at the Family History Library (FHL films 882753-94). The index includes soldiers who served in the Seminole and Florida Wars The library also has an index to Indian Wars pension files, 1892 to 1926 (FHL films 821610-21). The index includes those soldiers who served between 1817 and 1898. The actual pension files have not been filmed and are only at the National Archives.
Soldiers from Florida served in both the Union and the Confederate armies. The Family History Library and the National Archives have the following:
FHL films 880103-106
FHL films 880001-9
FHL films 006718-885
FHL film 006717
State militia records for the Confederate period are at the state arsenal in St. Augustine. For information, write to:
The compiled military service records of volunteer soldiers who served in the Florida Infantry are at the National Archives and the Family History Library (FHL films 1314126-38). Published rosters are found in Soldiers of Florida in the Seminole Indian Civil and Spanish-American Wars (Live Oak, Fla.: Democrat Book and Job Print, 1909; FHL book 975.9 M2s; film 988193).
World War I draft registration cards United States. Selective Service System. Florida, World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918
Colonial Land Grants
records, are at the Florida State Archives. The Family History Library has microfilm copies of some of the archive's files, including:
A helpful publication is Phillip W. McMullin, Grassroots of America (Salt Lake City: Gendex Corp., 1972; FHL book 973 R2ag index; fiche 6051323). This indexes claims to U.S. land which are transcribed in the American State Papers (on microfilm at the Family History Library).
Federal Land Grants
state. The first general land office was established at Tallahassee in 1825. Original patents and copies of tract books and township plats are located at the Bureau of Land Management (Eastern States Office, 7450 Boston Blvd., Springfield, VA 22153; Telephone: 703-440-1600, Fax: 703-440-1609). The National Archives has donation and land entry case files and an index to pre-1908 patentees who did not file private claims.
County Land Records
, homesteads, mortgages, plat books, order books, and tract books. For example, the Family History Library has 51 microfilms of Orange County deeds (1843-90), and deed indexes (early-1937).
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MAPS
and by the U.S. Geological Survey.
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MILITARY RECORDS
Indian Wars (1815-1858)
, 1817 to 1818 and 1835 to 1842. The compiled military service records for the Florida War, 1835 to 1858, are also available (beginning on FHL film 1303446).
Civil War (1861-1865)
Compiled service records
FHL films 1299987-97
Index to service records
FHL film 821727
Index to pension records
FHL films 540757-541300
(Pension records are only at the National Archives)
Adjutant General
Department of Military Affairs
Attn.: M.I.L.P.
P.O. Box 1008
St. Augustine, FL 32085-1008
Telephone: 904-823-0315
Fax: 904-823-0309
Spanish-American War (1898)
World War I (1917-1918)
for men ages 18 to 45 may list address, birth date, birthplace, race, nationality, citizenship, and next of kin. Not all registrants served in the war. For registration cards for Florida see:
To find an individual's draft card, it helps to know his name and residence at the time of registration. The cards are arranged alphabetically by county, within the county by draft board, and then alphabetically by surname within each draft board.
Most counties had only one board; large cities had several. A map showing the boundaries of individual draft boards is available for most large cities. Finding an ancestor's street address in a city directory will help you in using the draft board map. There is an alphabetical list of cities that are on the map. For a copy of this map see:
United States. Selective Service System. List of World War One Draft Board Maps. Washington, D.C.: National Archives. (FHL film 1498803.)
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