R E S E A R C H   G U I D A N C E

Nevada
Research Outline
   

Table of Contents
Records Of The Family History Library
Family History Library Catalog
Archives And Libraries
Bible Records
Biography
Business Records And Commerce
Cemeteries
Census
Church Records
Court Records
Directories
Emigration And Immigration
Gazetteers
Genealogy
History
Land And Property
Maps
Military Records
Native Races
Naturalization And Citizenship
Newspapers
Periodicals
Probate Records
Taxation
Vital Records
Voting Records
For Further Reading
Comments And Suggestions

LAND AND PROPERTYLook this term up in the glossary.


Land Office RecordsLook this term up in the glossary.

When the United States acquired Nevada, the federal government distributed unclaimed land through the U.S. Government Land Office (GLO). The first local office was established in Carson City in 1864. Others were in Elko, Eureka, and Reno. The local offices kept tract booksLook this term up in the glossary. (records for each section of land) and township platsLook this term up in the glossary. (maps of land entries for each township).

Land was generally obtained through cash payment, called cash entryLook this term up in the glossary., or by meeting certain conditions of settlement, such as homesteadingLook this term up in the glossary.. The original tract books, plats, homestead entries, and cash entry records are available at the National Archives. The National Archives also has an index to cash entry files and homestead records prior to July 1908.

Other land office records, such as patentsLook this term up in the glossary., land tractsLook this term up in the glossary., and township plats, from about 1861 to 1964, are available at the National Archives—Pacific Sierra Region (San Bruno). Patents and copies of tract books are also at:

Bureau of Land Management
850 Harvard Way
Reno, NV 89502
Telephone: 702-785-6402
Fax: 702-785-6634
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 12000
Reno, NV 89520-0006

County RecordsLook this term up in the glossary.

After land has been transferred from government to private ownership, subsequent transactions, including deedsLook this term up in the glossary. and mortgagesLook this term up in the glossary., are recorded by the county. You can obtain a copy of a county land record by writing to the county recorder. The Family History Library does not have copies of these records.


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MAPSLook this term up in the glossary.

The libraries of the University of Nevada—Reno and the University of Nevada—Las Vegas have large collections of maps and atlasesLook this term up in the glossary.. The Nevada State Library and Archives also has a good map collection.

Maps of the Nevada area in 1862, 1878, 1884, and 1917 are on FHL film 002083. The Family History Library has a small collection of individual maps.


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MILITARY RECORDSLook this term up in the glossary.

The U.S. Military Records Research Outline (34118) provides more information on federal military records and search strategies.

Many military records are available 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.

The Nevada State Library and Archives has an excellent collection of military records, including:

  • Muster rollsLook this term up in the glossary. from the 1860s to 1902
  • Nevada State MilitiaLook this term up in the glossary. records beginning in 1865
  • National GuardLook this term up in the glossary. records
  • Selective Service cards from World War I to the Vietnam War


Civil WarLook this term up in the glossary. (1861-1865)

An index to service records of UnionLook this term up in the glossary. army volunteers is on FHL film 821939. The library also has the index to the pension applications. The serviceLook this term up in the glossary. and pensionLook this term up in the glossary. records are available at the National Archives.

A special census was taken in 1890 of Union veterans of the Civil War and their widows (FHL film 338198; index in book 979.3 X22jv 1890).


World War ILook this term up in the glossary. (1917-1918)

Biographical sketches of soldiers who lost their lives during the war are in Nevada's Golden Stars (Reno: Nevada Adjutant General's Office 1924; FHL film 1000195 item 2).

World War I draft registration cardsLook this term up in the glossary. for men age 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 Nevada, see:

United States. Selective Service System. Nevada, World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. National Archives Microfilm Publications, M1509. Washington, D.C.: National Archives, 1987-1988. (On FHL films beginning with 1711534.)

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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