United States, Homestead Final Certificates - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States

What Is in This Collection?
Homestead Final Certificates from twenty-five General Land Offices. The certificates are part of Record Group 49 Records of the Bureau of Land Management located in the National Archives in Washington, D.C. The certificates are arranged by land office then numerically by certificate number. The National Archives Identification Number (NAID) is included below. At present images have been published for the land offices Arizona.

 Land Offices Published in This Collection **
 * Alaska	Juneau	1902-1908, 1-90 NAID 6037952
 * Alaska	Nome	1907, Unarranged NAID 6037958
 * Alaska	Sitka	1899-1902, 1-42	 NAID 6037971
 * Arizona	Phoenix	1905-1908, 1-312	NAID 6207719**
 * Arizona	Prescott	1871-1905, 1-853	NAID 6106282**
 * Arizona	Florence/Tucson	1875-1905, 1-1472	NAID 6210139**
 * Illinois	Springfield	1863-1876, 1-76	NAID 7551458
 * Indiana	Brookville/Indianapolis	1875-1909, 1-33	NAID 5725823
 * Iowa	Kanesville/Council Bluffs	1863-1875, 1-196	NAID 5725732
 * Iowa	Fort Dodge	1863-1874, 1-874	NAID 5725774
 * Iowa	Sioux City 	1863-1878,1-4966	NAID 5725738
 * Iowa	Des Moines	1863-1908, 1-2,802	NAID 5725780
 * Ohio	Chillicothe	1863-1876,1-110	NAID 5681064
 * Nevada	Elko	1872-1877, 1-30	NAID 7551461
 * Nevada	Carson City 	1864-1908, 1-432	NAID 7551460
 * Nevada	Austin & Eureka	1868-1893, 1-137	NAID 7551462
 * Utah	Beaver City	1876-1877, 1-16	NAID 7551463
 * Utah	Salt Lake City 	1868-1946,1-8096	NAID 7551465
 * Utah	Vernal	1905-1927, 2-18	NAID 7551466
 * Wyoming Cheyenne	1871-1908, 1-2298 	NAID 7551468
 * Wyoming	 Evanston	1788-1908, 1-1477	 NAID 7551470
 * Wyoming	Lander	1890-1908, 1-926	NAID 7551471
 * Wyoming	Buffalo	1888-1908, 1-1611	NAID 7551467
 * Wyoming	Sundance	1890-1908, 1-1286 	NAID 7551472
 * Wyoming	Douglas	1890-1908, 1-1034	 NAID 7551469

Additional states and descriptive information may be added to this collection.

 Related Publications 
 * Roberta King. Homestead Records: Cancelled, Contested, and Relinquished Entries. NGS Magazine 34 #1 (January-March 2008): 46-49.
 * Kenneth Hawkins, comp. Research in the Land Entry Files of the General Land Office. NARA Reference Information Paper 114

 Related Collections 
 * Public Land Survey Township Plats, 1789 - 1946 NAID 566647 RG 49 Records of the Bureau of Land Management

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Records may contain any of the following:


 * Name of applicant
 * Date
 * Application and final certificate numbers
 * Description and location of land
 * Names of witnesses, family members or neighbors
 * Birth information
 * Previous residences
 * Occupations
 * Marital status
 * If applicant has filed for multiple homesteads

How Do I Search This Collection?
To begin your search it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the applicant
 * The date of application

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select State
 * 2) Select Land office name
 * 3) Select Record type to view the images.

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the name, location, and date to find the family in census records
 * Use the description and location of land to find the family in other land records
 * Use the description and location of land to find the family in probate records

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * If you are unable to find the ancestors you are looking for, check for nearby land owners with similar or variant spellings of the surnames
 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names
 * Look for another index. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties
 * Try alternative search methods such as only filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You could then browse the list for individuals that may be your ancestor

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the United States.
 * United States Guided Research
 * United States Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies

Related Family History Library Holdings

 * Bureau of Land Management, Card files
 * Bureau of Land Management, land patent records, part 1, ca. 1795-2012
 * Bureau of Land Management, land patent records, part 2, ca. 1795-2012
 * Bureau of Land Management, land patent records, part 3, ca. 1795-2012
 * Bureau of Land Management, land patent records, part 4, ca. 1795-2012
 * Bureau of Land Management, land patent records, part 5, ca. 1795-2012
 * Bureau of Land Management, land patent records, part 6, ca. 1795-2012
 * Bureau of Land Management, land patent records, part 7, ca. 1795-2012
 * Bureau of Land Management, land patent records, part 8, ca. 1795-2012
 * Bureau of Land Management, land patent records, part 9, ca. 1795-2012
 * Library of Congress Geography and Map Division. Land ownership maps
 * U.S. General Land Office. Field notes from selected General Land Office township surveys. NARA T1240
 * Abstracts of Oregon donation land claims, 1852-1903
 * Bureau of Land Management. Eastern States Office. Card Files

Related FamilySearch Historical Record Collections

 * United States, Cancelled, Relinquished, or Rejected Land Entry Case Files, 1861-1932
 * United States Bureau of Land Management Tract Books, 1800-c. 1955

How Can I Contribute to the FamilySearch Wiki?
Estados Unidos, Certificados Finais de Herdade (Registros Históricos do FamilySearch)