TENNESSEE LAND RECORDS COMPLEX
(Please be aware this post was written in 2003 and published at that time in the Houston Chronicle (Houston, Texas) newspaper. Some of the news in this post, therefore, may not be current. Current and future posts on this blog may revisit and update news on this and other posts on this blog. If you have questions and/or suggestions, please send Mic a note using the comment page -Don’t forget to use the orange “subscribe” button to receive new posts-Thanks, Mic)
Land records in most states are based either on the State Land method measured by metes and bounds (distances and boundaries) or the rectangular Public Land system where the federal government pre-measured each piece of land by townships and ranges creating uniform sections of land.
Initially a part of the colony of North Carolina land in Tennessee was granted to citizens of North Carolina and former North Carolina soldiers of the Revolutionary War as payment for their military service. In 1785 the United States made an agreement with North Carolina to take over land in what was then Western North Carolina and included it in the area called the Territory South of the River Ohio. To confuse the situation further the State of Tennessee was created in 1796.
On top of land being granted by the colony and state of North Carolina, the United States of America and the state of Tennessee there were other problems. Title to lands owned by Indians had to be extinguished and there were boundary disputes with North Carolina, Virginia and Kentucky.
If all this sounds confusing there is a book that will help the befuzzled researcher. Irene M. Griffey, a Certified Genealogist who specializes in Tennessee research, has published Earliest Tennessee Land Records and Earliest Tennessee Land History. The book is available for $48.50, postpaid, from the Clearfield Company, publishers, 200 East Eager Street, Baltimore, MD 21202 or on their website at http://www.genealogical.com/ .
In her book Griffey explains in great detail the problems mentioned above which will help researchers understand how to conduct their research. Included, also, are abstracts in tabular format of approximately 16,000 of the earliest Tennessee land records in existence. For each record given the name of the claimant, the file number, the name of the assignee (if any), the county, number of acres, grant number, date, entry number, entry date, land book and page number, and stream nearest to the grant. The volume concludes with an appendix consisting of maps and a detailed chronology of Tennessee’s land statutes.
MYFAMILY.COM WEBSITES CHARGEABLE
In a possible growing trend, MyFamily.Com, one of the major genealogical website servers, last week notified owners of websites on their domain they must upgrade to a paid website or risk having limited access to their website. The upgrades will begin taking effect June 23. Initially people will be able to access sites but not view photographs. Nothing was stated concerning what will happen to sites not upgraded by June 23.
About five years ago Ancestry.Com changed their corporate name to MyFamily.Com and began offering free websites to individuals and groups wishing to maintain a family group website. The site offered many online amenities in a web-community style atmosphere. While websites were free to website owners and users MyFamily.Com sold advertising which was displayed on websites. The company states advertising revenues did not cover the cost of operations.
MyFamily.Com is offering first year discounts to those upgrading their websites. A standard website will offer 100MB of space for $9.95 and $29.95 thereafter and a Super Site of 500MB for $89.95 the first year and $109.95 in subsequent years.
Both Standard and Super Sites offer unlimited family memberships to the website, a domain account, email accounts for members and no pop-up ads. They also allow for event announcements, family newsletters, family name directory, scrapbooks, photos and online chats. For more information visit http://MyFamily.Com .
LULING HOSTS HOOVERSON
The Caldwell County Genealogical and Historical Society will host their annual seminar from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday July 12 at the First United Methodist Church, Magnolia at Bowie Streets in Luling.
The featured speaker will be Richard L. Hooverson of Belton. His topics will include Citing Evidence, Techniques for Using Pre-1850 Census Records, Using Maps, Atlases and Gazetteers and Using Ship and Passenger Records.
Cost of the seminar is $25. For more information visit the society website at http://www.rootsweb.com/~txcaldwe/seminar.htm , email them at ccg&hsoc@bcsnet.net or telephone them at 830-875-9466.
NIFTY FIFTY CELEBRATES 20th CENTURY ARCHITECTURE
The Texas Historical Commission’s (THC) Nifty Fifty Survey is designed to celebrate the architecture of the last fifty years and draw attention to buildings and sites built after 1950 worthy of future historic preservation and designation. More than one hundred fifty nominations from across the state ranging from strip shopping malls to stadiums have currently been received and many more are expected.
Buildings constructed for any purpose may be nominated including cultural, industrial and recreational. The deadline for nominations is August 31. For more information contact Chase Robertson at 512-463-6183 or visit the THC website at http://www.thc.state.tx.us to nominate a structure.
A panel of architectural and history experts will review the nominations and announce their final list of the most nifty fifty buildings in the state in the Fall. The list will serve as a preservation resource for structures threatened with demolition.
