Land records are the earliest, largest, and most complete type of record in the United States beginning when the colonists settled the land to show legal proof of ownership. With the opportunity of expansion west of the colonial states and because of the rural nature of America before 1850, as many as 90% of White men owned land, making the possibility of finding an ancestor in land records very high.

They show where an individual lived and the time period he lived there and may include other information such as a person’s age, the name of a spouse or an heir, parents, other relatives, and neighbors.

Land records can help separate individuals or families with the same surname.

We’ll work with land transfers, maps, deeds and much more.

Cost: $15.00 if a SCHRC member, $20.00 if not.