Collection Title:  Series 339:  Lists of State Lands.  1845-1885. (RG 29)

Creator: Office of the State Auditor (RG 29)

Collection Summary: A miscellaneous assortment of handwritten lists of lands belonging to or held by the state for taxes. The lists were created by the sheriff in their role as county tax collector and affirmed by the county clerk before being sent to the Auditor’s office for final verification. Information on each document varies, but may include: owner names, subdivisions, sections, townships, ranges, when sold to the state, acreage, and values. Each sheet is organized by county. 

Access Restrictions: None.

Date(s): 1845-1885.
Volume: 6.5 cubic feet.
Language(s): English.
Finding Aid Created By: Shaun Stalzer in March 2024

Record Group History: The Office of the State Auditor (RG 29) dates back to January 1805, when the Mississippi territorial legislature defined the major duties of the office as follows: “to examine, state, settle, and audit all accounts, claims, or demands arising under any laws or resolutions of the legislature; and to grant every authorized claimant a warrant on the treasurer making due entry and register of all his proceedings in a book to be kept for that purpose; and to carefully arrange, file, and preserve all accounts, receipts, vouchers, and papers touching the same.” When Mississippi became a state in 1817, the office of the auditor was enumerated as part of the executive branch in Article IV, Section 25, of the 1817 Constitution. The 1832 Constitution stipulated that the auditor was to be popularly elected to serve a two-year term, while the 1869 Constitution extended the term to four years.  In the modern era, the state auditor is responsible for auditing state agencies, county governments, school districts, and higher educational institutions. The office also: conducts data audits for public schools and monitors state agencies' inventory, advises local governments on accounting matters in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and investigates misuse of public funds.  

Collection Inventory:
Box Content

Box Number

Alcorn-Covington Co.: 1870-1879

3253

DeSoto-Kemper Co.: 1870-1879

3255

Lafayette-Oktibbeha Co.: 1870-1879

3257

Panola-Sunflower Co.: 1870-1879

3259

Tallahatchie-Union Co.: 1870-1879

3261

Bolivar-Yazoo Counties: 1870-1879

3263

Bolivar-Washington Co. (Levee Board): 1870-1879

3265

Alcorn-Yazoo Co. & miscellaneous papers: 1880-1885

3266

Adams Co.: 1867

29519

Bolivar Co.:  1866

29519

Chickasaw Co.: 1866-1867

29519

Claiborne Co.: 1872,  n.d.

29519

Kemper Co.: 1866

29519

1866

29519

Monroe Co.: 1866

29519

1866

29519

Sunflower Co.: 1849, 1852-1854, 1866-1867, 1871

29519

Sunflower Co. (formerly Washington Co.): 1848-1867

29519

Tippah Co.: 1874

29519

Washington Co.: 1866

29519

1849

29519

Lands belonging to state: 1873

29519

Lands held by state for taxes: 1874

29519

Lists of lands in Miss. & other states: 1857

29519

Tax collector’s deeds to state land: 1847

29519

Benton-Yalobusha Counties, 1845-1878

19543

1871-1879

66

1879

29531