Dates: 1817-1893.

History:

The United States government opened the first land office in the Mississippi Territory in 1805. Satellite land offices were later opened in (old) Augusta, Perry County; Columbus, Lowndes County; and Mount Salus (later Clinton), Hinds County. The main land office in Jackson, Hinds County, was primarily concerned with validating and honoring land grants made by the provincial governments of France, Great Britain, and Spain, which had previously held dominion over the territory of Mississippi. As these grants were settled, the federal government opened up other Mississippi lands for sale at public auction.

For early land sales, the minimum bid price was two dollars per acre. Individuals, including representatives of private land companies, bid on entire sections that were equivalent to about 640 acres. Many of land these purchases were made on credit. A percentage of the total purchase price was due at the time of sale, and the balance was to be paid off in installments over the next four years. However, this system began to fail when some purchasers defaulted on the balances owed on their properties. Thereafter, the remaining sections of land were divided into smaller parcels, and the minimum bid price per acre was reduced to one dollar and twenty-five cents. Thereafter, local land offices only offered parcels for cash, and this was due at the time of sale. Tax-free incentives were offered for the first five years of ownership to offset financial limitations faced by many people.

There was a structured application process for acquiring public lands. A claim (or entry) was filed to mark the proposed boundaries of land a claim holder wished to purchase. A warrant was then issued entitling a claim holder to the proposed acreage as marked off by the survey. Upon completion of the survey by the United States government and receipt of payment, a land grant (or patent) and deed was issued to the claim holder.

 

Scope and Content Note:

This collection consists of Mississippi land grants (patents) issued by the United States government from 1819 to 1893. The land grants (both original and photocopy) are arranged alphabetically by the last names of grantees.

For a list of grantees/assignees, see United States Land Grants (Mississippi) Collection (Z/2138) List of Grantees.

 

Series Identification:

Series 1: Land Grants (Original). 1819-1875.

Box 1, folders 1-5 (A-P)
Box 2, folders 1-4 (R-W)

 

Series 2: Land Grants (Photocopy). 1817-1893.

Box 2, folder 5 (B-Y)