Wisconsin Land Patents Database: Portage County - Surnames D-G ****************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. Contributed by Joy Fisher and Tina Vickery ****************************************************************** Wisconsin Land Patents Database The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) inherited the functions of the General Land Office when it was established by Congress in 1946. The Wisconsin Land Patents Database, derived from General Land Office and BLM information, contains deeds (primarily patents) issued by the United States in the region now known as the State of Wisconsin between 1807 and 1907. While BLM has been referred to as "the Nations record keeper", it is the National Archives that actually keeps the files. The BLM, maintains diagrammatic plats known as Master Title Plats, which depict lands which are owned by the United States and lands which are patented. However, these plats do not have any information about who the lands were patented to. That information which has only been available after tedious research, it is available now in this database. The Wisconsin Land Patents Database contains the following information for each land transaction: date, location (township, range, section), name of person the land was patented to, county, date, and the patent document identification number. Using this information, you can access the Bureau of Land Management web site and view a copy of the original document. http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/ The document can be saved to disk, printed out, or merely viewed. Certified copies of the document can be orderd on their web site as well. The National Archives will also send you a copy of the patent file for $10 from at the following address: Reference Branch (Lands) National Archives Washington, DC 20408 (202) 501-5428 You need to submit your request on a copy of Form 84. To get the form, send an e-mail message to inquire@nara.gov In the body of the message, be sure to ask for Form 84 "Order for Copies of Land Entry Files", tell them how many copies you want (get at least 2, in case you make a mistake) and give your name and snail address so they can send you the forms. (Or you can send a snail mail letter to above address). Sending by e-mail takes less than a week; by snail mail both ways takes about 2 weeks. All of the twps and ranges in WI are measured from the 4th Principal Meridian. WI Land Offices 01 Ashland 02 Bayfield 03 Eau Claire 04 Falls St. Croix 05 Green Bay 06 Hudson 07 La Crosse 08 Menasha 09 Milwaukee 10 Mineral Point 11 Muskaday 12 Stevens Point 13 Superior 14 Wausau 15 Willow River 16 Wisconsin