Land Record Information

Indiana is a public-domain state.

Following a 1795 treaty with the native residents, the first strip of land was surveyed in southeastern Indiana.

In 1801 the Cincinnati Land Office was opened, the first such office to serve Indiana. Vincennes opened in 1807. Five additional land offices opened as demand increased, principally, following the conclusion of the War of 1812: Jeffersonville (1807), Brookville (1819 - moved to Indianapolis in 1825), Terre Haute (1820 - moved to Crawfordsville before 1828),Fort Wayne (1823), and LaPorte (1833 - moved to Winamac in 1839).

Registers are available on microfilm at Indiana State Archives, Allen County Public Library and through Family History Library. Although not all are indexed, some have been published.

Land was usually sold for under $2 per acre, was frequently sold at public auction, and could be purchased on an installment basis.

Land patents were issued by the United States government when the total purchase price had been paid. Frequently, the documents recorded at the land offices included the purchaser's "outside of Indiana" residence. These patents are found at the Bureau of Land Management and the patent certificates can be viewed online and printed off from there also.

Original land records for the years 1805-76, plus microfilmed copies, are at the Indiana State Library, Archives Division.

Private land claims, which are first-title deeds surveyed outside the regular federal system of townships and ranges, also existed in Indiana. The legal description of these lands are in lot numbers assigned by the governor. The parcels of land are frequently long and narrow, giving each owner access to an adjacent river or road. Patents, copies of tract books, and township plats are available through the BLM Eastern States Office. Land-entry case files are at the National Archives.

National Archives/Great Lakes Region has records of the General Land Office for Indiana 1808-76. This includes the cash certificate books denoting completion of purchase of land from the federal government. They are arranged chronologically by land office.

A grant of land was provided for George Rogers Clark and his men for their service in the Revolutionary War. The property was situated in what is now Scott, Floyd, and Clark counties. Clarksville, established in 1784 on the northern bank of the Ohio River and within the grant, was the first American town to be laid out in the northwest. Most land owned by individuals prior to 1800 was either in Clark's Grant or at Vincennes. At Vincennes, between 1779 and 1783, the court would grant land, usually 400 acres, to every American immigrant who wanted property

The recorder's office of the county courthouses has grantor and grantee indexes, land transfers, deeds, titles, mortgages (and releases and assignments of mortgages), and tract books of original land purchases from the U.S. government. The tract books include name of purchaser, purchase date, location (section number, township, and range), and number of acres.

Inventory of County Archives WPA 1939

eed Record 1822- ?141 vols. (A-Z, 1-114, & 1 vol. not numbered) - - - Title varies: Miscellaneous Deed Record. Transcripts of conveyance of titles to real property, showing dates of instrument and recording, names of principles, location and description of property, and amount of consideration. Also contains: Cemetery Deed Records: 1822-98; Tax Title Deed Records: 1822-1901; Quiet Title Record: 1822-1907, 1934-, Mortgage Record: 1822-44; Indexed Alphabetically by names of principals.

General Index to Deeds 1822-? 44 vols. (4, 1-20; 1-20; and 3 vols. not numbered. - - - Double index to Deed Record one set by Grantor, one set by Grantee, showing names of grantors and grantees, location and description of property, and volume and page reference to recording. Arranged alphabetically.

Cemetery Deed Record 1899-? 1 vol 1822-98 - - - Transcripts of conveyance to title to cemetery lots, showing dates of deed and recording, names of grantor and grantee, location and description of property, and amount of consideration. Indexed alphabetically by names of grantor and grantee

Tax title Deed Records 1902-? Last entry 1935. 3 vols. (1-3) - - - Transcripts of deeds for conveyance of property sold for delinquent taxes, showing date of deed, name and address of grantee, location and description of property, and amount of consideration. Indexed Alphabetically by names of grantees.

Quiet Title Record 1908-1933 1 vol 1822-1907, 1934-? - - - Transcripts of court action in suits involving title to real estates, showing date and nature of decree, name of petitioner, and location and description of property. Arranged by dates of decree.

Index to Quiet Title Records 1908-1933 - - - showing date of decree, name of plaintiff, vol. and page reference to recording. Arranged alphabetically by names of plaintiffs.

Bloomfield Record of Sale of Lots 1924-? - - - Record of lots in Bloomfield by order of county commissioner, showing date and reason for sale names of grantor and grantee, number of lot and amount of consideration. Arranged by dates of sale.

Tract Books 1816-73 - - - Record of original purchases of land in Greene County, showing date and number of certificate of purchase, congressional township number, name of purchaser, location and description of land, and amount of consideration. Arranged by congressional township numbers.

List of Swamp Lands in Greene County 1853 1 vol. - - - Record of persons purchasing swamp land, showing date of purchase, name of purchaser, location and description of land, and amount of consideration. Arranged alphabetically by names of purchasers.

Plat Book 1852-? 3 vols. - - - Sectional plats of land in Greene County including cities, towns and additions, showing name and number of plat, location and description of land, names of owner and surveyor, and date of recording. Also contains: Cemetery Plat Book 1852-1925. Arranged by dates of recording.

General Index of Plat Books 1852-? 1 vol. - - - General index to plat book showing date and name of plat and volume and page reference to recording. Arranged alphabetically by names of plats

Cemetery Plat Book 1926-? 1 vol Plats of cemeteries of Greene County showing date or plat; names of owner and cemetery, location, description and number of lot; and plat of cemetery. Indexed alphabetically by names of cemeteries.

Mortgage Record 1845-? 86 vols. (B-Z, A1-Z1, A2-Z2, A3-G3, J3-K3) 1822-44 - - - Record of mortgages given on real property secure loans, showing date, terms, and amount of mortgage; names of mortgagor and mortgagtees; for separate index

General Index of Mortgages, 1826-? 27 vols.(2-14, 2-14 & 1 not numbered) - - -Double Index to mortgages, one set by mortgagor, sone set by mortgage; amount of mortgage, location and description of property, and volume and page reference to Deed record.

School Fund Mortgage

Federal and Commissioner's Mortgage Record

Home Owners Loan Mortgage Record 1934 1 vol. - - - Record of Real Estate mortgages to secure Home Owners' Loan Corporation loans, dates of mortgage and recording, names of mortgagor and mortgagee,amount and conditions of mortgage, rate of interest and location and description of property. Indexed alphabetically by names of mortgagers.

Chattel Minute Book 1935-? 1 vol. - - - Record of mortgages executed to secure loans on personal property, showing date and amount of mortgage, time of filing, names of mortgagor and mortgagee, description of property and date of maturity. Indexed alphabetically by names of mortgagors

Index of Chattel Mortgages 1935 2 vols. - - -showing dates of mortgage, filing, recording, and satisfaction; number of instrument, names of mortgagor and mortgagee, amount of mortgage and volume and page reference

Chattel Mortgage 1935 - - - Original chattel mortgages executer and maturity, names of mortgagor and mortgagee, number and amount of mortgage, rate of interest and description of property

Chattel Mortgage Record 1883-Jun 18, 1935 36 vols. (1-36), 1822-44, 1845-1882. - - -Transcript of mortgages executed to secure loans on personal property, showing dates of mortgages, amount of loan, rate of interest and description of property. Indexed alphabetically by names of mortgagors

General Index of Chattel Mortgages 1899-June 16, 1935 - - - Partial index to Chattels of Mortgage showing dates of recording and satisfaction, names of mortgagor and mortgagee, description of property, amount of mortgage and volume and page reference. Alphabetically by mortgagors and mortgagees

Record of Satisfaction of Mortgages 1898-? 3 vols.

Release Records 1920-? 3 Vols.

Last updated 22.10.2009