Here's my contribution to the list. I had already found the site Neal
mentioned showing the federal land grants. I did not find my ancestor
in Michigan, but I since I grew up with a farmer and a realestate agent
as parents in Michigan, I might be able to help someone find a
breakthrough at this site. (I located several ggrandfathers in
Indiana.)
This site will tell you the first settler on the land. So if your
ancestor bought from an individual then they would not be listed here.
It has the legal description of the property and allows you to see a
copy of the original. What a thrill to find a gggrandfathers signature!
I copied out all the Carrier's buying in Michigan. Hope this helps
someone! Anyone want to try another midwest state?
Remember that all the northwest territories are relatively flat and
were surveyed in 1 mile square layouts. One mile square being 640
acres. Most roads follow these mile square boundaries so you always
know which direction you are going. (The eastern and southern states
have roads that follow deer trails and Indian trails, go around
mountains and make for the best ford in the rivers.) These 640 acre
squares were halved to make 320 acre parcels or quartered to make 160
acre parcels or divided in eighths to make 80 acre parcels. Those of
odd acreage were where state borders were rivers or (in the case of
Michigan) boundaries of the Great Lakes.
A farmer, one horse, and a plow would have trouble farming 80 acres.
Now imagine that this land was forested in most cases and had to be
cleared. If cleared already you had to pull out the stumps with your
horse. You can see below what people were either trading up, trading
down, land speculating or had big families. In order to keep this land
they had to live there and make improvements.
Historical note: Michigan became a state in
1837. I have noted adjacent counties in
parentheses.
Name Acres
County Date Purchased
Isaac Carrier 80
Jackson 4-01-1831
80
Jackson 4-01-1831
160
Jackson 9-15-1835
40
Jackson 9-15-1835
40
Jackson 11-05-1833
80 Eaton
(adjacent) 5-01-1839
Andrew Carrier 40 Jackson
(Adjacent) 3-18-1837
80
Eaton 5-01-1839
Amasa Carrier 40
Genesee 8-07-1837
David R. Carrier 160 Hillsdale
(adjacent) 6-05-1837
320
Lenawee 8-02-1837
40
Lenawee 8-02-1837
160
VanBuren 5-01-1839
160
Ionia 11-02-1837
160
Ionia 11-02-1837
(Is David a farmer, a land speculator, or father of twelve big boys?)
Burt H. Carrier 160 Barry
(adjacent) 5-01-1839
199.52
Calhoun 5-01-1839
40
Calhoun 10-10-1840
Amaziah T. Carrier 165.7
Calhoun 5-01-1839
Erastus K. Carrier 240
Midland 10-30-1857
(My Erastus (without the K.) lived in NYS and son Geo. became
Michigander. "Yooper" is another Michigan word for one who lives in the
Upper Penninsula of Michigan. This Erastus became quite wealthy and
famous locally.)
Norman Carrier 40
Eaton 2-01-1848
40
Ingham 2-01-1848
(adjacent)
Amariah Carrier 77.1
Barry 3-01-1855
38.01
Barry 3-01-1855
Nelson Carrier 40
Ottawa 11-01-1864
Cassius M. Carrier 40
Isabella 5-02-1870
Miron Carrier 80
Montcalm 4-01-1874
Myron Carrier 80
Montcalm 4-01-1874
(same?)
Hanson S.Carrier 155.08
Oseola 1-05-1876
John Carrier 76.8
Mason 6-13-1878
Again the Bureau of Land Management Website is
http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/
You can find a map (with county outlines) of Michigan and other states
at
http://www.everton.com/usa/MImap.gif
Happy hunting,
Jeanette