Kevin J. Klaus Archives and Records Phone: 512-463-5277 E-mail: kevin.klaus@glo.texas.gov George P. Bush, Commissioner
• An Act of December 22, 1836 created the General Land Office – This act ratified and confirmed valid Spanish and Mexican land grants – The commissioner had the responsibility to collect records pertaining to grants • The land system initially adopted by the Republic of Texas was essentially a continuation from the Spanish and Mexican rule, with notable changes in the manner of administering the land granting process
• The GLO was established for several functions: – Oversee the distribution of public lands – Register Spanish and Mexican titles – Issue new patents – Maintain records of lands granted • The GLO opened for business in 1837 – It is the oldest continuously running agency in the state – John P. Borden was appointed the first Commissioner – The functions of the GLO have evolved over time to include: • State veterans’ care homes, cemeteries and the Veterans Land Board • beach and coastal care including oil spill and disaster response • managing the state’s Permanent School Fund, currently valued at over $29 Billion . • managing state-owned land and mineral interests
• Since its founding in 1946, the Texas Veterans Land Board has been providing benefits to veterans. – The Texas Veterans Land Board provides low interest loans to Veterans of Texas. • Land Loans: Interest Rate: 6.75% • Home/Home Improvement Loan Interest Rate:3.78% • Home/Home Improvement Discounted Rate: 3.28% – Veteran Homes to support and care for veterans. • Located in cities such as: Amarillo, Big Spring, Bonham, El Paso, Floresville, McAllen, Temple, Tyler. • Opening a new facility in Houston soon. – Veteran Cemeteries. • Burial at a Texas State Veterans Cemetery is a benefit earned by Veterans, their spouses, and eligible dependents for their dedicated service to our country. • There is no charge for the interment of Veterans, their spouses and eligible dependents. • The burial benefit includes military honors for Veterans, the grave plot, the opening and closing of the grave, a concrete grave liner for casketed burials. – The VLB Call Center is here to help! Call us today at 1-800-252-VETS (8387) • Open Monday through Friday, 7:30AM to 5:30PM on regular business days.
• With 367 miles of Gulf beaches and more than 3,300 miles of bays and estuaries, Texas has one of the longest coastlines in the country. • Hurricane Preparedness to protect the Texas Coast: – Developing a comprehensive, long-term planning framework to ensure a resilient ecologic and economic management of the Texas coast. – The GLO Hurricane Preparedness and Planning initiative is a focused effort to pool local, state and federal resources, and begin prioritizing efforts to build a resilient Texas coast. • Open Beaches: – In Texas, public access to Gulf Coast beaches is not just the law, it is a constitutional right. – Under the Texas Open Beaches Act the public has the free and unrestricted right to access Texas beaches, which are located on what is commonly referred to as the "wet beach," from the water to the line of mean high tide. – The dry sandy area that extends from the "wet beach” to the natural line of vegetation is usually privately owned but may be subject to the public beach easement. • Coastal environmental protection is an important part of the GLO mission. – Oil Spill Prevention and Response Team oversees the Texas coast around the clock. – Beach Watch monitors bacteria levels at the most popular Texas Beaches. – Adopt-A-Beach is an all volunteer effort to preserve and protect Texas Beaches. • Since the first cleanup, approximately 400,000 volunteer participants have helped remove 7,700 tons of trash.
• The General Land Office oversees over 13 million acres of land and mineral rights on behalf of the Permanent School Fund (PSF). – The GLO manages state oil and gas leases and has been able to deposit more than $16.8 billion into the PSF as a result. – We also use the states vast natural gas deposits to create electricity for schools and other public customers who purchase it at a low rate, thereby saving our schools money on electricity bills while still earning revenue for the PSF. – Typically, the GLO receives a 20 to 25% royalty from the oil and gas produced from leases on state lands. – Since its inception, the GLO has deposited more than $16.8 billion into the permanent School Fund from the oil and gas revenues on PSF lands.
• Two important goals of the Archives and Records Division: – Accessibility – Preservation & Conservation • The GLO Archives must balance these two goals by: – Archiving more than 35 million documents and 45,000 maps and housing them in protective conditions – Digitizing historical documents and making them available over the internet, which successfully: • Increases accessibility while simultaneously… • Promoting conservation by reducing wear on the documents – Conducting outreach to promote education, knowledge of the collection, and fundraising for conservation of our collection
• Four important areas of research: – Spanish Collection • If your ancestor came to Texas prior to 1836 – Land Grant records, Court of Claims records, Muster Roll, etc. • If your ancestor fought in the Texas Revolution or in the Army of the Republic • If your ancestor arrived in Texas during the Republic or in the early decades of statehood and received a land grant – German Immigration Contracts • If your ancestor came to Texas from Germany – Confederate Scrip Vouchers • If your ancestor served in the Civil War
Ynojosa, Ramón de, Box 135, Folder 15, Spanish Collection, Archives and Records Program, Texas General Land Office, Austin
• The Spanish Collection contains 6,987 land titles granted in Texas by the Crown of Spain and Republic of Mexico. • The Spanish Collection represents titles covering 26.28 million acres of land in Texas, or 1/6 of the present territory of the state, in the 57.5 linear feet of boxed material and 54 bound volumes housed in the GLO vault. • The oldest document in the GLO vault is the fragile title to Mission San José in San Antonio, dating back to 1720 .
• Information in Spanish Collection files may include: – Date of arrival in pre-revolutionary Texas – Marital status, size of family, occupation – Location of emigration – Location of settlement – Interesting correspondence about settlement between government officials – Signatures
Why did Americans come to Mexican Texas? • “ Married men shall receive one league of land and single men shall receive one-quarter of a league of land.” – One league = 4,428.4 acres – ¼ of a league = 1107.1 acres • In the United States, under the land law of 1820, land cost $1.25/acre . – A minimum of 80 acres (or $100) was required. • Under the Mexican Colonization Law of 1825, a head of family could obtain 4,428.4 acres for $117, or less than $0.03/acre . 12
Survey of 4428 acres located in Colorado County Land Title, Bowie, James, Box 10, Folder 3, Spanish Collection, Archives and Records Program, Texas General Land Office, Austin
Bowie, James, Bexar B-000962, Original Land Grant Collection, Archives and Records Program, Texas General Land Office, Austin
• Information in the Land Grant Records may include: – Date of arrival into the Republic or State – Marital status, family size – Veteran status, military service – Location of emigration – Location of settlement – Amount of land received from the government – Reasons for receiving land
• Texas is divided into 38 land districts . • Headright Grants to Settlers, 1836-1845 • Bounty, Donation and Headright Grants to Texas Revolution, Republic and Indigent Republic and Confederate Veterans • Empresario Contracts, Republic of Texas • Preemption Grants to Settlers, 1845-1898 • Loan and Sales Scrip, 1836-1858 • Internal Improvement Scrip, 1844-1882 • School Land Sales, 1874-1905
• In 1882, 3,050,000 acres of land were set aside to finance the construction of a new state Capitol. • The land was located in the Panhandle, across ten counties, and was called the Capitol Land Reservation . • Eventually, it would become part of the XIT Ranch . Image courtesy of the Austin History Center
• Depending on the type of land grant or specific situation of the settler, a land grant would be issued by: – A County Board of Land Commissioners – Secretary of War – Commissioner of the General Land Office – Court of Claims – Adjutant General – Commissioner of Claims • Certificate = Voucher. Go locate land! • Survey + Field Notes • Return Field Notes and Certificate to GLO for approval • Plot on County Map; verify no conflicts, all fees paid? • Patent (final title) issued
Old GLO file vault Current GLO file vault
• Certificate – Explains how, why and when land was granted – Was submitted to the GLO as part of the process of patenting land Toscano, Santiago, Red River 1-494, Texas Land Grant Records, Archives and Records Program, Texas General Land Office, Austin, TX
• Field Notes – Legal description of the land – Reverse marked with “Patented” when the notes are accepted by the GLO Toscano, Santiago, Red River 1-494, Texas Land Grant Records, Archives and Records Program, Texas General Land Office, Austin, TX
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