Warren County Genealogical Society Warren County

Warren County Genealogical Society
Warren County, Ohio
Chapter of Ohio Genealogical Society
Land Patents

(513) 695-1144

406 Justice Drive, Lebanon, Ohio 45036
Hours: 9 AM-4 PM Monday through Friday
Driving Directions

wcgs@co.warren.oh.us

Searching for land records in Warren County, Ohio can be done in a variety of ways depending on what information you know about the property and / or landowner. You might want to search for the earliest land possession for the following reasons:

to show presence in Warren County to prove your ancestor was an Early Settler,
to find the final land transaction of an individual
- to discover when he may have died passing the property to the widow or heirs, thus settling the estate
- to find when he may have moved out of the County.

If you are searching for land records and need help, please contact our research department and we will assist you in finding what you need.

Land Patents

You want to find the land patent your ancestor held. Patents are deeds of the original parcel of land sold from the government to an individual. A few of these land patents may be found at the county level in the Warren County Recorder’s Office using the deed record books based on time frame or location (Virginia Military District or Section Township Range number). The property was purchased from the Federal Government, and not an individual.

The records for land purchased from the Federal Government are not recorded at the county level. They can be found at one of the Federal Land Offices that were located in one of the 10 Ohio cities. A card index of these early land purchases is now available at the State of Ohio Archives / Ohio Historical Society. The card index is arranged by surname of the patentee, then by given name. Additional information is given for the location and date of the purchase.

Warren County’s Virginia Military District land was used as payment to the Virginia military veterans of the Revolutionary War. Soldiers were issued warrants based on rank and term of service. Those with higher rank and longer periods of service were rewarded larger compensation. The soldier could then either sell or exercise his right to the warrant. The first deed issued from the government is the patent.

Warren County land between the Miami rivers what was known as the Symmes’ Purchase contained over 300,000 acres. Judge John Cleves Symmes and company purchased this land from the government and then sold it to individuals. This land technically isn't a patent since land in the Symmes' Purchase would be sold from John Symmes to your ancestor instead of from the US Government to your ancestor. To search for deeds in Symmes' Purchase in the first three ranges, look for deeds from John Cleves Symmes to your ancestor.

Digital images of these patents are now available online through the Bureau of Land Management. The search button for Land Patents is directly below the title. Enter your ancestor’s surname and given name to locate the desired image. For more information refer to the website at: www.glorecord.blm.gov/

The Ohio State Auditor’s Office has over 300 cubic feet of original land records imaged in the State of Ohio Archives. Inquires can be sent to:

State of Ohio Archives State Auditor’s Office

Ohio Historical Center Legal Division

1982 Velma Avenue 88 East Broad Street

Columbus, Ohio 43211 5^th Floor

Columbus, Ohio 43215