Kansas State Historical Society Land records include information that can locate an individual in a specific place at a specific time. There are many different types of land records depending on how and where land was acquired.
Deeds are the most common type of land record.
They have been issued in all periods of American history. Deeds may include information on family relationships, dower rights, and slave ownership. Millions of land grants and patents were issued by the federal government and by the original thirteen colonies and several states. Records of land grants include application files and the patents themselves. Homestead files contain much family information and may also include naturalization papers.