But, at first look, we may not see the importance of land records because they do not seem to give us the vital genealogical facts we are after, i.e., names of parents, dates, children, and so on. But, genealogists who dig into the land records deeper will discover that land grants and deeds can provide evidence of the places where an ancestor lived and for how long, when he moved into or moved out of a county, and, in many cases, a surprising amount of detailed information about a person. The odds are good. It is a protection to both the buyer and seller that the land being transferred is properly recorded. But, deeds are almost always recorded at the courthouse of the county wherein the land is located.
Land records are more complete than other records.
Land records such as property tax lists, deeds and deed indexes, and the written transcripts of real estate transactions all go back further in time than any other type of record we use in genealogical research. The earliest records in Europe, other than those recorded for the Royal Courts, are land records. For example, deed records were reconstructed for several counties after General Sherman's troops burned courthouse after courthouse during the Civil War. Land records often reveal the name of a man's wife. No written will had to specify that amount.