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Guide
to Locating West of Tennessee River Non-Military Patents Series Summary
The Jackson Purchase region of Kentucky was acquired under the October
19, 1818, land treaty between the United States and the Chickasaw Indian
Nation. On February 14, 1820, the Kentucky General Assembly passed legislation
that established the public land system for mapping the newly-acquired
Jackson Purchase in western Kentucky. The lands would be "laid off"
in Townships, Ranges and Sections.
While Virginia Revolutionary War veterans were filing their
patent applications in the West of Tennessee River area, William
T. Henderson was mapping the Jackson Purchase as mandated
by the 1820 legislation. Non-military tracts located West
of the Tennessee River were sold by quarter-sections. Land
sales were overseen by state-appointed "Receivers"
with offices in Waidesborough & Princeton. For each quarter-section
purchased, the buyer would be issued a receipt declaring purchase
price and tract location using the range-township method.
Receipts were assignable; buyers could transfer quarter-sections
by recording assignments on the back of the receipt. The Receiver
would then send receipts (for the prospective landowner) to
Frankfort for the issuance of the Governor's Grant finalizing
the patent. There are 9,308 patents in the West of Tennessee
River Non-Military Series. Original Receipts and Grant copies
are available from the Secretary of State's Land Office in
Frankfort, Kentucky.
"The Kentucky Land Grants" by Willard R. Jillson
lists the Grantees and public-land-system locations for the
West of Tennessee River Non-Military Series. Researchers may
also find references to Ranges and Townships in deeds for
the Jackson Purchase area.
By entering Ranges, Townships, and Principal Meridian Direction
(East or West), researchers using this database will find
the exact township location for West of Tennessee River Non-Military
Patents. Guides to the 36 numbered sections and the division
of sections into quarter-sections are also provided. Researchers
may also enter county name or an established 1885 location
to find public-land-system coordinates. Due to county formation
and boundary changes, tract locations (by county) may differ
from the 1885 maps. Present county locations will be added
to this database as that information is identified.
The 1885 Loughridge Map was used for this project. The map
is available from the Kentucky History Center Maps Division,
P.O. Box 1792, Frankfort, KY 40601.
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