Oregon Land and Property

Territorial and Land Office Records
Land records during the territorial period, 1845 to 1849, were filed with the territorial recorder. These papers are now in the Oregon State Archives at http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/.

The thousands of settlers who arrived in the Oregon Territory between December 1850 and December 1855 were eligible to receive donation land claims. The applications for these free lands may provide birth, marriage, citizenship, and migration information.

Records of the original donation land claims are in the National Archives. Microfilm copies of the records are available at the National Archives—Pacific Alaska Region (Seattle) and at the Family History Library; Oregon and Washington Donation Land Files, 1851- 1903 (FHL films 1028543 and 1490152-242). Abstracts with indexes for 1852-1903 are also available at the Family History Library (FHL films 847554-59).

Abstracts of the donation land claims are in Genealogical Material in Oregon Donation Land Claims, 5 vols. (Portland: Genealogical Forum of Portland, 1957-1975; FHL book 979.5 R2g; vol. 4 on film 823831 item 7; vols. 1-5 on fiche 6051173). An alphabetical index to the claims is available at the Oregon State Library. A published index to the claims is Oregon State Archives, comp., Index to Oregon Donation Land Claims (Portland: Genealogical Forum, 1953-57; FHL film 874373 item 2; fiche 6051271).

Distribution of the remaining unoccupied land was administered by the General Land Office (FHLO) through land offices in Oregon. Most of the local FHLO records are now kept in the National Archives—Pacific Alaska Region (Seattle). Patents and copies of the tract books and township plats are at:

Oregon State Office

Bureau of Land Management 333 S.W. 1st. Avenue Portland, OR 97204 503-808-6002

The original tract books, plats, and land entry case files are at the National Archives.

Many of the records are now online at the BLM internet site. To access the site click here

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County Records
After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions are recorded by the county auditor in the form of deeds and mortgages. These may be obtained from the appropriate recorder or clerk in each courthouse. The Family History Library has not acquired land records from the counties, except for the deed indexes of Douglas County for 1857 to 1974.

Many of the country records can be found on the internet by using a search engine and terms such as county name (e.g. Douglas), Land, Records. Information on Oregon Land records can also be found at the Oregon State Archives.