U.S. Montgomery Land Office - homestead contest dockets, 1879-1927.

ArchivalResource

Alabama. Secretary of State. Lands Division. U.S. Montgomery Land Office - homestead contest dockets, 1879-1927.

U.S. Montgomery Land Office - homestead contest dockets, 1879-1927.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/122498412

After a homesteader had resided on and cultivated his/her land for five years they were required to "make final proof" of their claim at the local land office. Notices were published in local newspapers of a claimant's intent of establishing ownership. These homestead contest dockets trace actions taken on those claims which were contested by other individuals. Each entry includes the docket number, homestead entry number, a description of the tract location, the names of the parties involved, the date of entry and remarks. Remarks often give details of the case: date affidavits were filed, charges (abandonment, prior right, sale of entry, etc.), date contest notices were sent, date testimony was filed, decision, and whether the case was closed. Most volumes contain an alphabetical index to names and may also include related correspondence, affadavits, or clippings of notices for publication. Volume SG5273 also contains a list of land attorneys working in the area. After 1909 the contest docket altered slightly to include the title of the case, the contest number, the name and address of attorneys, the number and kind of entry made on the land, the date of entry, the tract location, the number of acres, and remarks. These volumes include homestead entries made on land at the various U.S. Land Offices in Ala., which by 1897 had all been consolidated into the Montgomery land Office (except the Huntsville Land Office). These records document homesteading in Ala. and the controversy that sometimes resulted over disputed claims.

12 volumes.

Alabama Department of Archives and History