Public Land States Manual of Instructions for the Survey of the Public Lands of the United States |
| pp. 10 - 11 THE PUBLIC LAND STATES |
| 1-23. Thirty States have been created out of the public domain. In those where
the public land surveys have been substantially completed, excepting Oklahoma,
the original records have been transferred to the States. In most cases duplicate
copies are on file in Washington, D.C. The Director of the Bureau of Land Management
has administrative authority in questions relating to the remaining public land
in those States, including resurvey and the extension of surveys to include parcels
of public land omitted from the official surveys. The following list of the States formed from the public domain gives the date of admission, a citation of the enabling act in the United States Statutes at Large, and the present location of the original records of public land surveys. |
| Alabama. Included in the territory of the original 13 States and admitted into the Union December 14, 1819 (3 Stat. 608); records with the Secretary of State at Montgomery. |
| Alaska. Purchased from Russia in 1867; admitted into the Union January 3, 1959 (72 Stat. 339); records in the State Office of the Bureau of Land Management at Anchorage. |
| Arizona. Included in the lands ceded by Mexico in 1848 and the Gadsden purchase in 1853; admitted into the Union February 14, 1912 (36 Stat. 557; 37 Stat. 1728); records in the State Office of the Bureau of Land Management at Phoenix. |
| Arkansas. Acquired under the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and admitted into the Union June 15, 1836 (5 Stat. 50); records with the Department of State Lands at Little Rock. |
| California. Ceded by Mexico in 1848 and admitted into the Union September 9, 1850 (9 Stat. 452); records in the State Office of the Bureau of Land Management in Sacramento. |
| Colorado. Acquired largely under the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, but including additional land, title to which was quieted through treaty with Spain, in 1819, with other lands annexed with Texas in 1845, and lands ceded by Mexico in 1848; admitted into the Union August 1, 1876 (18 Stat. 474; 19 Stat. 665); records in the State Office of the Bureau of Land Management in Denver. |
| Florida. Ceded by Spain in 1819 and admitted into the Union March 3, 1845 (5 Stat. 742)); records with the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund at Tallahassee. |
| Idaho. Acquired with the Oregon Territory, title to which was established in 1846, and admitted into the Union July 3, 1890 (26 Stat. 215); records in the State Office of the Bureau of Land Management in Boise. |
| Illinois. Included in the territory of the original 13 States and admitted into the Union December 3, 1818 (3 Stat. 536); records in the Illinois State Archives, Secretary of State, at Springfield. |
| Indiana. Included in the territory of the original 13 States and admitted into the Union December 11, 1816 (3 Stat. 399); records with the Archivist, Indiana State Library, at Indianapolis. |
| Iowa. Acquired under the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and admitted into the Union December 28, 1846 (9 Stat. 117); records with the Secretary of State at Des Moines. |
| Kansas. Acquired under the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 (additional lands annexed with Texas in 1845); admitted into the Union January 29, 1861 (12 Stat. 126); records with the Auditor of State and Register of State Lands at Topeka. |
| Louisiana. Included in the Louisiana Purchase in 1803; boundary extended to include additional lands, title to which was quieted through treaty with Spain in 1819; admitted into the Union April 30, 1812 (2 Stat. 701) records with the Register, State Land Office, at Baton Rouge. |
| Michigan. Included in the territory of the original 13 States and admitted into the Union January 26, 1837 (5 Stat. 144); records with the State Department of Treasury at Lansing. |
| Minnesota. Included in the territory of the original 13 States (additional lands acquired under the Louisiana Purchase in 1803); admitted into the Union May 11, 1858 (11 Stat. 285) records with the Department of Conservation at Saint Paul. |
| Mississippi. Included in the territory of the original 13 States and admitted into the Union December 10, 1817 (3 Stat. 472); records with the State Land Commissioner at Jackson. |
| Missouri. Acquired under the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and admitted into the Union August 10, 1821 (3 Stat. 645, 3 Stat. Appendix II); records with the State Land Survey Authority at Rolla. |
| Montana. Acquired under the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and with the Oregon Territory, title to which was established in 1846; admitted into the Union November 8, 1889 (25 Stat. 676, 26 Stat. 1551); records in the State Office of the Bureau of Land Management at Billings. |
| Nebraska. Acquired under the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and admitted into the Union March 1, 1867 (14 Stat. 391, 820); records with the State Survey or at Lincoln. |
| Nevada. Ceded by Mexico in 1848 and admitted into the Union October 31, 1864 (13 Stat. 30, 749); records in the State Office of, the Bureau of Land Management at Reno. |
| New Mexico. Included in the lands annexed with Texas in 1845, with lands ceded by Mexico in 1848, and the Gadsden Purchase in 1853; admitted into the Union January 6, 1912 (36 Stat. 557, 37 Stat. 1723); records in the State Office of the Bureau of Land Management at Sante Fe. |
| North Dakota. Included in the territory of the original 13 States and with lands acquired under the Louisiana Purchase in 1803; admitted into the Union November 2, 1889 (25 Stat. 676; 26 Stat. 1548); records with the State Water Conservation Commission at Bismarck. |
| Oklahoma. Acquired under the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and with lands annexed with Texas in 1845; admitted into the Union November 16, 1907 (34 Stat. 267; 35 Stat. 2160); records in the New Mexico State Office of the Bureau of Land Management at Santa Fe, New Mexico. |
| Ohio. Included in the territory of the original 13 States and admitted into the Union November 29, 1802 (2 Stat. 173); records with the Auditor of State at Columbus. |
| Oregon. Included in the Oregon Territory, title to which was established in 1846; admitted into the Union February 14, 1859 (11 Stat. 383); records in the State Office of the Bureau of Land Management at Portland. |
| South Dakota. Included in the territory of the original 13 States and with lands acquired under the Louisiana Purchase in 1803; admitted into the Union November 2, 1889 (25 Stat. 676; 26 Stat. 1549); records with the Commissioner of Schools and Public Lands at Pierre. The plats of mineral patent surveys of South Dakota are filed in the Montana State Office of the Bureau of Land Management at Billings, Montana, and the necessary mineral surveys are directed from that office. |
| Utah. Ceded by Mexico in 1848 and admitted into the Union January 4, 1896 (28 Stat. 107, 29 Stat. 876); records in the State Office of the Bureau of Land Management at Salt Lake City. |
| Washington. Included in the Oregon Territory, title to which was established in 1846; admitted into the Union November 11, 1889 (25 Stat. 676, 26 Stat. 1552); records in the Oregon State Office of the Bureau of Land Management at Portland, Oregon. |
| Wisconsin. Included in the territory of the original 13 States and admitted into the Union May 29, 1848 (9 Stat. 233); records with the Department of Natural Resources at Madison. |
| Wyoming. Included with lands acquired under the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, with lands annexed with Texas in 1845, with lands included in the Oregon Territory, title to which was established in 1846, and with lands ceded by Mexico in 1848; admitted into the Union July 10, 1890 (26 Stat. 222); records in the State Office of the Bureau of Land Management at Cheyenne. |
| Back to Surveying Info |
