French North American Research

PRINTED BOOK SOURCES
American State Papers. Public Lands. 8 volumes. Greenville, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1994.
[Call no. R 333.1 A512 and 333.1 A512]
Banner, Stuart. Legal Systems in Conflict: Property and Sovereignty in Missouri, 1750–1860. Norman,
Okla.: University of Oklahoma Press, 2000. [Call no. R 346.778 B219L]
Beers, Henry Putney. French and Spanish Records of Louisiana: A Bibliographical Guide to Archive and
Manuscript Sources. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1989. pages 248-271. [Call
no. R 976.3 B415F and 976.3 B415F]
Carter, Clarence Edwin, editor. The Territorial Papers of the United States. 28 vols. Louisiana-Missouri
Territory. v. 13-15. Washington, D.C.: U.S. GPO, 1951 [Call no. Q973 C323T]
Includes correspondence regarding Missouri land claims and related matters. Indexed by
volume.
Collet, Oscar. General Index to St. Louis County Archives. N.p.: n.p., nd. [Call no. R 977.865 C698G );
shelved on index table beside the stairs]
Index is also available in microfilm format in film SLD-1 in drawer 103.
Collet, Oscar. Index to Instruments Affecting Real Estate Grantees and Grantors, 1804–1854, [Call no. R
977.865 C698I2 (Grantee) and R 977.865 C698I (Grantor); shelved on index table beside the stairs]
These indexes are available in book format and in microfilm format in film drawer 103.
Farnan, William Thomas. Land Claims Problems and the Federal Land System in the Louisiana-Missouri
Territory. 1980. [Call no. R 333.31 F235L – This is a St. Louis University doctoral dissertation.]

GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS ABOUT MO. LAND CLAIMS PRINTED AS SEPARATE BOOKS
(listed in Congress & Session order)
Doc. no. 206, 12th Congress – 2nd Session
1812 Land Claims in the Missouri Territory: Records of the 12th Congress, Second Session House of
Representatives Document Number 206, 1812. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 1999.
[Call no. R 977.8 L253. Includes name index.]
This is a reproduction of the American State Papers, vol. 2, pp. 463–730: doc. no. 206 (12th
Congress – 2nd Session) [Call no. R 333.1 A512 and 333.1 A512].
Doc. no. 206, 12th Congress – 2nd Session
1812 Lowrie, Walter. Early Settlers of Missouri as Taken from Land Claims in the Missouri Territory.
Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1986. [Call no. R 977.8 E12 and R 977.8 E12]
This is a reproduction of the American State Papers, vol. 2, pp. 463–730: doc. no. 206 (12th
Congress – 2nd Session) [Call no. R 333.1 A512 and 333.1 A512].
Doc. no. 273, 15th Congress – 1st Session
1818 Land Claims in Louisiana and Missouri: House of Representatives Report Number 273, 15th
Congress, 1st Session. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, n.d. [Call no. R 976.3 L253 and
Q 976.3 L253. Documents begin in 1818 and book includes name index.]
This is a reproduction of the American State Papers, vol. 3, pp.313–370: doc. no. 273
(15th Congress – 1st Session) [Call no. R 333.1 A512 and 333.1 A512].

MICROFILMS Pre-1804 (French & Spanish) • Collet, Oscar. General Index to St. Louis County Archives, roll SLD–1, item 1 [Film drawer 103] Index is also available in printed book form (Call no. R 977.865 C698G ), which is shelved on the index table beside the stairs. • Index to French & Spanish Archives, 1771–1803, 3 rolls, 16mm, [Roll 69 (F-504), Roll 70 (F-507), Roll 71 (F-511) , Film drawer 103] Original index cards made by the WPA are at the Old Courthouse Archives. • St. Louis, Mo., Deed Records [St. Louis County Archives] (recorded in French and Spanish), 6 volumes on 3 rolls, SLD–1 through SLD–3. [Film drawer 103] Recorded loose papers (documents) including land, marriage, wills, for St. Louis • St. Louis, Mo., Deed Records [St. Louis County Archives] (written in French, Spanish, English), 6 volumes on 6 rolls, SLD–4 through SLD–10 [Film drawer 103] Includes English translations of the St. Louis County Archives. 1804 and later (United States) • Land Commissioners Minutes, 2 rolls, LndCo-1 and LndCo-2 [Film drawer 103] Includes minutes for both the 1st Commission (1805–1812) and for the 2nd Commission (1832–1835). [Mo. State Archive film numbers for these rolls are F393 and F394.] • Collet, Oscar. Index to Instruments Affecting Real Estate Grantees and Grantors, 1804–1854. rolls SLD–1a and SLD–1b [microfilm drawer 103] These indexes are also available in book format shelved on index table beside the stairs [Call no. R 977.865 C698I2 (Grantee) and R 977.865 C698I (Grantor)]. Photocopies may only be made from the microfilm rolls. • Hunt’s Minutes, 1825– : 3 books; typewritten index for book no. 2 precedes that book; handwritten index for books no. 1, some of no. 2 and some of no. 3 appears at the end of the roll, MoLAND–26 [Film drawer 104] Proof testimony taken by Missouri Recorder of Land Titles, Theodore Hunt, regarding ownership of townlots, outlots, and claims for land. Testimony sometimes came from neighbors or mentions neighbors. The land was in or adjacent to the communities listed below. • St. Louis, • Portage des Sious • St. Charles • St. Ferdinand, • Village a Robert • Carondelet • Ste. Genevieve • New Madrid • Little Prairie in Missouri • New Madrid Records: roll MoLAND–25 [Film drawer 104] Includes records of land damaged by the New Madrid earthquake: testimony regarding damages; New Madrid location certificates; New Madrid original documents; and locations of earthquake damage. LAND RECORDS RELATING TO FRENCH AND SPANISH LAND CLAIMS IN MISSOURI, ESPECIALLY ST. LOUIS COUNTY Page 9 of 10 • Record of Land Titles in Mo.: French and Spanish Land Grants, 1805–1829 o Rolls F390 – F391. [Film drawer 103] Volumes A, B, C, and D appear on these films. (Volume E is missing per the Missouri State Archives.) Included in these volumes are French and Spanish land claims recorded after the 1804 Louisiana Purchase, but before the approval process for land claims began. Volumes A, B, C, D, and E are indexed by Index to French and Spanish Land Grants Recorded in Registers of Land Titles in Missouri: Books A, B, C, D, E. (Call no. R 977.8 W721I). If a name is listed in this index with the record in missing volume E, then check that name in Grassroots of America: A Computerized Index to the American State papers (Call no. R 333.1 M168G or R 333.1 M168G). Next, look up the references found there in the American State Papers. 8., Public Lands (Call no. R 333.1 A512 or 333.1 A512). o Roll F392. [Film drawer 103] Volumes F and G appear on this film. Volume F (1805–1829) contains documents in French, Spanish, and English and the order of entry appears to be by the date each entry was recorded. Volume F includes copies of the 6 volumes or “books” of the Livres Terriens on the following pages: Book 1 - p. 146 Book 2 - p. 162 Book 3 - p. 178 Book 4 - p. 189 Book 5 - p. 200 Book 6 - p. 210 Volume G (1830–1872) is by survey number and has a name index at the end listing the survey and page number. • Record of Land Titles in Mo.: Private Land Claims, roll F1498 [Film drawer 103] This film includes exhibits for successfully completed claims as follows: A. Confirmation by the Old Board of Commissioners B. Bates’ Confirmations of Village Claims C. Bates’ Confirmations of Extensions D. Bates’ confirmations of Concessions E. Bates’ Confirmations of Settlement rights Ee. Bates’ Confirmations to Wm. Russell F. New Madrid Certificates, locations and Surveys G. Hunt’s list of proofs under the act of 26th May 1824 H. Claims confirmed by the act of 4th July 1836 I. Grants made and completed before the change of Government K. Confirmations by the United States Courts L. Confirmation by special acts M. Claims reported by the old Board as valid but not finally confirmed • St. Louis City o Record of Sales City Commons, City of St. Louis, 1842, roll C13427 [Film drawer 103] o Record of Deeds for Lots Sold in Commons under Ordinances 1843, City of St. Louis, roll C13428 [Film drawer 103] o St. Louis Lands: Blocks of the City of St. Louis and Carondelet and Common Fields of St. Louis, 1840, roll C13429 [Film drawer 103] o Record of Deeds to City of St. Louis, 1830–1888, roll C13430 [Film drawer 103, includes land deeded to the City of St. Louis only] LAND RECORDS RELATING TO FRENCH AND SPANISH LAND CLAIMS IN MISSOURI, ESPECIALLY ST. LOUIS COUNTY Page 10 of 10 • St. Louis County (includes both city and county prior to 1876 and only the city after 1876) o Deeds and Indexes, vols. A–Z6 , 1804–1854. SLD–40 Through SLD–124 [Film drawers 103–104] o Direct Indexes to Deeds, vols. A–W, 1804–1895, SLD–11 through SLD–25 [Film drawer 103] o Inverted Indexes to Deeds, vols. A–W, 1804–1900, SLD–26 through SLD–39 [Film drawer 103] • U.S. Surveyor General o Field Notes & Plats Index (Mo.) [in map format] roll MoLAND–1 [microfilm drawer 103] How to use: Images are divided into 3 parts:  West of the 5th Prin. Meridian & North of the Missouri River  West of the 5th Prin. Meridian & South of the Missouri River  East of the 5th Prin. Meridian Each part has a map index for Field Notes and one for Plats. Also, each map is shown in multiple shots ranging from light to dark. o Field Notes of Private Surveys (Mo.): Vols. 1–71 (Vol. 8 and 52 are missing. Sometimes there is a volume #A and #B.) rolls MoLAND–10 through MoLAND–17 [Film drawer 104] How to use: In order to locate a specific private survey, you must know in which township (such as T46N R3E) that survey lays. When you know that, pull MoLAND–1 and examine the “Field Notes & Plats Index (Mo.)” in map format and find the township where the private survey lays. The “Pr. Vol. #” is listed in the square for your township (T46N R3E). o Individual Private Land Surveys (Mo.): Surveys 1–3342, rolls MoLAND–22 through MoLAND–24 [Film drawer 104] How to use: Survey numbers are needed to use this source and they can be found on plat maps, country road maps, etc. as “SUR # ”. These are images of the surveys of French and Spanish land claims AFTER they were approved and accepted by the federal government as valid claims. o Plats (Mo.): Vols. 1–49 & Miscellaneous Plats: rolls MoLAND–2 through MoLAND–9 [Film drawer 104] How to use: Check the “Field Notes & Plats Index (Mo.)” in map format (MoLAND–1 listed above) to locate the rectangle on the map grid representing that township. The volume or range of volumes is written in that rectangle. o Record of Private Surveys (Mo.): Vol. 1-20, (index at beginning of each vol.) rolls MoLAND–18 through MoLAND-21 [Film drawer 104] How to use: Check the index at the beginning of each roll. This is a written record of the private surveys copied into a permanent record book.