gr00654.xml State Land Office: An Inventory of Its Indemnity School Land Records at the Minnesota Historical Society Minnesota Historical Society
St. Paul, MN.

Government Records

 Finding aid encoded by Cheri Thies, October 2012. Finding aid written in English. OVERVIEW Minnesota Historical Society Minnesota. State Land Office. Indemnity school land records. circa 1855-circa 1960. Materials in English. Volumes detailing the state's school indemnity lands, including their location, selection, and eventual disposition. 1.3 cubic feet (1 box and 1 partial box). See Detailed Description for shelf locations. HISTORICAL NOTE

Under the Minnesota statehood act [11 Stat. 166, Enabling Act of February 26, 1857], sections 16 and 36 of every township (totaling 1280 acres per township) were dedicated to the state school fund. If any such section was deficient (less than a full section by reason of being located in a fractional township; covered by a lake, river, or swamp; reserved for some other public purpose; or pre-empted by settlement), the state could select indemnity lands from the public domain to make up the deficiency.

 CATALOG HEADINGS

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics: Land titles -- Registration and transfer -- Minnesota. Public land sales -- Minnesota. Public lands -- Minnesota. School lands -- Minnesota. ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Minnesota. State Land Office. Indemnity School Land Records. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Accession Information:

Accession number: None

 Processing Information:

Catalog ID number: 007582925

 DETAILED DESCRIPTION 114.E.11.6F-1 Abstract of Indemnity School Selection, Volume 15, 4th Meridian, circa 1855-circa 1960. 1 volume.

Entries are by range, within each range by township.

Each entry lists township/range, acreage, amount of school lands to which the township is entitled, amount of school lands in place in sections 16 and 36, amount entitled to select on account of deficiencies, remarks as to cause of deficiency, selections to supply the deficiency (legal description of approved list), date of selection, list number, deficiency in selection in what land district, date of approval by Secretary of Interior, date relinquished , and occasional remarks.

 Abstract of Indemnity School Selection, Volume 16/A, T101-132, Ranges 3-49, Fifth Meridian, circa 1863-circa 1956. 1 volume.

Entries are by range, within each range by township.

Contains the same type of information as Volume 15.

 Abstract of Indemnity School Selection, Volume 17/B, T113-118, Ranges 25-51, Fifth Meridian, circa 1874-circa 1956. 1 volume.

Entries are by range, within each range by township.

Contains the same type of information as Volume 15.

 114.E.11.6F-2 Indemnity School Land Record 1/[18], circa 1863-circa 1916. 1 volume.

Pages 1-139, arranged by township (101-164); remainder of volume is divided into several sections organized by selection list date, approval date, and township (entries are, however, inconsistent).

For each parcel of land, information may include legal description (range, township, section, fractional section), acreage, date selected by state, selection list, in lieu of deficiency in (range, township), date and list approved by Secretary of Interior, date sold by state, certificate number, date patented by state, and patent number. Many parcels remained unsold (or the sale information was not recorded) or were relinquished back to the federal government.