Mills County, Iowa

1881 Mills County History
The First Land Entries

  The first land entries were made at Fairfield, sometime in May, 1849. These entries are not accessible, having, if at all recorded, been lost. The first land entry of which there is any record was at Council B1uffs, January 7, 1853, and was by Leroy Britt. The number of acres was forty, situated as follows: se of sw sec, tp 72, range 41.

There were no more entries until March 12, of the same year. From that date until March 31, were made entries as follows:

March 12, 1853, nw of se sec 31, tp 72, range 41, 40 acres; by G` Stonebreaker

March 16, 1853, n fl 1/2 of ne sec 6, tp 71, range 49, 60, 40 acres; by H. Rogers.

March 16, 1853, n 1/2 of se sec 31, tp 73, range 42, 80 acres; by Stephen Wiles.

March 16, 1853, w 1/2 of se sec 32, tp 72, range 42, 80 acres; by Stephen Wiles.

March 16, 1853, SW 1/2 sec 12, tp 72, range 43,160 acres; by H. Bennett, in trust for occupant for Glenwood.

March 16, 1853, nw 1/4, sec 13, tp 72, range 43, 160 acres; by Hiram Bennett, in trust for occupants of Glenwood.

March 16, 1853, se 1/4 sec 26, tp 73, range 43 160 acres, by Joseph Brown.

March 16, 1853, ne 1/4 sec 35, tp 73, range 43, 160 acres; by A. H. An son.

March 18, 1853, nw 1/4 sec 29, tp 72, range 40, 160 acres by Nelson Hanson.

March 21, 1853, se 1/4 sec 21, tp 71, range 43, 160 acres, by Rufus Park

March 25, 1853, sw 1/4 sec 13, tp 72, range 43, 160 acres; by Edward Arnold, Jr.

March 25, 1853, e 1/2 of ne sec 23, tp 72, range 43, 80 acres; by Alex. McAlpin.

March 25, 1853, w 1/2 of nw sec 24, tp 72, range 43, 80 acres; by Alex. McAlpin.

March 25, 1853, w 1/2 of se sec 10,tp 73, range 43,80 acres, by J. H. Plumer.

March 25, 1853, w 1/2 of sc sec 10, tp 73, range 43, 80 acres, by J. H. Plumer

March 25, 1853, s 1/2 of sw sec 26, tp 73, range 43, 80 acres; by W. Gregory.

March 26, 1853, n 1/2 of nw sec 35, tp 73, range 43, 80 acres; by W.Gregory.

March 26, 1853, se 1/4 sec 28, tp 72, range 40, 160 acres; by David Sillett,

March 31, 1853, e 1/2 of ne and nw of ne sec 10, tp 72, range 43, 120 acres; by W. E. Gentry.

March 31, 1853, ne of se sec 10, tp 72, range 43, 40 acres; W. E. Gentry.

These are but few of the many that were made during the year 1853. A copy was not furnished the county until five years afterward, when the original entries for 1853 were furnished, as appears from the following certificate, found subjoined to the copy.

REGISTER’S LAND OFFICE, COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA.
February 8, 1858.
I hereby certify that the foregoing from pages 1 to 19 inclusive, contains a true copy of the original entries in Mills county, Iowa, consummated at this office during the year 1853.
JAMES POLLARD, Register.

It has been said that there are no records accessible relative to the land entries for this county at Fairfield. A diligent search among a number of musty documents in an old box in the cellar of the court house brought to light an interesting document relative to some lands in this county, which appears below in full. The entry was made in accordance with the congressional act of September 28, 1850, by which all surviving officers, non-commissioned officers, musicians, or privates, whether of regulars, volunteers, rangers or militia, who were engaged in the military service of the United States during the war with Great Britain in 1812, the war with Mexico, or in the army in the Indian wars since the year 1790, or their widows or minor children, in case of their death, are entitled to bounty lands, as follows: for nine months’ actual service, one hundred sixty acres; for four months’ service, eighty acres, and for any service exceeding thirty days, forty acres of land.

The document to which reference has been made is one issued in accordance with the provisions of the act alluded to, and is as follows:
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
To ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, GREETING:
Know ye, that in pursuance of an act of Congress entitled “An Act to raise, for a limited time, an additional military force, and for other purposes,” approved February 11, 1847, Edward O’Beede, private in Captain Sapps company, Illinois mounted volunteers, having deposited in the General Land-office a warrant in his favor, numbered 25,740; there is, therefore, granted by the United States unto William Olney, assignee of said Edward O’Beede, and to his heirs, the east half of the southeast quarter of section twenty-four, and the east half of the northeast quarter of section twenty-five in township seventy, north of range nine west, in the district of lands subject to sale, at Fairfield, Iowa, containing one hundred and sixty acres, according to the official plat of the survey of the said land, returned to the General Land-office by the surveyor general, which said tracts have been located in satisfaction of the above mention I warrant, in pursuance of the Act of Congress above mentioned, approved February 11, 1847. To have and to hold the said sections of land, with the appurtenances thereof unto the said William Olney, and to his heirs and assigns forever.

In testimony whereof, I, Millard Fillmore, President of the United States of America, have caused this letter to be made patent, and the seal of the General Land-office to be hereunto affixed.

[SEAL.] Given under my hand at the City of Washington, the tenth day of December in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and fifty, and of the Independence of the United States the seventy-fifth By the President,
MILLARD FILLMORE
By M. P. FILLMORE
Secretary.

E. S. TERRY,
Recorder of the General Land-office

Signed by the Recorder the sixteenth day of December, 1850.

Recorded, Vol. 43, page 421.

The event of entering land was one to which the early settlers looked with more than usual interest. His home would then be assured him and his highest anticipations realized. That it was a matter of great importance none will deny. The land office, both at Fairfield and Council Bluffs, often became the scene of animated discussions, as ever and anon some untoward event occurred to cast a shadow upon some wished for claim. Those days were days of excitement and anxiety, but when the claim was entered and the title awarded in due and legal form, glad and proud indeed were the hearts that beat in the bosom of the sturdy farmer, as homeward he went, the possessor of acres of rich and well disposed land.

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