The Cherokee Land Lotteries of North Georgia

When you think of a lottery in Georgia, you probably think of laying a dollar on the counter and hoping to win thousands or even millions of dollars. But, the current lottery sponsored by the State of Georgia is not the first lottery in the state’s history.  In the first half of the 19th century Georgia held several lotteries, but the prizes were not millions of dollars but acres of land!

As immigrants flooded “The New World,”  the American colonies, and later states, used a variety of methods to distribute land to these new residents.  Georgia used some of these methods, but the one it finally settled on was unique among the States – the land lottery.  The state conducted eight of these lotteries to distribute its land from 1805 – 1833.  The last three, conducted in 1832 and 1833, were used to distribute the former lands of the Cherokees who had been removed to Oklahoma from their last stronghold, mostly in North Georgia, but also including parts of Alabama and Tennessee.  The Treaty of New Echota, which extinguished the claims of the Cherokees east of the Mississippi, and the subsequent disaster of their removal, commonly called “The Trail of Tears,” will be discussed here at a later time.

Once the treaty had been ratified by the U.S. Government, Georgia began making plans for distribution of its land being vacated by the Cherokees.  Surveyors were elected from existing Georgia counties and the work of surveying began.  The land was divided into 4 Sections comprised of most of North Georgia, mainly Northwest Georgia. Each Section was further divided into Districts, and each District was divided into the actual individual Land Lots that would be awarded to the “fortunate drawers,” as they were called.  Each land lot was 160 acres, unless evidence of gold was found in the district, in which case the lots were 40 acres.  These “gold lots” were distributed in a separate lottery, and there was also a third drawing where “fractional” lots, and any others not included in the previous two, were drawn.

There were several requirements to be eligible for a draw, the most important being that the person must have been a citizen of the State of Georgia for a certain period of time.  Some persons, such as Revolutionary War veterans, widows and orphans, received more than one draw.  An “interesting” side note is that since the Cherokees were not considered Georgia citizens, they were not eligible to participate in “winning back” their own land.  For more details, including the exact eligibility requirements, visit the Georgia Secretary of State’s website at: http://sos.georgia.gov/archives/what_do_we_have/land_lottery/default.htm.  The three lotteries used to distribute Cherokee Georgia were the 6th (160 acre lots) in 1832, the 7th (or gold lottery – 40 acre lots) in 1832, and the 8th (all lots not distributed in the other two) in 1833.

The drawings took place at the state capitol.  Tickets with the drawers’ names were placed in one drum or wheel, and slips of paper for each land lot were placed in another, and lottery officials drew one slip from each wheel.  If a person drew a lot, he/she could pay the fee and receive a grant deed to the land. Most of these grants have been lost, but there are a few originals in existence.

Most current deeds in this part of Georgia still use the same method of describing the land, so it may be possible to discover the fortunate drawer of the land you or an ancestor lived on.  See the list below for the current North Georgia counties covered by the Cherokee land lotteries. To find the land lot of a parcel of land, look at the current deed (usually a warranty deed) for the legal description which will state something like this:  “All that tract or parcel of land being in Land Lot 129 of the 15th District, 3rd Section of Gordon County, Georgia…”  This will be the actual land lot/district/section drawn in the 1832/1833 lottery.

To find the fortunate drawer of a land lot in one of Georgia’s lotteries you can consult the “Index Leading to Name” on microfilm at the Georgia Archives. It is a listing by land lot number showing the names of the winners, their stated residence when they registered for the lottery, and the date they were awarded the grant to their land lot. In 1838, James F. Smith published his The Cherokee Land Lottery: Containing a Numerical List of the Names of the Fortunate Drawers in Said Lottery. Smith compiled his list from the  the “Index Leading to Name,” but instead of listing the date of the grant, he simply noted whether it had been granted before the first day of 1838. Smith’s book has been reprinted as The 1832 Cherokee Land Lottery of Georgia, and includes an alphabetical index of the names of the fortunate drawers. This index is invaluable to family historians looking for the names of their ancestors in the lottery. An alphabetical listing of the fortunate drawers in the 1832 gold lottery is also available in print as The 1832 Gold Lottery of Georgia. There is no numerical listing to find the fortunate drawer of a land lot in this lottery except the “Index Leading to Name” at the Georgia Archives.

Current counties in North Georgia whose lands were distributed in the Cherokee Land Lotteries of 1832/1833 are:

  • Bartow (originally called Cass)
  • Catoosa
  • Chattooga
  • Cherokee
  • Cobb
  • Dade
  • Dawson
  • Fannin
  • Floyd
  • Forsyth
  • Gilmer
  • Gordon
  • Lumpkin
  • Milton (originally formed from parts of other counties, is now north Fulton County)
  • Murray
  • Paulding
  • Pickens
  • Polk
  • Towns
  • Union
  • Walker
  • Whitfield

If you own property in one of these counties, then it most likely was “won” in one of the three Cherokee lotteries.  If you want to know who originally drew your lot, but don’t have access to an index, just drop me me a note and I’ll see if I can find more information about it for you.  Also, one of the services we provide is researching house histories or the chain of ownership for a piece of property.  Not all records exist to be able to trace an unbroken chain back to the lottery, but we’ll be happy to try for you.  Just contact us here: www.DeepRootsInTheSouth.com.  And, I would love to hear from you if you have one of the original grant deeds or you can trace your chain of ownership back to the lotteries.

DeepRoots

48 Comments

  1. Understand my great grandfather Abraham B Russell and his brother John, were in Chastains District, Habersham Co. Georgia in 1832 and was granted land. Abraham B Russell moved to Murray County. Trying to find any information I can ,on Abraham B Russell. He was married to Martha A Adams.

  2. We live in Union county Georgia and would like to trace our land back to the land lottery. We own a piece of land in land lot 98 but I haven’t found the map of what is now Union co. Would you be able to help ?

    • I would need to know the District. There are several in Union County, and each will probably have a land lot 98. Your deed should specify the district. I provide a service for researching the chain of ownership of a property in your area from the deeds at the courthouse. If you are interested, contact me through my website: http://www.deeprootsinthesouth.com.

  3. Looking for information about George J. Southerland. Gold lottery #115,139th,
    Greene 7th District, 4th Section Cherokee. Please explain the numbers 115,
    139th and Greene. I’ve read the gold lottery was for 40 acres but, the family
    story says 120 acres…how do I research the 120 acres? I found his name on
    the 7th District 4th section list but no info on what the numbers mean.

  4. Hello. It was suggested that I look into the GA land lottery to see if my gg gfather, William Wilson, was awarded land because I’ve been searching for him for over 15 years without any luck. All I really know is that he and his family were in West Amunchee, Walker County for the 1850 census. This record shows he was born ca 1802 in SC. I have no idea where he lived in that state. Of his 10 children, it looks like his 6th child was born ca 1843 somewhere in GA. The first 5 show 1839 thru 1841 born in SC. I don’t know if he settled somewhere else in GA ca early 1840’s or if he was in Walker County only. A married daughter was in Chattooga Co for a short time in the 1880’s so that County is possible but I’ve never found him there. With a name like William WILSON, the possibility of finding him is daunting.

    I’m nearly 80 and not that good searching on the computer but I keep trying. Is there any way you might see if he participated in the land lottery? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

    • I don’t think searching in Georgia land lotteries records will help you. There were 8 land lotteries in Georgia from 1805 to 1833. All of them required that participants in them be residents of Georgia. Since it looks like your William Wilson didn’t come to Georgia until the 1840’s, he more than likely didn’t participate in any Georgia land lottery.

      Your best bet is to find the family in every U.S. census during William Wilson’s lifetime. That would at least locate the family every 10 years. You mention the 1850 census. Have you found the family in any other census? Once you find the family in the censuses, you should check the county records where it is found in each census. Many of these records are online, many for free (familysearch.org). You would want to look into property and probate records in each county.

      I could look in land lottery indexes but as you say, William Wilson is a very common name, and I would probably find many entries. But like I said, I don’t think any of them would be yours.

      Sorry I wasn’t able to help you more, but keep searching.

      DeepRoots

  5. Hi I have found my six great grandparents Elizabeth where is on this lottery drawing what does it mean what can I do ? Thanks

    • The Archives are open to the public. Visit their website at https://www.georgiaarchives.org/ for hours, address, and other instructions. You will need to register and obtain a card that can be used next time.

      The grants are on microfilm. Look in the “Index Leading to Page” (also on microfilm) for the location of the grant. You can print them out for a small fee, or copy them to a “thumb drive” (you provide) for free.

      You should also get a copy of the plats. These are arranged by county (in this case Cherokee) then by section/district/land lot.

  6. Two great, great, great grandfathers won lots in the Cherokee Land Lottery of 1832, Albert G. Bagwell drew lot 314 in the 12th District, 5th Section in Walker County and the other great, great, great grandfather, John Sparks, drew Lot 319 in the same 12th District, 5th Section in Walker County.
    I would like to know if they sold these parcels or moved onto them and received a deed from the State of Georgia?

    Thanks

    • Larry,
      You would need to check at the Georgia Archives for the actual grants of these 2 land lots to see who received them.

  7. This was my mother’s grandmother. She’s %100. Cherokee Indian. Thank you, TERESA Duncan

  8. I’m looking for my Gret Grandmother. She was 100% Cherokee Indian. Her name was Minnie Mae Link she was a nurse in the 1800,S. She also married and had a boy and a girl, Hubert w Mcgill , and Nelly thank you , Sincer.y Teresa Duncan. Her great granddaughter !

  9. Looking for info. on James M. Bridges’ lots.
    Thank you (maybe 2 James M. Bridges) one married an Elizabeth Lawless. The other, maybe the Indian Spy?

  10. I am looking for the original lucky land lottery winner (and trail of ownership) for a parcel of land located at 1303 Conasauga Road, Ellijay, Ga 30540. It was owned by John McClurd and his son Hix McClurd from the late 1800s to late 1900s when it was deeded to Hix’s daughter, Lucille Bazemore, who died and left it to her husband, Luther in the early 2000s. I purchased it in 2014 or 2015 from her son, Michael McGarl. The 10 acre tract today was part of a much larger estate through the years. I believe that it was part of 60 acre+ tract until Hix died and it was split up. My survey indicates that it is located in L.L. 28,29,44,45, 26th district, 2nd section, Gilmer County. It is in the far northwest part of Gilmer up next to the Cohutta mts. However it once was the epicenter of the community of Conasauga and John McClurd had a store and post office there in 1900. The old Ellijay Turnmpike went right by there. Thanks!

    • John,
      If you still need this information, please contact me on our “Contact Us” page.
      Thanks,
      DeepRoots

  11. I was wondering what the Districts were named for. One District was “Shearer’s”. I am trying to trace my Shearer ancestors who were in that region of Georgia in the early 1800’s. I thought it odd that a district near where they were from was named “Shearer’s”, but I cannot figure out why the district was so named.

    • Districts were actually militia districts originally formed for calling up the state militia as needed. Districts were numbered but were also sometimes referred to by the name of the Captain, or leader of the militia in that area. In your case, it is most likely that one of your Shearer ancestors was the Captain of that district and therefore referred to as “his district.”
      DeepRoots

  12. I just found out today that my gr-gr-gr grandmother was a lucky drawer in the 1832 land lottery. She is listed as #45 in the 8th district, 1st section. Her name was Moriah Payton & she was a widow at the time. I don’t know if she ever got the land, or sold it, or what. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

    • I was able to confirm that Moriah Payton, a widow, from Morgan’s District of Madison County, Georgia was indeed the “fortunate drawer” of this lot. She was granted her “prize” before 1838. The exact date can be found in records at the Georgia Archives. This land lot is in what was originally Union County, but is now located in Mineral Bluff in the NE corner of Fannin County. You would need to check early deed records of Union & Fannin Counties to find any later owners of the property. Hope this helps, and if there’s anything else I can do, just let me know. I do research in both the above courthouses and the Georgia Archives.
      DeepRoots

  13. I am looking for my husbands third great grandfather ( Berry Drake ) location of the land he won in the 1838 GA Land Lottery. It is No. 102 Ninth District, Second Section, Cherokee.

    Thank you Clare Drake

    • Someone, as I don’t remember who sent me a copy of the land that my Great Great Grandfather, James Rylee bought. There is a map and I think it came from the Internet speaking of Land Lotteries of North Georgia and I believe I responded to that message and that is where that I received the map. Good Luck

  14. I would love to know the location where my GGG grandfather was. His name was James Norton, he won in the 1832 lottery, number 161; district 6, 1st section. That would be for Walker County, Ga.
    Thanks for helping with this, you are a blessing.

    Thanks again,
    Charla

  15. I live in Calhoun Ga. and have been trying to get information on the history of ownership on my land. I would appreciate any direction you could provide as it pertains to the land lottery.

    I am located about 2 miles east of town on what is now Dews Pond Rd. 3094 is the address if that helps. Thanks in advance for you help.

  16. I am looking for the location of the property won by my great-great-grandfather Seaborn Milligan. 15th district, 4th Section, Cherokee but no “parcel” listed. Would you be able to tell me where this is? To my knowledge, he never actually lived anywhere but Wilkes and Pike/Spalding counties in Georgia. Thank you!
    Jeannie Milligan Harper

    • The records usually show where he was living when he drew the lucky draw. Not everyone ever occupied the land they drew, some sold the land and, I believe, some just never bothered to claim it. The maps I referred to before will tell you where the section and district were. You can use that to try to find further records.

      The 15th district, 4th section was due west of Rome, GA on the Alabama border in what is now Floyd Co. These maps are available online. I searched on “Cherokee Land Lottery section maps” and got the maps.

      Genealogy is a work of love and it takes a lot of time, sometimes quite a bit of money. It isn’t something you spend an afternoon doing and expect to learn much. That’s what I see from a lot of people. Some of these answers take work to find.

      • I know a James Rylee Sr. and a James Rylee Jr both won land in the Georgia Lottery but I do not know where this land is located. Blackstone’s Hall and Martin. 7th District, 1st Section, Cherokee

        • I see that James Rylee, Sr. drew lot 181, district 7, 1st section. Here is a link to a page where you can dowload a list of fortunate drawers and maps whowing where their land was: https://archive.org/details/cherokeelandlott00smit

          Lot 181 is right on the western edge of section 1 so, it was in Union Co. near the Gilmer line. Counties have changed; this lot is now in Fannin Co. James Rylee, Sr. lived in Blackstock’s Dist. in Hall Co.

          There was a Bennett Rylee and John Rylee who drew from Hall Co. As a revolutionary soldier, James Rylee, Sr. was entitled to two draws and both were lucky draws. He also drew lot 198 in the 22nd dist., 2nd section. The 22nd district would have been just west of Canton with the Cherokee/Bartow line bisecting it north to south. Lot 198 would be in present day Cherokee Co., Ga. I can add that Lick Creek shown on the old map is called Stamp Creek today.

          Here is a good overview of the districts and sections: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/cherokee/photos/cherokee.jpg

          James Rylee, Jr. was also shown as a soldier but not as a revolutionary soldier. He drew lot 111 of 26th dist., 3rd section. That’s just SW of Dalton in today’s Walker Co.

          • Thanks for this information. James Rylee Jr. and Senior are my relatives. My Grandfather was James Henry Rylee who I believe was James Jr.’s Son.

    • Looking at the Cherokee Land Lottery,index to revolutionary soldiers There is no Milligan listed. Perhaps he paid to get the deed putin his name when someone else had their name drawn out of the barrel. They could have been recorded as “winning” It appears that some men paid another to put their name on the slip and thus had two chances without having to buy the right. There are men who won twice doing this.

  17. Looking for more information about the lottery won by James Rylee Sr. & James Rylee Jr. in North Georgia

    • If you have sent something I do not have it. Let me know where this land is that James Rylee Sr. won in a land lottery in North Georgia. Was it Walker County or Whitfield County

    • Trying to determine who James Henry Rylee’s Father or Grandfather. Having this information should help. I am thinking it might be Bennett Rylee. I know my Grandfather James Henry was born in Dalton Georgia and I know that it was Whitfield County so I thought this information might help in this quest.

  18. My GG grandfather, Henry M Gunter was a Lottery winner in the 454 Walton Co District Cherokee Co 12th District, 2nd Section, I think after the original Cherokee Co was divided, the land parcel would have been located in Gilmer Co. Ga. I haven’t been able to find if he ever took possession, or sold prior to 1838, I have located him in the 1840 census in Meriwether Co, no record of him after then, however located his wife, my GG grandmother and 4 children in Walton co, 1850 census, wife never shows up after that. Trying to put pieces together, thought any info as to the exact location and disposition of the 1832 lottery parcel might be helpful. Thanks, Bob

    • I appreciate any information that you have concerning Henry M Gunter and the 1832 Georgia Land lottery….Thanks Bob

  19. A book on the 1832 Land Lottery by James Smith is on http://www.familysearch.org under and then Search on Cheroke Land Lottery and it was the first book in the list. It has maps but they have no roads, the only identification is creeks and rivers. Lot 288 is right on a river which may give you some idea where it is if you can match it up to a current map. These lots and districts are still used as land descriptions today and a county office or library might be able to help. From the maps I can locate, it looks like District 8, Section 3 is in Gordon county. If you don’t know the county, I would start by trying to locate the county and then use the book by Smith.

  20. I am looking for the location of the property won by my great-great-grandfather Nicholas Albright. I have found his name in the winners but I can’t find the location of his parcel. He was in the 1832 lottery–8th district,3rd section,Cherokee parcel #288. I would like to have a vague idea of where this land was located. Thanks for your help. Ruth McCarty

    • Hi Ruth, Have you found the land your GG-Grandfather received in the 1832 Land Lottery? Not only did I find my GGG-GrandFather’s land from the 1827 Lottery, I also found the exact Lots he purchased in Houston County and Pulaski County. He lived in Pulaski when he died in 1876. If you still need help, I would be glad to share with you how I found the Lots, just by using the internet. It took me about 6 hours one day to find all Lots, but I can’t tell you how happy I am to have found them. Let me know if I can be of help. Barbara Triggs, Plano, Texas email: btriggs3601@aol.com

      • I have found those lots. One reader had a map that showed exactly where they are but I have not yet been able to put my foot on them. I hope to be able to soon. Thanks so much for the offer of help.

  21. can i get help in tracing the transfer of gold lottery winning lots?my james brown was in irwin county and drew lot 1042 dist 11 section 1,i believe this falls in lumpkin, he sells it in irwin county to richard brown who i believe is his father,this is oct.20 1834, can i get help to determine what happened to the land next,who was it sold to and where was richard living when he sold the lot?also richard draws lot 238 dist 18 sec2, nothing listed in irwin county deeds who does he sell it to ? i dont know if this is my james brown or the other one”indian jim brown” living in irwin and draws lot 472 dist 14 sec 1 who is this sold to? any reply will be appreciated.please advise of costs. thanks john e brown

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