I have had a lot of inquiries in the last few months from owners, or ancestors of owners, of property originally distributed by Georgia in the 1832 land lottery. Current owners may be interested in who the past owners have been and who originally drew the land in the lottery. Ancestors of owners may want to know how long the property was in the family or who the ancestor obtained it from, or later who he sold or gave it to.
In this and later posts I will be describing how to discover the owners and location of property distributed through the 1832 land lottery. Actually, there were two lotteries in 1832 – the land lottery where lots were 160 acres, and the gold lottery consisting of districts thought to possibly contain gold, with lots that were 40 acres.
“Chain of Title” of Property in the 1832 Land Lottery
Whatever the interest in the ownership of a land lot in North Georgia is, the process of finding past owners will involve tracing the chain of title (or ownership). A chain of title is a listing of each owner, or link in the chain, of all the owners of a piece of property from the current owner all the way back to the original person who was granted it from the State of Georgia. Each link in the chain will be a property deed which shows who the property was granted to (the grantee), and from whom they were granted it (the grantor). It is interesting to note that the legal property descriptions of most current deeds will still contain the original land lot, district, and section as originally granted as a result of the 1832 lotteries – even if only a part of that land lot. For example, the legal description of a current deed might state something like this:
“…being part of land lot 177 of the 12th district, 1st section of Whitfield County, Georgia; and being lot 42 of the Cherokee Valley Subdivision.” (for example only – not a valid legal description, so don’t try to find it!)
County Deed Records
Property deeds were recorded and maintained by the county where the property was located, usually at the county courthouse or other building nearby. The method for maintaining the deeds may vary by county, but the general method is to record and file each deed in sequential pages as recorded there in books also numbered (or in some 
early deeds by letter) sequentially. It should be noted that deeds are filed as recorded, not necessarily by the date the deed was executed (the actual date on the deed). This means a deed executed in one year might not be recorded until the next year, although most of the time the execution date and recording date are within a few days or weeks. Although many counties have digitized their deed records, very few have been published online. This necessitates a physical visit to the county seat, which may present a problem to the family historian living in another area. Also, county boundaries have changed over time, so property that was originally in one county might now be in another. It may be necessary to visit a neighboring county that originally contained the property. Click here for an interactive map for county formation history. We at DeepRootsInTheSouth can research deeds in all the counties containing land originally distributed from the 1832 land and gold lotteries.
Unfortunately, over the years, courthouse disasters from fires, floods, tornadoes, and even that devil Sherman have destroyed many early deed records. So practically speaking, it is sometimes very hard to document a complete chain of title from the original drawer in the lottery to the current owner. Other records such as property tax digests and censuses may help to fill in the missing gaps in the chain.
Due to the enormous quantity of deeds in a county (Some larger ones have thousands of books!) tracing a chain of title would be impossible without indexes. Fortunately, all counties have good indexes, at least for the past 100 years or so, and many have them on computer for ease of searching. There are actually two indexes – the grantor index and grantee index – sometimes referred to as the direct (grantor) and reverse (grantee) indexes. Most counties also have a numerical index (or land lot index) which will show all deeds that refer to a particular land lot. The process for tracing a chain of title is fairly straight forward and will be detailed in a later post.
I have come in contact of what is possibly an original Land Lottery of a Gold Lot in District 98 to John Pool from the Williams district, of Walton County .
The 21st District of the 3rd Section surveyed the 26th of June 1832.
I would like to know more about the lands’ location from t Then until today. And would the deed it self be worth anything or displayed somewhere. Thanks !
This 40-acre land lot is in NE Polk County, Georgia, just north of the town of Aragon. As far as the value of an original land lottery grant, you might check ebay. I see them occasionally there. The Polk County Historical Society might be interested in displaying the grant in their museum.
Good morning. I recently learned that one of my ancestors was a recipient of Cherokee land and wondered the location. His name was Preston Wise, and he was number 47 on the Cherokee land lottery of 1832 (not certain if it was gold). It appears he was given land in the 24th District, 3rd section. Wondering how much land and the location.
Thank you.
This land lot consists of 160 acres and is in north Floyd County, Georgia. It was not a gold lot. Much of it contains Lake Arrowhead and the fish hatchery there.
Hi. I have an original deed from 1832 for a 40 acre parcel, #1182, in what I assume was the old Cherokee County, GA and I think was the Gold Land Lottery. It still has the wax seal. I can post pictures if you’re interested. I would love to know where that land sits today.
Thanks!
Clay Strayhorn
If your ancestor drew in the 1832 GA GOLD Land Lottery, were they a Revolutionary war veteran or was this just a dispersement of confiscated Indian land that may have gone to a veteran but that wasn’t a requirement? I have searched for my ancestor, John Combs (married Patsy Hammock) of Wilkes Co., GA based on her draw in that land as widow of a RS but his dates of ca 1790 SC-1830 Wilkes Co, GA don’t fit as a soldier.
Being a war veteran was not a qualification for this lottery. The 1832 Gold lottery was open to white males at least 18 years old who had been citizens of the U.S. for 3 years AND Georgia residents for 3 years, and widows and orphans.
DeepRoots
I am interested in a Revolutionary War veteran named Laurence/Lawrence Bankston. Laurence Bankston was residing in Wilkes County, Georgia when he entered the 1832 Gold Land Lottery. He is listed as having won land in the Chambers District, Section 4, District 3, Land Lot 795. Where is this land located ? Did Laurence Bankston claim the land ? Is there any record of the land being sold ? Any information would be appreciated.
Chambers District was not where the land won was located, but where the winner lived when he entered the lottery. According to my source, Laurence Bankston registered from Chambers District in Gwinnett County.* The lot he won is in Floyd County, just west of the town of Cave Spring. To confirm he was actually granted his land you would need to find the original grant at the Georgia Archives. Hope this helps.
DeepRoots
* Silas Emmett Lucas JR, The 1832 Gold Lottery of Georgia: Containing a List of the Fortunate Drawers in Said Lottery (Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1988), 23.
I am looking for information about land that was awarded to Archibald Beckham, orphan. It is described in a document on Ancestry as #105, 7th District, 3rd Section, Cherokee, William’s residence, Washington County, Georgia. I’m mostly interested in any information about Archibald (my second great grandfather). Was he a descendant of a Revolutionary War veteran?
Hello, I am looking for the name of the people who drew the following land lots in 1832 Cherokee Land Lottery in the 2nd section of the 1st District: Lot 235, Lot 202, Lot 236. I currently work at a school that is now on those properties.
This district is a gold district and so land lots in in were drawn in the 1832 gold lottery. To find the fortunate drawers in this lottery, you would need to look in the Index Leading to Name on microfilm at the Georgia Archives.
DeepRoots
THANK YOU! I was wondering why I couldn’t find it in the encyclopedia of land lotteries.
Bk “ Early Records of GA- Wilkes Co. – Vol 1 by Grace Davidson lists the recipients of the 1832 Gold Lottery, p. 349-353. It only lists the district pulled in, recipient’s name and number of pulls. It is available on Amazon.
Looking for any Henson family member who drew land in the 1832 land lottery or prior to 1832. Thank you for your help.
I am looking for the land granted to Jacob Burkhalter in the early 1800s in or near current day Warren County. I just bought the house that Jacob built sometime before 1825. It is supposed to be the first colonial home built in Warren county. I am gathering information in the hopes of getting the house put on the National Register of historic homes. LaFayette is purported to have spent the night in this home in March of 1825 while touring all the states. I have been told that the house has been moved from where it was built to where it is now. Thank you.
Hi Dan!
Saw your post. Not sure if I can help with anything, but I am a Burkhalter descendant. Last Summer I contacted the previous owner in the hope of getting permission to visit the house. He was cordial, but we were not able to work out a time, but my sister and I did visit Warrenton and see it from the street. I am glad to hear the you have purchased the house and are interested in it’s history.
As I noted on my webpage (longleafjournal.com) I saw a Georgia Historical Commisssion marker in front of a relatively small home in Warreneton describing it as the Burhalter-Kitchens House. A photo is on my wensite as well.That was back in the 1970s and when I returned in the 1990s the marker was missing. I have written the Georgia Historical Society to inquire about what research was done to satisfy the GHC review process. Perhaps there is a nomination form somewhere for the National Register but I have not located it. My ancestors settled in Wilkes (later Warren County). If you discover anything about this please advise. Lafayette’s visit to Warrenton is described briefly in a published diary kept by his companion on the journey. Paperback copies can be purchased new or used on Amazon. The account covering his visit to Georgia is in volume II.
Elaine, I don’t know if I am just seeing your post, or if I saw it before and just forgot about it. Let me know if you want to see the house. We are not there all the time, but I’m sure we can meet up some time.
Hi Elaine! This is my third attempt to reply to your post. You are welcome to come by and see the house any time we are there. You can contact me directly at:
dangmuller at msn dot com
As I noted on my webpage (longleafjournal.com) I saw a Georgia Historical Commisssion marker in front of a relatively small home in Warreneton describing it as the Burhalter-Kitchens House. A photo is on my wensite as well.That was back in the 1970s and when I returned in the 1990s the marker was missing. I have written the Georgia Historical Society to inquire about what research was done to satisfy the GHC review process. Perhaps there is a nomination form somewhere for the National Register but I have not located it. My ancestors settled in Wilkes (later Warren County). If you discover anything about this please advise. Lafayette’s visit to Warrenton is described briefly in a published diary kept by his companion on the journey. Paperback copies can be purchased new or used on Amazon. The account covering his visit to Georgia is in volume II.
Hi Joe. Sorry I haven’t gotten back with you yet. Been real busy. I spent a couple of hours at the courthouse this morning looking at old records. It looks like the Kitchens had possession of the house since 1939 and maybe before. I’m probably going back to the courthouse tomorrow morning to do some more digging.
Our bug guy was at the house today and he told my wife that the Historical Commission remover the marker from the house because at one point it was located on the NE corner of N. Gibson and Main, a distance of about 200 yards, and was moved to it’s current location. I had read somewhere that if a building had been moved, it had a negative affect on the historical significance. I’ll just have to do more research.
I’ve just stumbled on your very well written article and greatly appreciate finding it. I’ve visited the old home of John J Smith that he built just after winning an 1832 lottery near Cartersville. His home, still standing, is now owned by the adjacent church who use it for food storage. His home is just a little east of where the farm of Mrs Rebecca Latimer Felton was, and just west of the current Tellus Museum is.
Several in my family have looked for his lottery records in the hopes it will help us find the area he was living before the lottery. Are those records still in Cartersville, or at the Georgia State Archives building in Atlanta? Thanks again.
Hey Tim,
I just saw your comment – must have missed it. I think the land you describe is land lot 238, 5th district of the 3rd section. It is west of the Tellus Museum and north of Pine Grove Church. This lot was originally drawn by Stephen Holton’s orphans of Washington County, GA. You would need to check the lottery records at the state Archives to see if they or someone else actually was granted the land and when. The name is common, but I didn’t see a John J. Smith drawing a lot in the Cartersville area. The Holton orphans could have not ever claimed their prize in which case it would have been sold to someone else, possibly John J. Smith. Again, you could confirm this at the Archives. Hope this helps. Let me know if there’s anything else I can do.
DeepRoots
I am looking for the land granted to Elisha Turner in the 6th land lottery in Hall county. What info I have is it was In the 23rd District 3 section. Would be interested in who had the land after Elisha and how it was obtained after Elisha’s death. Thank you for any assistance.
Elisha Turner drew land lot 288 in the 23rd district, 3rd section in the 1832 land lottery. This land lot is in Rome, Floyd County, Georgia. Elisha registered for the lottery in Dobb’s district of Hall County.
To find later owners of the land, you would need to search deed records of Floyd County at the courthouse in Rome. If the land transferred after Elisha’s death, you might search Floyd County probate records. Many of these are now online.
DeepRoots
Thank you. It is greatly appreciated.
Hi, I am struggling in finding a list of winners for the 1832 gold lottery 17th district 3rd section all the maps have it listed but the information is either not listed or can not be found. All other listing show that it did happen I just can’t find it. The section I believe would be Cass County,Georgia which is now Cartersville, Georgia looking at the Map of lots. Do you have any recommendations as to where it can be found?
A book by Mary Warren, 1981, Georgia’s 1832 Gold Lottery, p 216 an entry for Strother, Francis, orphans of: Sect 15 2, Lot #0509. It states, Records pertaining to the actual grants have been preserved in the Surveyor General Department, GA Archives. It states that a copy can be obtained. I am related to
Francis Strother, and would wish to obtain a copy.
Could you tell me if it is available and the cost. I believe there were other Strothers.
kathryn302@comcast.net
My Great Grandfather, John Jehu King, received land in the lottery off of his wife, Mary Elizabeth (Polly) Goddy. I cannot find any information on her, such as parents name, tribe she belonged to, etc. Is there any information I can find regarding how she came to own the land in the first place. Other men who got land off of her were John Taylor and Andrew Valentine. Thank you for your help.
looking at the 1832 Land Lottery index of Revolutionary soldiers (This also includes grants prior to 1832.) There is no listing of the name Goddy. There is a listings for John King on the line above Mary King.
King,John, a revolutionary soldier, at the time of the grant,25-3-19, was living in Liddell’s, Jackson (county) received a fractional section. King, Mary ,the wife of a revolutionary soldier, at the time of the grant, 4-4-171 was living in Phillips, Talbot