| Picture Description: |
Beginning in 1854, several laws were passed
regarding railroad scrip. The exact provisions varied, but
generally an amount of land was offered for each mile of rail
constructed. Certificates were issued for 35,777,038 acres. The
grantee (person or company who was originally awarded the land
certificate) or the assignee (person who owned the certificate)
would locate available land from the public domain. Using the
certificate, a grantee (or assignee) could have the desired land
surveyed. The field notes, a written description of the survey,
were sent to the Texas General Land Office and filed. After
fulfilling any conditions of the grant, such as making
improvements, and paying any required fees, the company or
individual could then apply for a patent (the original title from
the government) from the Texas General Land Office. |
