I’ve lived pretty much my whole life in the Northeast United States. The Bureau of Land Management-General Land Office meant absolutely nothing to me. Now that I live in Utah, there is a recreational area nearby run by the BLM that has RC model car tracks, a paved runway for flying model airplanes, a shooting range, and trails for horseback riding and ATVs. Spending time in the recreational area is now on my to-do list.
But those are mostly my husband’s hobbies. I go along for support and bring a book to read.
I knew the BLM-GLO could be used for genealogy, but I never checked it out because my family is from England, Italy, and the Northeast, and I’m not researching anyone who moved west. ( Joseph Spencer was credited with a 5,000-acre land grant after the Revolutionary War, which is not true. See Slow Down and Get to Know Your Records.) Thanks to DearMyrtle’s post, I’m taking a new look.
Since I don’t know what I don’t know, I searched for any Bentleys—2549 results. I viewed the details on what looked like familiar names. They were the heirs of James J. Bentley, who had served as a private in a company from Georgia during the War of 1812. Wow. I wish this were my relative. This gives me lots of areas to research.
So I tried looking for Spencers who served in the War of 1812 who received a Land Warrant. Joseph Spencer turned out to be the only heir of Abel Spencer. Both of these names were familiar, but the Warrant didn’t say where either man was from. Abel Spencer had served under Captain [not quite sure] in the 13th Regiment. FamilySearch’s Wiki says the 13th Regiment was with New York, so probably not my New Hampshire Abel Spencer.
I used Ancestry’s “All U.S., War of 1812 Service Records, 1812-1815” but there were no New Hampshire Spencers. So I just searched for New Hampshire.—7,790 results. I knew the Willey family—27 results. Going back to BLM-GLO and searching for Noah Willey, I found one who served in Captain Hays Company in New Hampshire. According to the Ancestry 1812 Service Records, there was only one Noah Willey who served, so this is probably the right man. His widow, Sarah, inherited the right to the land and sold it to David Ward, so sadly not a gold mine of information.
Still, in combination with Ancestry’s database, I can see myself using the BLM-GLO records in the future.
BLM Launches a Modernized General Land Office Records System; Bureau of Land Management.
Claire Kluskens, BLM Debuts New General Land Office Records Website; The Twelve Key: Information about U.S. Archival Records.
Why should we all have to learn the hard way? Please share what you’ve learned. Email me at YourFamilyQuest@gmail.com
Tuesday, 4 August 2026 at 10 am/1 pm (PDT/EDT) Mission: Genealogy Atlantic Gathering
Tuesday, 4 August 2026 at 4 pm/7 pm (PDT/EDT) Mission: Genealogy Pacific Gathering
Sunday, 9 August 2026 at 10 am/1 pm (PDT/EDT) Projectkin Live: Speakers’ Corner Preview as Lynda Heines Joins Jennifer Jones
Thursday, 13 August 2026 at 10 am/1 pm (PDT/EDT) Speakers’ Corner: Memories & Stories of Food with Lynda Heines and Lorinda Brandon
Friday, 14 August 2026 at 10 am/1 pm (PDT/EDT) Projectkin Live: Preview as Emma Explores the Influential Women in Her Family Tree
Sunday, 16 August 2026 at 10 am/1 pm (PDT/EDT) Live “Capturing the Lives of the Stigmatised & Marginalised” with Dai Davies
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