Summit County Chapter, Ohio Genealogical Society

Summit County Land Patents

Federal Land Patents
 
The Bureau of Land Management has a searchable database on their website which contains information regarding original purchasers of land from the federal government. Images of the patents can be downloaded. Purchasers of surrounding land can also be easily viewed on this site.
 
Summit County Recorder's Office
 
Most land records for Ohio can be found in the county recorder's office of the county where the land is located.  The Summit County Recorder's Office holds records regarding property ownership.  The deeds are indexed but only recent deed information in available on-line.  Early deed information can only be accessed at their office.  Visit their website for information. 
 
Akron-Summit County Library
 
The library has the following indexes on microfilm.
 
Summit County Grantor & Grantee Indexes to Deeds 1840-1914
Grantor Index to Deeds from Trumbull, Portage, Medina and Stark Counties 1795-1908
   (Includes only townships from these counties that became part of Summit County in 1840)
 
How to find your land

Original land patents and old deeds often describe the location of lands by Range, Township, Section, and Quarter sections mapped under provisions of the Northwest Ordinance enacted on 13 July 1787. To determine where the land mentioned in a deed is located you must know where each Range, Township and Section are located.  The table below shows the Township and Range numbers for each township in Summit County to help you determine where your ancestor's land was located.

 
Bath
T3N, R12W
Franklin
T2N, R10W
Northampton T3N, R11W Springfield T1N, R10W
Boston
T4N, R11W
Green T2N, R9W Norton T1N, R12W Stow T3N, R10W
Copley
T2N, R12W
Hudson T4N, R10W Portage T2N, R11W Tallmadge T2N, R10W
Coventry
T2N, R11W
Northfield T5N, R11W Richfield T4N, R12W Twinsburg T5N, R10W
 
A booklet titled "The Official Ohio Lands Book" is available from the Ohio Auditor of State.  Access their website and click on "Publications" to download a copy.