Our goal at Ancestor Tracks is to publish maps and land ownership information allowing genealogy researchers to place more precisely the locations where our ancestors lived. The state of Pennsylvania began platting the exact metes-and-bounds tracts of the earliest landowners, township-by-township, starting in 1907, but the Land Office only completed about 1/3 of the state before the project ended. Unfortunately, Pennsylvania did not plat the tracts of the earliest landowners of Montour County.
In lieu of being able to bring you Township Warrantee Maps of the earliest settlers, we are posting images from the 1873 Columbia and Montour Counties Pennsylvania from Recent & Actual Surveys & Records Under the Superintendence of G. H. Walker & C. F. Jewett published by F. W. Beers & Co. This atlas is located in the Library of Congress Geography and Map Division Washington, D.C. It is a particularly useful tool when used in conjunction with the 1870 and 1880 census and as well as Battle's 1887 History of Columbia & Montour Counties, Pennsylvania.
If your ancestor was actually a first landowner in the county, purchasing his or her property from the colony or state of Pennsylvania, further information about these tracts may be gleaned from the Warrant Registers and Patent Registers on file at the Pennsylvania Archives in Harrisburg and available on CD from Ancestor Tracks. Remember that Montour Co. was created from Columbia County in 1850, and Columbia County was created 1813 from Northumberland County which was formed in 1772. Before 1772, Montour Co. fell within Berks Co., so if your ancestors were very early settlers of what is today Montour, you will need to check all of the county warrant registers mentioned above (all are included on this single CD). The earliest land warrants were filed under the county as it existed at the time the warrant was issued. Keep in mind that all sales of land after the state or colony transferred ownership to private individuals are recorded at the county courthouse.
Atlas of Columbia and Montour Counties, 1876 |
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Township Maps
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Anthony Township
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