Research


Scope and Content Note

The series consists of original duplicate maps depicting grants of land under water made by the state from 1777 through the 1900s. Originally dating from approximately 1900 through 1907, the maps were updated by staff of the Office of General Services, Division of Land Utilization as late as 1987 to show some, but not all, of the more recent grants and easements issued. That office now maintains a second duplicate original set containing the most annotations.

The maps were produced incrementally by the State Engineer and Surveyor's Office through several separate appropriations made by the legislature to the Board of Commissioners of the Land Office. Since they document real property transactions to which the state is a party, the legislature specifically required that two sets of maps be prepared and that one set be retained by the Office of the State Engineer and Surveyor.