Your family found a deed for land in Montana that is signed by Abraham Lincoln With the original deed do you have legal ownership?

Answer 1

Every owner of land has a deed by which they acquired the land. As each owner sells to a new owner, they execute a new deed. The new deed is then recorded in the land records and the new owner is the 'owner of record'. The old deed has been superseded. Finding an old deed is common. There are millions of them.

It is possible to trace the ownership of the land described in the deed but that type of research is extremely difficult and usually needs to be done by a professional title examiner who specializes in archival research. If the grantee was your ancestor, research may reveal that your family still owns the land if it was never conveyed by a predecessor in interest (i.e, a former owner).


This sounds like an interesting project. Your priority should be determining if the deed is authentic. If it is authentic then it may be extremely valuable. Since your deed is signed by Abraham Lincoln you should have it examined by a professional for authenticity. If possible you should make a copy and use the copy to make several more. The document should be handled as little as possible and the original kept in a safe place.


A copy should be used to find an expert who thinks further study should be done. Contact your local museum, university or historical commission for the name of an expert. Don't hand over the original unless you are completely satisfied with the professional status and ability of any expert you find. Try contacting the 'History Detectives'. You can submit your story online at the link provided below.