Carson City – The Nevada State Library and Archives launches its first digital archives. The Nevada Digital Archives now has the records of State Land patents, and the censuses of Nevada Territory. Nevada State Land Patents are state conveyance documents created on the initial transfer of land titles from the State government to individuals. Official records of patents for lands were issued by the Nevada Surveyor General or State Land Registrar. The original copy was issued to the individual for filing with the county recorder and recorded in the Secretary of State’s office in one of 24 volumes dating 1865-1995. Each includes name of patentee, description of land granted by patent, patent number, and date. The database is searchable by name of the patentee. The official land patent records are now at the Nevada State Archives.
The 1862 census was authorized by the first Territorial Legislature in November, 1861. County assessors were directed to make lists of all white inhabitants, their residences, ages, and sex by July 1, 1862 and send the returns to the governor. From these reports the governor would apportion the number of members of the state assembly for each county. Changing county boundaries meant new censuses. A census was conducted in 1863 of Lander, Lyon, and Churchill Counties because the 1862 Legislature created a new county (Lander) from portions of Humboldt and Churchill counties. The 1864 Legislature had created a new county (Nye) from the eastern part of Esmeralda County, [re-]organized Churchill County, and changed boundary lines of Lander County made it necessary to take a census of Nye and Churchill Counties. database is searchable by name.