Portage County experienced a rapid period of growth in the mid 1850's. Federal Lands were made available to settlers, promoting westward expansion. It was not unusual for several years to pass
between the time the land was purchased and the time a patent was finally signed by the Land Office in Washington D.C. You can view/print Land Patents and other documentation at the General Land Office Records Site.
After retrieving your land patent(s), you may want to locate the property using the 1915 Township Plat Maps, located at this site.
