Managing a Land Office Business

Commemorating 200 Years of the General Land Office

Two hundred years ago this April, the General Land Office (GLO) opened its doors for business. Today that “land office business” continues at the Bureau of Land Management-Eastern States office, which will commemorate the occasion with events scheduled throughout the year.

In 1812, a young American nation faced the challenge of transforming wilderness to agricultural use and acquiring the revenue to pay its war debts. The GLO was established to handle the business associated with the sale of public lands for private ownership, transforming wilderness to agricultural use, and generating income for the Federal government. The GLO, in fact, became the “Gateway to Land Ownership” for millions of Americans. As the successor agency to the original GLO, the BLM, a bureau of the Department of the Interior, was established in 1946 with the merger of the Grazing Service and the GLO. 

The General Land Office Past & Present

Above: GLO Surveyors in Oregon in  1923. Click here or on the photo to view a timeline of more than 200 years of land records history.

Video Tour of the Today's GLO

Click here or on the graphic above to view a brief tour of the GLO at BLM's Eastern States Office, including the fireproof vault, document scanning, and bindery.

From the Vault

With nearly 10,000 volumes of patents and land titles and 5,000 volumes of accompanying field notes, the GLO is a treasure of American history. Visit a sampling of the maps, photographs, letters, and other original documents stored at the General Land Office vault in Springfield, Va.

Our Record-Keeping History

Sure, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were both involved.  But it was Albert Gallatin (below), the Secretary of the Treasury in 1812, who championed the surveying and recording of public land information.  Two centuries later, we're still at it.  Read more>>>

GLO-ing With the BLM

Kyle Sullivan, an intern with the BLM Colorado State Office, created an innovative presentation on the General Land Office.  The presentation includes photos, videos, a timeline, and additional facts about BLM and its mission. To view the show, click here or on the image below.

Commemorative Events

March 28-30, 2012--The 2012 Symposium at the University of Nebraska will examine their consequences for the society, culture, and commerce of the Great Plains and will include a presentation by BLM historians and archaeologists. More information: University of Nebraska-Lincoln  

April 25, 2012--200th Anniversary Commemorative Event of the General Land Office, Bureau of Land Management Eastern States Office, Springfield VA. 

July 18, 2012--Department of the Interior GLO Event, Washington, DC

September 10--Commemoration of the GLO and the Homestead Act, Boulder, Colorado. Sponsored by the Public Lands Foundation, the Bureau of Land Management, the Center of the American West, and the University of Colorado. More information

The Homestead Act

Visit BLM's companion website that describes the Homestead Act and its impact on BLM lands and people.  The site includes a timeline (below), historical information, and video interviews with descendants of homesteaders.