| Ham Family -- U.S. Land Patent Homesteads in Perry County |
There are three U.S. Land Patents recorded for the Ham family name in Perry County. All three of them
were issued under the authority of the May 20, 1862 Homestead Act. Legal descriptions as well as
images of the certificates actually issued are available on the Bureau of Land Management website.
Numerous extended Ham family relatives' homestead patents are also listed on the BLM website, and
are quite easy to find through a search by name. The three Ham family homestead locations have
been depicted below on the county map.
Due to backlogs in processing the homestead applications, land patent certificates were frequently
issued up to two years after the transaction had been completed. Additionally, the land patent records
only record the initial transfer of land from the U.S. Government to private landowners, and do not track
subsequent sales or other transfers.
The three Ham family homestead patents issued in Perry County were all contained within Township 21
North, Range 9 East, of the St. Stephens meridian -- all in the northeastern area of the county. This
surveyed area followed the classical pattern of a rectangular area of approximately 6 miles by 6 miles
square -- 36 square miles in 36 sections of approximately 640 acres per section.
Robert S. Ham on December 5, 1884, for 164.78 acres in Section 22; Township 21 North;
Range 9 East; St. Stephens meridian; Document # 3212; Application #14174. I am quite
sure that this is our Robert Solomon Ham, son of William and Eliza Ham.
Certificate image 162 kb - pdf
Eliza A. Ham on November 23, 1891, for 163.9 acres in Section 10; Township 21 North;
Range 9 East; St. Stephens meridian; Document # 9854; Application # 14970.
Eliza A. Morton Ham was the mother of Robert Solomon Ham and was the wife of
William J. Ham, who died sometime before 1890. She died in 1895, four years after the
issuance of this homestead certificate, and is buried in the Ham Family cemetery.
Certificate image 177 kb - pdf
John H. Ham on October 4, 1898, for 164.78 acres in Section 22; Township 21 North;
Range 9 East; St. Stephens meridian; Document #16507; Application # 27117. This
should be John Harrison Ham, son of Robert Solomon Ham (on the adjacent homestead)
and Ellen M. Ratliff. John was born on March 18, 1869, and died Nov. 16, 1931.
Certificate image 156 kb - pdf
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For quick reference, this link contains the complete listing in alphabetical order of all U.S. Land
Patents issued within Township 21 North, Range 9 East, in northeastern Perry county. This
list would include many of the Ham family's closest neighbors as well as some of the extended Ham
family relatives.
This Perry County Grid Map features links to a quick reference listing of all U.S. Land Patents issued
in each respective Township & Range within the county. Link to Bibb County Grid map. Link to
Dallas County Grid map.
This link displays U.S. Land Patents issued to William J. Ham and his mother, Rebecca Ham, in
Randolph County in 1851 and 1852. ( Additional land patents issued in 1851 are shown for
Washington Ham & Thomas B. Ham, who are very likely to have been related to William in some way. )
Note: With reference to the map below, it had been speculated that the land on which the Ham Family
Cemetery was located had at one time been owned by William J. Ham. The gravel & dirt road which
was depicted as passing just south of Cahaba Lookout Tower on the 1995 DOT Perry County map is
apparently no longer in existence--likely an old logging road that is now overgrown. It is not displayed
on a 1998 aerial satellite photo. I have removed it from the map below. The actual gravel & dirt road
that joins County Rd. 51 at the same point is drawn in green and winds it's way one mile in a
northeasterly direction toward Eliza A. Ham's homestead. In replotting the actual road and the
cemetery location, it appears that the cemetery lies just outside the southern boundary of Eliza A.
Ham's homestead (1891). In the satellite view below the map, the road is shown continuing (barely
visible) beyond the Ham Family Cemetery to the northwest and north, and crosses the southwestern tip
of Eliza Ham's old homestead. The extended section of the road does not appear to be available for
travel since it is part of a posted hunting club. The road continues up toward the northwest corner of
section 10 in the original Edmonds homestead.
were issued under the authority of the May 20, 1862 Homestead Act. Legal descriptions as well as
images of the certificates actually issued are available on the Bureau of Land Management website.
Numerous extended Ham family relatives' homestead patents are also listed on the BLM website, and
are quite easy to find through a search by name. The three Ham family homestead locations have
been depicted below on the county map.
Due to backlogs in processing the homestead applications, land patent certificates were frequently
issued up to two years after the transaction had been completed. Additionally, the land patent records
only record the initial transfer of land from the U.S. Government to private landowners, and do not track
subsequent sales or other transfers.
The three Ham family homestead patents issued in Perry County were all contained within Township 21
North, Range 9 East, of the St. Stephens meridian -- all in the northeastern area of the county. This
surveyed area followed the classical pattern of a rectangular area of approximately 6 miles by 6 miles
square -- 36 square miles in 36 sections of approximately 640 acres per section.
Robert S. Ham on December 5, 1884, for 164.78 acres in Section 22; Township 21 North;
Range 9 East; St. Stephens meridian; Document # 3212; Application #14174. I am quite
sure that this is our Robert Solomon Ham, son of William and Eliza Ham.
Certificate image 162 kb - pdf
Eliza A. Ham on November 23, 1891, for 163.9 acres in Section 10; Township 21 North;
Range 9 East; St. Stephens meridian; Document # 9854; Application # 14970.
Eliza A. Morton Ham was the mother of Robert Solomon Ham and was the wife of
William J. Ham, who died sometime before 1890. She died in 1895, four years after the
issuance of this homestead certificate, and is buried in the Ham Family cemetery.
Certificate image 177 kb - pdf
John H. Ham on October 4, 1898, for 164.78 acres in Section 22; Township 21 North;
Range 9 East; St. Stephens meridian; Document #16507; Application # 27117. This
should be John Harrison Ham, son of Robert Solomon Ham (on the adjacent homestead)
and Ellen M. Ratliff. John was born on March 18, 1869, and died Nov. 16, 1931.
Certificate image 156 kb - pdf
**********************************************************************************************************************
For quick reference, this link contains the complete listing in alphabetical order of all U.S. Land
Patents issued within Township 21 North, Range 9 East, in northeastern Perry county. This
list would include many of the Ham family's closest neighbors as well as some of the extended Ham
family relatives.
This Perry County Grid Map features links to a quick reference listing of all U.S. Land Patents issued
in each respective Township & Range within the county. Link to Bibb County Grid map. Link to
Dallas County Grid map.
This link displays U.S. Land Patents issued to William J. Ham and his mother, Rebecca Ham, in
Randolph County in 1851 and 1852. ( Additional land patents issued in 1851 are shown for
Washington Ham & Thomas B. Ham, who are very likely to have been related to William in some way. )
Note: With reference to the map below, it had been speculated that the land on which the Ham Family
Cemetery was located had at one time been owned by William J. Ham. The gravel & dirt road which
was depicted as passing just south of Cahaba Lookout Tower on the 1995 DOT Perry County map is
apparently no longer in existence--likely an old logging road that is now overgrown. It is not displayed
on a 1998 aerial satellite photo. I have removed it from the map below. The actual gravel & dirt road
that joins County Rd. 51 at the same point is drawn in green and winds it's way one mile in a
northeasterly direction toward Eliza A. Ham's homestead. In replotting the actual road and the
cemetery location, it appears that the cemetery lies just outside the southern boundary of Eliza A.
Ham's homestead (1891). In the satellite view below the map, the road is shown continuing (barely
visible) beyond the Ham Family Cemetery to the northwest and north, and crosses the southwestern tip
of Eliza Ham's old homestead. The extended section of the road does not appear to be available for
travel since it is part of a posted hunting club. The road continues up toward the northwest corner of
section 10 in the original Edmonds homestead.
Note: The Pentagon with a "51" inside on the above map marks the end of paved County Road 51, and the
beginning of the dirt and gravel road as you travel north. Road segments depict 0.1 mile distances, and
alternating black & white segments depict paved road.
beginning of the dirt and gravel road as you travel north. Road segments depict 0.1 mile distances, and
alternating black & white segments depict paved road.
Copyright notice: Maps displayed on this website include Alabama County maps by the Alabama Department of Transportation which are
copyrighted by the State of Alabama, and are being used in accordance with the Alabama DOT's non-commercial use policies. Additional
maps copyrighted by the University of Alabama are being used with permission and in accordance with their free use policy. Satellite view
above is courtesy of USGS.
copyrighted by the State of Alabama, and are being used in accordance with the Alabama DOT's non-commercial use policies. Additional
maps copyrighted by the University of Alabama are being used with permission and in accordance with their free use policy. Satellite view
above is courtesy of USGS.
| Marv Hamm's Genealogy Home Page -- Family Homesteads |
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