Veteran Bounty Land Records
The Arizona Genealogical Advisory Board (AzGAB) is challenging all of the Arizona genealogical societies, FamilySearch Centers and family historians to join the National Genealogical Society’s (NGS) opportunity to raise funds for the Veteran Bounty Land Records Project. Because the new federal government did not have money to reward the veterans who returned from the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Indian Wars and the Mexican-American wars, the government had a lot of land to settle, so the veterans were given land. These records need to be digitized as they are crumbling and disintegrating at a rapid rate! The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) does not have the funds to do these particular record sets in addition to all the other records that need to be digitized, so NGS has partnered with them to fund raise to make the funds available for digitizing. The records will be free to use at NARA’s website and at FamilySearch.org once digitized.
What are in these Veteran Bounty Land Records? The records contain family names; data on births, marriages, and deaths; historic documents such as pages from family Bibles; handwritten testimonies; affidavits; regimental history; and more. Those who served before 1850, including Native and Black soldiers, were eligible for 160 acres of land. Widows and/or children could apply for benefits as well. A great way to find records for some of these “invisible” people who didn’t leave a lot of records.
Won’t you help us? AzGAB has $250 for a start and we are asking societies and individuals to contribute any amount so that we can present a check to NGS in early November! Each society and individual will be identified and recognized for their contribution.
Donations can be sent to: AzGAB, 12222 North 111th Avenue, Youngtown, AZ 85363 by 31 October 2026. Please make a note in the memo section of the check that it is for the VBLR Project.
We thank you for considering this important project!
A Note About Our Newsletter
Dear Friends and Subscribers,
We want to sincerely apologize for the lack of an AzGAB newsletter over the last few months. Due to unforseen circumstances the regular newsletter has been on a temporary hiatus.
While we have been quiet on the publication front, we have been busy working on updates, gathering new stories, and planning for the future. We deeply appreciate your patience and continued support during this quiet period.
We are excited to announce that we will be officially returning this Fall! We are putting together a fantastic issue filled with fresh updates, deep dives, and insights we can't wait to share with you.
Thank you for staying a part of our community. Keep an eye out for our autumn update – we look forward to catching up soon!
Warm regards,
Anne Bodine, AzGAB President
AzGAB'S "2026 Speakers Bureau Directory"
AzGAB maintains a Speakers Bureau as a dual benefit for societies in search of speakers and for speakers dedicated to educating genealogists of all levels. The 2026 edition of our directory is now available on our website – click HERE.
AzGAB
Promoting genealogy and history by addressing the education needs and interests of the Arizona genealogical community and the general public through cooperation between member societies and individuals.
