1860 James Buchanan War of 1812 Bounty Land Patent Kansas Widow Catharine Cook

Original 1860 U.S. land patent issued under President James Buchanan granting 120 acres in Kansas to Catharine Cook, widow of Private David Cook of Captain Patterson’s Company, Pennsylvania Militia, for War of 1812 service. The tract described includes the east half of the southeast quarter and the south half of the northeast quarter of Section 12, Township 14, Range 19, in the Lecompton, Kansas District. Catharine Cook later assigned the land to Jonathan Dickson, whose name appears throughout the document.

This patent is executed in the hand of J.N. Granger, Recorder of the General Land Office, who signed the required names of President James Buchanan, Secretary John A.B. Leonard, and his own name—standard practice of the period, in which the recorder signed on behalf of the president and secretary. Leonard, who served as Buchanan’s secretary for signing land patents in 1859–1860, was later arrested during the Civil War for alleged disloyalty, adding historical depth to the signature block.

The patent is attached by its original red ribbon and embossed seal to an 1876 Department of the Interior certification sheet dated May 24, 1876, signed by Acting Commissioner U. J. Baxter attesting that the attached patent is a true and literal exemplification from federal records. The certification and patent were officially recorded in Douglas County, Kansas on June 26, 1876, as noted on the reverse, with a fee of $1.25.

The 1876 certification page shows water staining and ink offset visible in reverse on the back, but all principal text, seal, and signatures remain intact and legible. This pairing of the original presidential land patent with its later Department of the Interior certified copy provides a rare, fully documented example of the federal land grant process from issuance to local registration—linking the War of 1812 bounty land program, Kansas settlement, and Buchanan-era land administration.

– Date: October 1, 1860 (Patent); May 24, 1876 (Certification)
– Issuing Office: U.S. General Land Office, Washington, D.C.
– Signatures: James Buchanan (by J.N. Granger), John A.B. Leonard (by Granger), J.N. Granger, U.J. Baxter
– Recipient: Catharine Cook, widow of Private David Cook, Pennsylvania Militia
– Land Location: Section 12, Township 14, Range 19, Lecompton District, Kansas – 120 acres
– Later Assignee: Jonathan Dickson
– Physical Details: Two attached sheets with red ribbon and embossed seal; approx. 16″ x 10″
– Notations: Recorded Douglas County, Kansas, June 26, 1876
– Condition: Complete; moderate water staining and ink offset on back of certification sheet; all main text and signatures legible
– Historical Context: War of 1812 widow’s bounty land patent, issued under President Buchanan and certified by the Department of the Interior sixteen years later

NOTE: The document has been folded several times and will be shipped folded one time as found.

All our items are kept in a smoke-free and pet-free environment.

We take great pride in the safe packaging we provide for every item we sell. If you are purchasing a paper item, please note that it will be shipped in a stiff cardboard mailer with tracking to ensure your item arrives in the same way it was shown in the photos. We do not send items via USPS letter rate.