CJ,
I see this is your first posting on the Rootsweb system, at least using this user name. Your posting did contain William's full date of birth, a very important fact needed for research. It also was his obituary and identified a daughter's name. Your profile identifies you've been researching since 1973. It is very helpful for volunteers to know what you've already researched concerning your person of interest. If you have already obtained US Census documentation, WA State Digital Archive information, facts identifying the name of his wife and her information, posting that you have this prevents volunteers from doing that research and posting what you already know.
I will do some research on this person to get the basics.
The 1900 Census of Lind, Adams County, WA
William Bloomer, born August 1834 in New York to both parents born in NY, farmer/owned his land, widower.
---------His land-------------
The Bureau of Land Management has a database of land patents
http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/search/default.aspx#searchTabI...issued under the Homestead Act and other Congressional Land Acts: to include the April 24, 1820 Sale/Cash Act.
It shows on 12/31/1903, William B. Bloomer obtained 160 acres of land in Adams County at Township 17 North, Range 34 East, Section 32, the NW Quarter of that Section. A Section of land is one mile square, containing 640 acres, a quarter section is 160 acres.
Entering the land location into this site will provide some general information:
http://www.esg.montana.edu/gl/trs-data.htmlOnce you have looked over this, click on the "Switch to TerraServer"
The first window shows an old Aerial photo, you can get a better one at:
http://classic.mapquest.com/ Click on the largest blue box (Top right corner) for Topo (Topographic) Map.
Click on the largest blue box for Size.
This window shows a topo map of red colored squares. They are the Sections. You will see the town of Lind, and highway 395. Towards the bottom, you willsee a red colored "31," this is Section 31. Place your cursor in the middle of the box directly to the east (to the right) and left click on your mouse. In the next window, find that box again and again left click.
You will now see a red colored "32." This is Section 32 where his land was located. The information identified the land was in the NW Quarter. So divide this box into quarters. His land was the top left (NW) quarter of that box.
To obtain this land, he had to apply for it. His application package could tell you a great deal about him.
Here is an example of what "might" be found in a land patent application package. This example is for the Charles Ingalls property (Little House on the Prarie).
http://www.archives.gov/research/land/ingalls/index.html To obtain a copy of the land patent records issued under the Homestead Act:
First, find your ancestor's land patent information:
http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/search/default.aspx#searchTabI...1. One method is to visit a National Archives Record Center and view/copy the microfilm records.
http://www.archives.gov/locations/order.html2. By Mail:
Click on
http://www.archives.gov/forms/pdf/natf-84.pdf and download the NATF Form 84. The BLM Land Patent site will have the needed information for the form.
3. By online method: Click on the above link and follow the instructions to submit your order online. Again, use the BLM site data to complete.
The form also indicates, "If available, please attach one cpy of the original land patent, tract book pages, or Bureau of Land Management GLO listing for this land entry." You could copy the original land patent image from the online site above, as well as the window link I've included above. But, if you attach pages, you would probably have to mail your application.
When the research staff has located your documents, you will be contacted with the information about how many actual pages were found and the cost for reproduction.
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Other information about him would be found in New York. I don't know what information you already have on this person, so I didn't do any other research. The Land Patent information might hold more clues, and when he came to Washington State, etc.
Ron Bestrom
Tacoma, WA