Daily AncestorCash entry
A cash entry was the purchase of federal public land for cash at a land office; the file holds the receipt and final certificate.
From 1820 federal public land was sold for cash at local land offices, and each sale created a cash entry file. Before then, buyers could pay on credit, and those sales have credit files. The National Archives holds these land entry case files.
A cash entry file is usually thin, often just a receipt and a certificate, but it confirms the buyer, the land office and the date, which helps you find the patent.
As seen in a recordHeading on a land entry file
Cash Entry No. 4122, Land Office at Vincennes
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Cash entry." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/legal-land/cash-entry. Last checked 2026-10-01.