Have you ever used—or even seen—a Range Index for a section of land? When I began my genealogy journey with Kansas records, I quickly discovered how valuable these books can be. A Range Index takes a single section of land and traces every recorded transaction for that land over time. With just a glance, they provide a roadmap to the actual deeds. Unfortunately, not every Kansas county courthouse has preserved these indexes.
My ancestor, Alexander Briles, was the original landowner of the Northeast Quarter of Section 12, Township 23 South, Range 15. Below is an image of the original Range Index page along with my transcription of the first entries.
Range Indexes may not be flashy, but for genealogists and local historians they are pure gold. By following the trail of entries, we can see not only when land changed hands but also which families, neighbors, and institutions played a role in the community’s growth. For me, this page connects directly to Alexander Briles and his descendants, tying family history to the very ground they farmed. If your courthouse has Range Indexes, take time to explore them—you never know what family stories might surface from those columns of names and numbers.