@BobIV, attached screen shots are my best guess at the location of this 160 acres. The 160 acres was part of a homestead claim by Otto Harris, which had an easement for a telephone pole route. Those 160 acres were acquired by 3 or 4 companies that combined it with other parcels and acquisitions into the modern 600+ acre parcel. The southern 160 acres of this parcel would seem to correspond to the 160 acres referenced in the homestead. There is a 1905 probate document that has a sketch of the holdings of N Copeland divided into 9 lots, two of which appear to be in Madison County as part of a survey which is also called N Copeland. As far as I can tell the description should really say the 160 acres is part of Lot 3, and there should be an offset from the corner of Lot 2 to the start of the 160 acres. These 9 lots appear to be referenced since 1849. Attached sketches are on RRC map and Leon County parcel map.
Thank you — this is very helpful. Could you please send me the 1905 probate document/sketch you mentioned, especially the page showing the 9 lots of the Nicholas Copeland holdings?
I’m particularly trying to determine:
Which lot is Lot 2 and which is Lot 3.
Where the southeast corner of Lot 2 is located.
What you mean by an “offset” from the corner of Lot 2 to the beginning of the 160 acres.
Whether you can identify the 160-acre Lot 3 tract on the modern Leon County parcel map/RRC map with more certainty.
Most importantly, whether there is a deed, probate record, plat, or other document that connects that modern 160-acre tract to the February 7, 1957 deed from Lee Palmer and Lamar Palmer to Otto L. Harris.
My ultimate goal is to locate exactly where my family’s 160 acres is today within A-162, so any older survey, probate sketch, deed references, or other records that help establish that chain would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks again for taking the time to look into this. I would also like to compensate you for the information and your time.
I’m a retired landman who worked an area around Normangee in 1982 and I happened to have retained my work copy of a Tobin which I have imaged, above. It’s been quite a while since I used my Allen scales and Proto compass but I enjoyed the exercise. First of all, just for reference and orientation, the NE line of the Copeland runs N31W which corresponds to a north/south call of the dimensions you first posted. While I’m not being argumentative with Pete, I would submit that the dimensions of the land on the NE line of the 160 acres that Pete set out, better fits the description you first posted. That tract does state an acreage of 225 but there is some sort of division shown by the dotted line which measures more precisely the distances and bearings you provided. I have no idea which would be correct. I do not know the time frame of the ownership of the tracts but it had to be prior to 1982 and probably dates back to the 1950s or maybe earlier. There is some data on the map of leases covering those tracts acquired by Exxon which expire in 82 and 84 and a P Ray which expires in 83. If you know the leasing history of the land, perhaps that might provide a clue. Also, it would be real handy to see the legal descriptions used in those leases to see which may tie back to some of your known title history. I hope this Tobin is of use to you and I hope you solve your questions. Best Regards, Phil (no charge – glad to help, if I did)
I do have a 2011 Memorandum of Oil & Gas Lease from Robert J. Willingham III my father, to Dixon Services. It describes the lease as 160 acres, more or less, in the Nicholas Copeland Survey A-162, and specifically says it is the same land described in the February 7, 1957 deed from Lee Palmer and Lamar Palmer to Otto L. Harris, recorded in Volume 245, Page 203. Would that be the type of legal description you’re looking for? If so, I can send you a copy. I also have my current 2026 lease.
I think the name “Lee Palmer” is a huge clue that the tract that Pete set out is the tract you’re looking for. I see the same name on that tract on the Tobin I posted. That’s a clue showing a high probability that Pete is correct.
Ok, I have looked closer and I see a difference in the tract that Pete located and the one labeled “Lee Palmer” on the Tobin. I note that Pete’s depiction of the 160 acres fronts the OSR when the 160 on the Tobin is north of there. The pipeline runs along the south line of the 160 which is clearly set out on Pete’s map as being north of “his tract.” I don’t know what to tell you now, but the Tobin is probably correct.
Are you related to the large Willingham family around Jewett? I met quite a few of them from 2006 to 2015 while I was working there.
Phil, thanks for taking another close look at it. I really appreciate you being willing to dig into the maps and point out the differences. The Lee Palmer name on the Tobin is certainly interesting given that my 1957 deed is from Lee Palmer and Lamar Palmer to Otto L. Harris.
And yes, I believe my family is part of the larger Willingham family around Jewett. My family has had the mineral interest in this area for several generations. I’m actually trying to trace the title and determine exactly where our original acreage was located.
Thanks again for your help. I really appreciate you and Pete taking the time to help me figure this out.
@BobIV, @Phil_Sartin .. Thanks for the Tobin map. Clears up a lot of questions. Obviously I’d believe that over the location I first proposed. Attached sketch from 1905 below, it helps to explain how that abstract/survey has evolved. Not sure about the Lot 2 and Lot 3 referenced in the 1957 deed, as that description traces back to around 1877 at least, but those lots don’t seem to match the 1905 sketch at all. Also noted that the Tobin map has the Z Davis Survey considerably north of the transmission line whereas the modern map and the transmission line description have the transmission line near the south border of the Z Davis Survey.
Thanks Pete. I really appreciate you digging into this. The 1905 sketch is very interesting, and I can see why the Lot 2/Lot 3 description is making things more complicated.
Since you now believe the Tobin map is more likely than your original location, do you think we can use the 1905 sketch, the Tobin map, and the 1957 Palmer-to-Harris deed together to determine which 160 acres the deed actually describes?
In particular, if we can identify the southeast corner of Lot 2 and then trace the 1957 deed’s calls from that point, that seems like it might give us the answer.
Also, if you can point out exactly what you’re seeing with the transmission line discrepancy between the Tobin map and the modern map, I’d really appreciate it.
Thanks again for taking the time to work through this.
@BobIV , I think the Lee Palmer 160 acre rectangle shown on the Tobin map is a very good representation of the location of the 160 acres referenced in the 1957 deed. We don’t really have the information to verify the Lot 2/Lot 3 references in the 1957 deed, but thanks to the Tobin map, we don’t need to know about them since the location of the 160 acres is now known. I can correct my previous sketches on the modern day maps in a future post if that is helpful.
@BobIV, here is the parcel map again, with the re-located 160 acres. Sorry it was close but no cigar last time, but this time thanks to @Phil_Sartin we can celebrate a little.
Pete, I really appreciate all the time and effort you’ve put into helping me track this down. You’ve gone way beyond what I expected, and I’m very grateful. The Tobin map and the work you’ve done relocating the 160 acres on the modern map have really helped clear things up. I think we’re finally getting somewhere! Thanks again for sticking with it and helping me figure this out. It’s greatly appreciated.
BobIV, I’m part of your family group. I’ve attached a map sent to me in 2016 by a landman, Iris Coxe (who was gathering leases for Hawkwood Energy at that time) in reply to my request to know where our family’s mineral interests were located. Her reply: “Attached please find a map showing 160.00 acres in the N. Copeland Survey, A-162, Leon County, Texas that your family has a mineral interest under.”
- Of the 160 acres (net mineral acres), only 40 are connected to our family group. Depending on the number of heirs the oil/gas people locate and put under contract, that means that the 40 acres is divided into many small pieces. (My current share is under 3 acres.)
- The mineral rights came down from Emma Griffay (mother to our uncle by marriage). Per landman: She sold the land (160 acres) and half of the mineral rights (80 acres) to B.O. Hughes & S.W. Hughes who lived in Brady, TX. The Hughes brothers then did a deed to another man where they reserved 3/8 (60 acres) and gave away 1/8 (20 acres). She kept 80 acres of mineral rights; our group inherited half. (Her name at her death was Emma Wilhelm.)
If the black-highlighted area is accurate, I hope this map helps, but I realize it doesn’t answer your questions about specific lots.
I’d like to thank Phil for the Tobin. If you compare the 2 maps, the Tobin shows Exxon 4-15-82/160 AC/Lee Palmer where “my map” is colored black.
Marilyn, thank you so much for all your time and help. I really appreciate everything you and everyone else on the board have done to help us try to locate this property. I’m very grateful for everyone’s help!
