This is an image of one of the documents in the Cash Entry Land File for Clark Sargent who purchased federal property in Winnebago County, Illinois in 1846. I was hoping he died before the patent was issued and that there would be something in the file on his heirs, but no luck.

Cash entry files do not typically contain vast amounts of genealogical information, but they can place a person in a specific place at a specific point in time. This one indicates that Clark Sargent was “of” Winnebago County, Illinois on 25 May 1846. There are times when knowing a person was in a specific place at a specific point in time is helpful. Particularly when there are multiple individuals with the same name.