A hard mineral patent is an agreement between the patentee and the State of Texas reserving the right to mine in a particular tract of land. A rental fee of a fixed price per acre was paid annually. Unlike a mineral lease, there are no bonus payments nor royalty payments paid to the State.
The unbound volume contains handwritten entries in a spreadsheet format. The spreadsheet has the following information:
Unrestricted access.
The unbound volume is arranged chronologically.
Most records created by Texas state agencies are not copyrighted and may be freely used in any way. State records also include materials received by, not created by, state agencies. Copyright remains with the creator. The researcher is responsible for complying with U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17 U.S.C.).
Hard Mineral Patents (LGR.HMP). Archives and Records Program, Texas General Land Office, Austin.