Before spending/squandering your downpayment funds on a "guru" course {if you are going to enrol in a college/university course, it's a different kettle of fish}, spend sometime searching, reading and digesting the forum history and blogs here at Bigger Pockets.  

Maybe someone bought the whole thing or more likely it was then divided into smaller tracts often referred to as 1/4 sections (160 acres).

In the last century, many fortunes were made by those who built large tracts of home for workers.

I had to read it all a couple of times to really digest everything you said in your article.  

Most of these data providers report at the census tract level which for many markets is far to broad.

If so, usually it's huge tracts and likely too pricey for what you're looking to do.  

Haven't read the book yet, but I've listened to all the BP podcasts and the guys do a great job gathering info and relaying it in an easy to digest for beginners fashion.

There is more info available than you'll be able to digest anytime soon!

For instance we buy a large tract of land and close escrow, we go through the process to subdivide (which can take months), and record that map.

I would still own the land, which I have considered either selling as a whole or subdividing it into 5 tracts of 5 to 10 acres each (part of it is on a substantial hill).