This is the only signature we have of Andrew Trask, born ca. 1814 Mass. died in Mercer County, Illinois in the 1880s. It comes from his land purchase in Clinton County, Illinois, in 1845. Cash land sale files (available from the National Archives in Washington, DC) typically contain little in the way of identifying information. Usually these files contain only receipts for payments that were made on the property. Credit sales may have more receipts, but outright cash purchases usually contain little genealogical information.

Although sometimes, depending upon the precise genealogical problem, the signature can be helpful. It wasn’t really helpful in this case, but it is the only image I have of Andrew’s signature.