I’m not certain how much Michael Trautvetter paid for a piece of property he purchased in Campbell County, Kentucky, in 1845. In the context of my problem I am not certain it really matters. The amount of money obviously mattered to David Trusdell and Michael Trautvetter. But I’m not assigning a value to the real […]

The image illustrating this post is part of the “cover” that wraps the original probate papers for Michael Trautfetter’s 1869-1881 era probate in Hancock County, Illinois. The writing is that of the clerks. It’s clearly written in two different hands as the script at the bottom is distinct from the writing on the top. It […]

Deed records are not always just about the land. There’s often something that precipitates the creation of a deed. The owners want to move or may need the cash. The owners may be transferring property before their death in order to avoid probate. The surviving spouse may have died and the property needs to be transferred […]