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foundofrecord.bsky.social
Found of Record
@foundofrecord.bsky.social
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Posting examples of out-of-place notes, historic maps, calligraphy, ephemera, doodles, and other curiosities from the annals of archived county records in the Midwestern US.

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foundofrecord.bsky.social
Excerpt from the Codicil to the Last Will and Testament of W. David Booth (2/5/1869-3/10/1928).

Given that most wills are treated merely as a series of legal provisions for handling property, it's always delightful when the testator's own voice shines through.

(Sangamon County, Illinois, 1926)
A selection from the Codicil to the Last Will and Testament of W. David Booth (died 3/28/1928), a resident of Springfield, IL. It reads, "Item Three. I give and bequeath unto the trustees named in my said Last Will and Testament the sum of $500.00 to be held in trust by them, the income of which shall be used in purchasing Christmas toys for such poor children as my said trustees may deem most worthy or in their discretion they may add this to any existing fund used for the same or a similar purpose. Item Four. I also give and bequeath unto the trustees named my said Will, the sum of $500.00, the income of which shall be used in purchasing a New Year's dinner for the newsboys of Springfield, where my said trustees may, in their discretion add same to any similar fund that may be collected for such purpose."
June 2, 2025 at 2:48 AM
foundofrecord.bsky.social
"𝕿𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓘𝓷𝓭𝓮𝓷𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓮"

Coles County, Illinois, 1871
Cursive text reading "This Indenture," a common introduction to historic conveyance documents. The letter T at the beginning is written in a stylized blackletter calligraphy.
May 6, 2025 at 2:05 AM
foundofrecord.bsky.social
"Map Shewing the Lands Taken by the Illinois Central R.R. Co. in DeWitt County"

An early map that visually shows the practice of checkerboarding, whereby railroads would receive land grants in a checkerboard pattern on the PLSS grid.

See alt text for more info.

DeWitt County, Illinois, 1852
First page of the "Map Shewing the Lands Taken by the Illinois Central R.R. Co. in DeWitt County," showing Range 1 East in DeWitt County. The map also shows an early depiction of the location of Waynesville, which still exists today. Continued from OP: The Illinois Central Railroad, which had only been founded 1 year prior to this map, was the very first railroad to receive a federal land grant. Originating in the days of canal development, checkerboarding was an early attempt to raise the value of land adjacent to incoming infrastructure in order to drum up more capital and spur faster development. For railroads, this meant they could sell properties adjacent to their rail lines at a higher price, which would mean faster development of larger and longer rail lines. The thought process was thus: if the government intermingled publicly owned lands with private railroad lands, the lands eventually sold to the public would increase in value due to their superior access to infrastructure, and the grants to the railroads would, in a way, pay for themselves. Though it was not without issues, checkerboarding was an ingenious concept at a time when railroad infrastructure was rapidly changing the way Americans interacted with the landscape around them. Second page of the "Map Shewing the Lands Taken by the Illinois Central R.R. Co. in DeWitt County," showing Range 2 East in DeWitt County. The map also shows an early depiction of the locations of Clinton and Zabriska. Not much is known of the latter. Per the 1910 book, "History of DeWitt County, Illinois," Zabriska was an early hamlet of Wapella Township, serving as the site of the post office for the township in 1849. By the writing of the 1910 book, it had become extinct, presumably for many years, as an 1875 plat map makes no mention of the place. Third page of the "Map Shewing the Lands Taken by the Illinois Central R.R. Co. in DeWitt County," showing Range 3 East in DeWitt County. No notable settlements are depicted here, but interestingly, a large portion of the center area of this map is now underwater due to the creation of Clinton Lake, a reservoir created for the cooling of the Clinton Power Station nuclear plant, in the 1970s. If you search for an image of the lake, you can actually see a rough template of its present-day shape represented here by the creek flowing through the middle of this map. This is impressively accurate cartography for a relatively minor plat recording in a small rural county in 1852. Fourth page of the "Map Shewing the Lands Taken by the Illinois Central R.R. Co. in DeWitt County," showing Range 4 East in DeWitt County. This map is where checkerboarding is most prevalent. The map also shows an early depiction of the location of Marion, the original name of the present-day village of De Witt.
April 20, 2025 at 4:33 PM
foundofrecord.bsky.social
"On reflection they can't touch you - you was security for Foley. The debt is paid the costs are in the hands of the constable Story property sold + paid for"

A bizarre note of unknown date/context, found in the official probate files for Rolla Richards (1804-1844).

DeWitt County, IL, unknown date
A scrawled handwritten note that reads, "On reflection they can't touch you - you was security for Foley. The debt is paid the costs are in the hands of the constable Story property sold + paid for". The author, recipient, purpose, context, and date of the note are all unclear. The note was part of the surviving probate records in the Estate of Rolla Richards, a DeWitt County IL resident who died in 1844. Despite the age of Rolla's estate, the handwriting of this note doesn't strike me as someone who was writing it in the 1840s. I could be wrong, though.
April 11, 2025 at 12:49 AM
foundofrecord.bsky.social
"Know all men by these presents"

Coshocton County, Ohio, 1829
A scan of hand-drawn calligraphy found in the beginning of a deed record in Coshocton County, Ohio, from 1829. The words "Know all men by these presents," a phrase commonly used to open legal documents and contracts of the era. The words "Know all men" are carefully written in a bold script featuring widely contrasted stroke widths and a highly flourished capital letter "K." The words "by these presents" are written in a less complex fashion, but they are still clear and neat.
March 30, 2025 at 10:31 PM
foundofrecord.bsky.social
I do have to wonder what types of comments this gentleman must have gotten following a certain day in 1963.

(Lee County, Illinois, 1955)
A 1955 deed from Lee County, IL, featuring "John F. Kennedy" as a Grantor and the Grantee. For the sake of clarity, this is not the U.S. president of the same name. Coincidentally, this John F. Kennedy died in January 1979, the same month that the United States HSCA (House Select Committee on Assassinations) published a highly-anticipated final report on their findings regarding the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr.
March 5, 2025 at 5:22 AM
foundofrecord.bsky.social
Two release stamps, 11 years apart and from different Recorders, but both in purple. I'd say Charles won the font game.

As always, see alt text for more context.

Coshocton County, Ohio, 1928/1939
A 1928 release stamp that features the word "RELEASED" in a tall, bold, serif font. Below it, a date reads "FEB - 1928," and below that is the name of "Chas. E. Royer, County Recorder." The stamp is in purple ink and placed on a lined background. It is somewhat distressed, presumably due to the stamp not having been adequately inked. Charles E. Royer served as Coshocton County Recorder from 1924 to 1930. When he won the seat in the 1924 election, it was speculated that the margin of his victory, a mere 6 votes (Royer 5496, Davis 5490), was the closest election in Coshocton County history. In the 1930 election - the first for Recorder since 1924 due to a term extension granted during Royer's only term - Royer chose not to seek re-election. He retired from recording and found work as a title abstractor (sharing a job with yours truly) for a number of years after, later dying on October 8th, 1967, aged 83. A 1939 release stamp that features the word "RELEASED" in a clean, bold sans-serif font. Below it, the text states "APR 17 1939" and "H. E. Wilcoxon, Coshocton County Recorder." The stamp is in purple ink on a white background. Harold E. Wilcoxon was Coshocton County Recorder from 1935 until his unexpected death while traveling in Sacramento, California, in 1967. It was reported that he had intended to retire from the office later that year. As evidenced by the length of his tenure, he was a passionate Recorder, and his name can be found on the spine of a Coshocton County Lease Record, the only such Lease Record in that office to have a Recorder's name emblazoned on the spine. While I don't have specifics on this, at 32 or 33 years, I would venture to guess that Wilcoxon's tenure as County Recorder was the longest in Coshocton County history.
January 31, 2025 at 4:00 PM
foundofrecord.bsky.social
A very unique hand-drawn seal. The source of this design is unclear, but it makes for a great seal.

See alt text for (a lot) more context on Wm. Whitten, the seal, and more.

Coshocton County, Ohio, 1819
An elaborate signature reading "William Whitten" written in decorative cursive script, with large flourishes around the text. To the right lies a handwritten diamond seal design, filled with intricate patterns and the word "Seal" prominently written in stylized cursive script at its center. Per the 1881 book History of Coshocton County, Ohio: Its Past and Present, 1740-1881, William Whitten was an early resident of Coshocton, having settled in the town about 1804. Whitten, a blacksmith, later became the first justice of the peace, the first Coshocton County Treasurer (1811-1817), and as reported in the March 25, 1960 edition of the Coshocton Tribune, the official census taker for Coshocton County in the 1820 Census. Though this is the name of William Whitten, this signature was almost certainly not penned by him. Instead, this was likely the work of Adam Johnson, who was the Coshocton County Recorder from 1811 until his death in 1829. It is hard to tell who specifically wrote this, but as he was the Coshocton County Clerk at the same time and given his inclination towards flourish (as will be seen in other images coming soon), Adam Johnson is the most likely candidate. Hand-drawn seals are rather common, especially in recordings where original documents were transcribed. Clerks and scribes tasked with transcription would often fill in a hand-drawn symbol to show where an official seal would have been found on an original document. This one is definitely an all-timer for me, though, as it is an exceptionally unique design. Whether this is what William Whitten's seal actually looked like or if this was a stylistic choice by the scribe is unclear.
January 26, 2025 at 3:07 PM
foundofrecord.bsky.social
A collection of very old plats. Such plats aren't uncommon, but I have a special affinity for old maps, and you aren't likely to find copies of these old plats outside of county offices. See alt text on each image for additional context. Likely more to follow soon.

Coshocton County, Ohio, 1817-1831
An 1817 plat map of West Bedford, Ohio, showing a grid of numbered blocks containing 3 lots each. The bounds of each block are colored in red, yellow, or blue. Directional labels such as "North 65° East" and "South 25° East" define the bearings of the intersecting roads that meet at the center of the village, with alleys coming out at right angles to said roads, separating the blocks. The point at which the two main roads converge forms a sort of public square. A handwritten acknowledgment at the bottom states that the map was filed in the Coshocton County Recorder's Office on October 27, 1817, and recorded the following day. West Bedford, Ohio, is still extant today, though only as a census-designated place. The village was laid out on September 13, 1817, by Micajah Heaton, a native of Bedford County, Pennsylvania. The development of the village never grew too far beyond the bounds depicted here, and the layout looks much the same to this day. An 1820 plat map of land in rural Coshocton County, Ohio, as described by a deed on the page prior. The map is titled "Map - 1000 Acres - Conveyed by the foregoing Deed." The word "Map" is written in a very bold, slightly curved Gothic calligraphy. It depicts and provides course measurements for a 1,000-acre tract lying between a river labeled the "Tescarawas River" and a road labeled as "State Road." The map is framed with detailed boundaries, directional references, and measurements. A decorative element at the top includes an illustration of something that I am personally unable to identify. If anyone has any information on what it may be or wants to make a guess, please feel free to reply. An acknowledgment at the bottom indicates that this document was filed in the Coshocton County Recorder's Office on February 12, 1820, and recorded on October 5 of the same year. The original 1830 plat map of Newport, Ohio, a small village arranged in a long, thin, grid-like structure with numbered rectangular lots outlined in alternating blue, yellow, and red. The map centers on the intersection of Main Street, running horizontally, and Jackson Street, running vertically. Additional alleys are present between some lots. The village is bounded on the left by the Ohio Canal. Some measurements detailing the width of streets and lot dimensions are provided. A brief paragraph giving further specifics on the plat is followed by an acknowledgment stating that the plat was filed in Coshocton County on September 17, 1870. The former village of Newport is no longer extant today. An 1881 book detailing the history of Coshocton County states that Newport was laid out in 1830 in an attempt to found "an emporium of trade" along the newly-completed Ohio Canal. However, soon after the establishment of Newport in 1830, a similar village, Canal-Lewisville, was laid out about a half-mile to the East and experienced quicker growth than Newport. The village of Newport soon succumbed to its neighbor to the East and was abandoned. As can be seen in an 1857 map of Coshocton County, available on the Library of Congress' website, the village had ceased to exist by that year. The 1881 history book refers to Newport as "a dead city of the past." A plat map from 1831 titled "A Plat of Lots laid out in the Point on the land owned by John Woodbridge." The plat shows 16 lots laid out in a curved pattern along a yellow-highlighted roadway labeled as "Wooster Road." The lands are all situated between two rivers labeled as the Tuscarawas River and the "Whitewoman River" (more commonly known as the Walhonding River). The two rivers converge in a fork at the bottom left of the map. The map features annotations describing the lots' dimensions, positioning, and what appears to be a date inside of each one. Accompanying text details that the survey was conducted on April 8, 1831; that the location of the land is on the North side of the Town of Coshocton; and that the lots were surveyed on the order of John Woodbridge, Esquire. An acknowledgment states that the plat was filed for record on May 1, 1831, and recorded on July 2 of the same year.
January 22, 2025 at 12:58 AM
foundofrecord.bsky.social
It was a practice among some clerks to amplify their flourish when beginning a new record book. The handwritten Gothic calligraphy was dropped immediately after this page. This scan was the best I could do, given that everything outside of the calligraphy was very light.

Lee County, Illinois, 1859
A Warranty Deed recorded in Lee County, Illinois, on October 11, 1859. The document features formal, elegant handwriting, combining ornate mid-19th century script and a bold and dark Gothic calligraphy. Words and phrases that are done in such Gothic calligraphy include "This Indenture," "Witnesseth," and "In testimony." The calligraphy is the most legible part of the image, as the letters are bold and dark enough to not be filtered out. Signatures are present near the bottom.
January 15, 2025 at 5:52 PM
foundofrecord.bsky.social
This is the handwriting of Rhoda J. Dool (1887-1923), a Deputy Register in Cassopolis, Mich. I have been intrigued by this squared cursive style ever since I first saw it nearly two years ago, but my own research about it has yielded little in the way of results.

Cass County, Michigan, c. 1912
A page from a handwritten Deed Index headered with "Index to Deeds - 6," documenting property transactions. The page features neatly written cursive entries, listing names of individuals and details about the transactions. The handwriting is consistent, precise, uniquely squared, and almost robotic in nature - a very interesting and rarely seen script for the early 20th century.
January 10, 2025 at 1:56 PM
foundofrecord.bsky.social
Normally, you don't see a whole lot of flourish when it comes to the makers of county record books/materials. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be much info about this company on the Internet, so I can't say more precisely when these are from.

Coles County, Illinois, 1960s
A red textured surface with gold-embossed text, found on the inside of a 1960s deed record book. It states, “I am a Hazel County Record Binder / ‘Bound to Be Good’ / Saint Louis, Missouri.” This highlights the binder's association with quality and reliability, manufactured by Hazel. A yellow circular label featuring a brown kangaroo design. The text within the circle reads, “Hazel 700 Plus: The Binder With Built-In Extra Storage.” The label emphasizes the binder's durability and capacity.
January 5, 2025 at 6:04 AM
foundofrecord.bsky.social
Good luck trying to read this one. This mortgage document goes to show that not everyone tasked with recording had good handwriting.

Lee County, Illinois, 1856
A black-and-white scanned image of a handwritten 1856 mortgage record from Lee County, Illinois. The text is written in a scrawled cursive script. It details a mortgage agreement between a Caleb Johnson and a Milton H. Swift. Multiple signatures and seals are visible at the bottom. The handwriting is tightly spaced and slanted, making it challenging to read.
December 8, 2024 at 3:47 PM
foundofrecord.bsky.social
Some bold years. By far the boldest of anything written on the page.

Champaign County, Illinois, 1880s
A page from a handwritten Miscellaneous Index listing entries under columns for grantee, instrument, dates of filing and instrument, book, and page. The entries are handwritten, detailing broad information regarding various affidavits, leases, and wills. The first appearances of the years 1884, 1885, and 1886, and 1887 in the index are written in a striking bold script for emphasis.
December 4, 2024 at 8:07 AM
foundofrecord.bsky.social
"For Further Deeds See Book L"

Logan County, Illinois, c. mid-1850s
handwritten text reading "for further deeds see book l" in a very flowery, expressive calligraphic script
December 1, 2024 at 4:36 PM