This story was written by Genealogical Society volunteer, Beth Mitchell, who holds nearly 35 years of experience with the archival records at the History Center.
If you are interested in history the early deed books may produce some real treasures. It seems that, sometimes, an event produced at the courthouse did not fit the description of something to be entered under a specific topic such as weddings, probate information, leases, etc. I think the clerk knew it needed to be recorded somewhere so the deed book became the place of choice. Please remember the spelling may be as it appears in the book and punctuation was minimal.
In Deed Book O an entry was made dated May 3, 1841. It seems Thomas Steele owed one Mary Carter two hundred dollars and also owed his son Thomas R. Steele three hundred dollars. He had signed notes that the amounts were due on demand. The following was used to satisfy the debts: one gray horse, one sorrel mare, grass for two horses, one iron gray mare, two red cows, one two year old heifer calf, thirty-one hogs, three hundred fifty bushels of corn in the cribs and shock, ten acres of wheat on the ground, the right to cultivate twelve and a half acres of ground in corn this season, saddle, bridle and buffalo robe, one and one fourth acres of oats in the ground, thirty-eight bushels of wheat in the mill, fifty dozen sheaf of oats, four bushels of oats and bran, wheat fan grind stone, scythe and cradle, flare in the sheaf, sugar kettles and clocks, one hundred fifty weight of sugar, three hundred weight of pork and bacon, some flour in the house, some potatoes, a sled, double trees and single trees, one two horse plough and two shovel ploughs, two axes, two forks, one bureau cupboard, two chests, six window chairs, two tables, four feather beds, four under beds, and four bed steads. [This seems like a lot of possessions to trade for five hundred dollars debt.] In 1830 the first law was passed by the federal government that soldiers who fought in the Revolutionary War could receive land instead of cash pay. The Virginia Military Survey included thousands of acres in the Northwest Territory (mainly Ohio) and thousands of acres in Kentucky. The land was awarded according to rank and length of time served. General Horatio Gates received at least six thousand acres in Clinton County. Baron Von Steuben, the German who trained many of the American troops, received six thousand acres in Washington Township. These guys never set foot in Clinton County but it was an asset to them. Many of these persons assigned their land to an agent who sold it for them. The original survey numbers are found in the deed. Another treasure to be found is family information. Many of the men who received land died before the land could be sold or they could move to the frontier. When they died any family members (heirs) who were included in the estate must be named. This means the names of children and any daughters who had married would be named as would also their husbands.
