Question about researching properties for actual home site location

[JohnnyCache]

Hello everyone,

What tips do you guys have for finding the actual home location when the prospect has large amounts of land scattered around several sections and you're just not sure where the house was located?

When they have several thousand acres over say 4 townships. How do you determine where the house was? For example: Do you look for family cemeteries to tip you off or maybe it's the first property bought by them. Things like that. Any ideas would be of great help.

Let me clarify and say I'm looking for properties owned in early to mid 1800's. The oldest topo maps I've found for my area go back to 1911.

Thanks,

JC

 

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[vayank54]

Look for vegatation that is different from the rest of the area. Any trees, flowers, or other plants that don't seem to fit in.

 

[sniffer]

you also might try to look at it using flash earth and look for high spots, thinned out vegetation
ans different color of plant concentrated in a small area

 

[CWnut]

tax records usually indicate what land was used for and what was constructed on the property. Although you will feel like a dog chasing it's tail at times.

 

[lastleg]

Sniffer is right on.

 

[Monk]

Go to the County you wish to check, and go to the library there and check the 1868 County Atlas. It has plat maps and property lines and the owner of the land for that year. These Atlas's where made for most if not all states. It also shows where the houses were located.

 

[wwace]

Highest spot on property is always a good bet, flooding was a concern to the old timers for sure. Look for treed windbreaks around homesites. Different vegetation unless the land has all been tilled. You can always ask the neighbors, maybe there is an old timer who remembers where the site was. The family cemetary was usually some ways from the homesite, at least in the midwest thats what I usually saw. If google earth has higher resolutions photos of the area that might help also.

 

[JohnnyCache]

Monk,

I've been to the library and they do have a county map that shows the first land patents from the gov't. If it was bought in 1826 its there, but nothing with pinpoint 1868 for example. No structures either, just cemeteries and churches. The oldest topo I've been able to find is 1911 that shows black dot structure, but if he died 1860ish it's hard to say if that's still his house. Oh well, guess I'll head to the courthouse but was hoping for something from the library. Thanks everybody for your help.

 

[Monk]

John! It's fine to check the county maps, but you are looking to see the plat maps of the county. They should be kept someplace in the county. ASK AROUND. It's no problem to find them here in Ohio and I was told most if not all states have them. Good luck.

 

[Curtis]

Don't forget that many people of that time would use a creek bed as the road if it wasn't too deep or muddy. I have seen some pretty rough areas in a creek bed that the wagons went over very easily...even the first cars had enough clearance to do it sometimes. So in looking at a topo imagine the creek being the road. Another item is old logging roads; they often followed the pathways of the original land settlers to get into timber. The time period you are speaking of may be a little early, and the area too remote for the Sanborn maps, but you never know.

 

[Connecticut Sam]

There may had been more then one house on the land. Best of luck to you.