Sketching Out My Land's History

Friday I went to the Lake County Recorder of Deeds' office in Crown Point, intending to research the ownership of my house. I found out that Lake County doesn't allow that. They gave me a "transfer sheet" showing the previous owner's transfer to me; beyond that, they told me, I have to go to a title company and pay big bucks for the information.

I haven't talked to a title company yet to find out how big the bucks are. The information may not be worth the price.

On the way back I stopped at the Lake County Central Library and spent three lovely hours in the Indiana Room, looking at old atlases, plat books and city directories.

I learned enough to sketch out an incomplete timeline of the ownership of my pitiful 3.5 acres:

1832 — Potawatomi tribe cedes it to the federal government.

1891 — owned by Henry Chester as part of a larger parcel enfolding the Grand Trunk Railroad in its 274.5-acre embrace.

1926 — owned by C.E. Chester, possibly Charles E., Henry's son; still part of a much larger parcel.

1939 — owned by J. Chester. Possibly James or Jerome, Henry's sons. Still part of a much larger parcel.

1966 — Hubert (probably Senior) and Delilia Lines own this small 3.5-acre parcel carved out of the big parcel that was previously in Chester hands but is now (1966) owned by Chester Wasy.

1979 — owned by Hubert and Carlene Lines (probably Hubert Jr.; Hubert Sr. died in 1977).

1990 — owned by me.

Sources:
♦ Allman Gary Title Company, Atlas and Plat Book of Lake County Indiana (Rockford: The Thrift Press, 1926).
♦ 1891 Plat Book for Appraisers of Real Estate Lake County, Indiana (Valparaiso: Northwest Indiana Genealogical Society, 2007).
♦ Lake County, Indiana, Real Estate Assessment and Transfer Record (10/9/09).
♦ Lake County Title Co., Plat Book of Lake County 1939 (n.p.).
♦ Manich, Steve W., 1966 Township Maps of Lake County, Indiana Showing Ownerships (n.p.).
♦ Manich, Steve W., 1979 Township Maps Lake County Indiana Showing Ownerships (n.p.).
♦ Schoon, Kenneth J., Calumet Beginnings (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2003).