Continuing Adventures of Neighborhood Land Search Part 2

I’ve finished reading through vol. N online, but haven’t platted more deeds since then.  Instead, I looked through what deeds I’ve found including those from my visit to my local Family History Center and looked through what tracts I’m missing by using the spreadsheet I’ve created of people enumerated in the 1870 Hardeman County, TN census.

Since some of the acreage amounts don’t match deeds and tax records I’ve found, I decided to go with the theory that those amounts are for multiple tracts of land and then build on that theory with the idea that these multiple tracts of land are next to each other—unless it’s explicitly mentioned in the documents that they’re not.  This may be a bad theory to make, but I feel that it’s logical since that seems the only reasonable explanation for the tax records I’ve found to agree with the deeds.  Also, my theory seemed to work when I was able to “tie” 3 deeds together for one land owner when their cumulative acreage matched exactly to the acreage they were taxed on in the tax records.

Raiford Bizzell listed in 1870 tax list.

Raiford Bizzle's platted deeds in DeedMapper.

Raiford Bizzell compiled taxed acreage and plats listed in spreadsheet.

 As I compared the records I’ve found with the spreadsheet, I found tracts that were possible matches for what I was missing and indicated this on the spreadsheet.  I still haven’t found deeds for all of the land owners listed on my spreadsheet, but still feel that I’m making progress on this project—albeit slowly.

Once I finished reading through vol. N, I began on vol. M, Sept. 1853-July 1855.  In this vol. I found some interesting deeds that may help me in placing some of the other plats I’ve found.  One of these is the deed for 189 acres that Wm. Fulgham sells to Pitser Miller.  This mentions a 2000 acre tract belonging Thomas Claiborne that seems to stand out in some of the land records I’ve viewed and also shares a boundary with one of my ancestor’s deeds.

Another deed I found was Stephen Childress’ 127 acres that he sold to Robert H Goad.  Goad later sells part of this land to Henry Bizzle.  In the deed to Henry, it mentions a road that runs from Bolivar to Simpson’s Ferry and states that it was once part of Childress’ entry.

I don’t know if I’ll find the time to plat out the deeds that seem pertinent to recreating my ancestor’s neighborhood.  But my plan is to definitely review more closely those deeds I’ve found to see if they will fit into the puzzle and help create an accurate depiction of the neighborhood.

Continuing Adventures of Neighborhood Land Search

I’ve finished reading through Hardeman County, Tennessee’s deed book vol. Q, August 1859-November 1860 that’s available digitally via FamilySearch.org.  Since volumes O-P, 1857-1859 have yet to be digitized, I ordered it and while waiting for it to arrive at my local Family History Center I began reading through vol. N, July 1855-February 1857.  In reading through the digitized deed books online I’ve added Rachel Dunn’s land and some tracts to the neighborhood.

Today, I braved an extremely rare and unexpected April snow storm in the DC metro area to venture out to my local family history center to view the microfilm.  I began by reading through vol. P, May 1858-August 1859 while armed with my list of needed land owners.  There was a glimmer of hope when I saw a record for a J Ferguson, the record made no mention of land, but I continued on through the book.  I found deeds for the 3 Bizzell people in John Washington Womble’s 1870 neighborhood.

When I returned home I began adding the plats to DeedMapper and indicating on my spreadsheet of land owners that their land had been platted.  In working with placing the plats in DeedMapper, I’ve found the topographical map to be more helpful, because it contains so much more details of the area, than the previous background map I was using.

My schedule for tomorrow and possibly the rest of the coming week is to continue platting the tracts I found today and also to finish reading through vol. N online and then plat those findings.

Snippet of Absolom Lane to Lewis Glenn deed