I have a similar situation for William Moulton, who migrated from Richland Co. to Barry Co., Michigan. The Barry Co. estate packet included a mention of an auction of William's farm equipment, animals and personal possessions. I think that the inventory had to be done by disinterested third parties to avoid the possibility of a legal challenge by disgruntled heirs. Cash in the bank, stocks and bonds, and deeds to property would already have been publicly recorded. If you're curious about the price of real estate that was sold, the office of the county Register of Deeds may have the amount. I have seen cases, though, where the deed book says the land was sold for $1.00. That was done to keep the finances of the buyer and seller private. Tax records might tell you the value of the land in comparison with others in the neighborhood, if not the actual assessed value. Unless someone archived the old bank records somewhere, I don't know how we'd find out about cash accounts. -- Lynn