I'm having the same problem with locating my family's farm from similar descriptions. I recently ordered some maps showing who owned which farm at the time and am hoping to match it to current maps. I believe I have a birch tree at one corner of our farm as well. :-D Linda Nead On 5/10/2011 12:53 PM, Carolyn J Thomas wrote: >> From: "Doug Kleitz"<dkleitz@comcast.net> > <Subject: [ALL] Questions about deeds > <I have two Deeds and very excited, one from 1836 and one from 1865, its > easy to read but the markers are insane, 16 feet and one birch to the white > fence ect > <I wish I could figure it where the property was actually located, the > boundry lines are to spots that don't even exist anymore > <Anyway to figure it out???? Any hints, its amazing to find my 4 great > grandfather's property (1836), and his oldest son's property (1865), in the > old Indiana Township, which later became Ohara Township > > Hi Doug, > > One way might be by tracing the property deeds from seller to buyer to > seller to buyer until the deeds switch over to today¹s terminology [they do, > don¹t they?] > > Conversely, go backward to the warrantee, and see what you can discern from > a warrantee map. These are found in various places online, but the best > source I like is the PA Archives¹ Land records online: > <http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=3184&&SortOrd > er=100&level=4&parentCommID=3162&menuLevel=Level_4&mode=2> > <http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=3184& > &SortOrder=100&level=4&parentCommID=3162&menuLevel=Level_4&a > mp;mode=2> [make sure there are no spaces in the URL]. There are now > SEVENTEEN searchable databases for PA Land Records! > > Also check for the land of the neighbors: ³adjoining the land of ‹?‹ on the > north² for instance. > > An Indiana Township or O¹Hara Twp history might give you insights as to > where the land was. Check page 10 of > <http://www.indianatownship.com/pdf/spring2011.pdf> and > <http://www.yourfoxchapel.com/event/history-ohara-township-recently-publishe > d-book-talk-lauri-ann-west-memorial-library> In either of these, the > neighbors might be featured, if your family isn¹t. > > Good hunting, > Cari Thomas > > I also just found this online: > <http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Metes+and+Bounds> which gives > this tidbit: > > metes and bounds (meets and bounds) n. a surveyor's description of a parcel > of real property, using carefully measured distances, angles, and > directions, which results in what is called a "legal description" of the > land, as distinguished from merely a street address or parcel number. Such a > metes and bounds description is required to be recorded in official county > record on a subdivision map and in the deeds when the boundaries of a parcel > or lot are first drawn. > > so you might try following up on this ³subdivision map² for Allegheny > County. Let us know what you find??? > > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > > Visit our Allegheny County, PA Website: http://www.rootsweb.com/~paallegh/ > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to PAALLEGH-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >