A Different Time

I spent a fair bit of time a couple of weeks ago scanning about half of the deeds that relate to the farm (all that are available predating the 1970s.)   One of the oldest of them indicates that the initial piece of land was bought as early as 1825, although we don't have that particular deed.  As a result of going through those, I also found some other interesting documents.  What follows is a real estate description filled out by Lamont Basford when he (and/or his deceased older brother's wife) was trying to sell the farm.  Thankfully that never happened.  What's more interesting than the fact that they were thinking of and trying to sell the farm is the description of what comprised the farm and what was on it approximately 100 years ago.  Since James and Fernando died in 1915, I'm assuming this was filled out shortly after that.

 

 You'll notice at the bottom "Give reason for selling" "to settle estate" and the asking price was $6,000, $3,000 being the least he would take.  As I'm writing this and looking over this document and the ancestry tree that Aaron has done, it's interesting to note that James Basford, who owned and built much of what we know as the farm today, and his son, Fernando, died in the same year of 1915 (and James' wife having died 9 years previous).  So it's likely the impetus to sell and "settle the estate" is by Addie, Fernando's widow.  Strange that it's her husband's youngest brother who filled out this form.  If this document is from 1915 or 1916, that makes Stanley (Fernando's son) 19 or 20 years old at the time, though it's my understanding he'd never lived "here" growing up. 

  

Since this piece is about a document relating to family history, I wanted to let you know I updated a prior post that had several obits posted.  At the very bottom of that post you'll find the update.  You can get to that post by continuing to scroll down to the post entitled My Great Grandparents (plus one) or click the link.  And this is as good a place as any to update you about my (and now Kim's) ongoing search for the family cemetery out back, near where the original cabin was.  After being out there this past weekend with my mother and Uncle Wayne, I'm feeling pretty good about where both of those were.  As soon as Kim can come back with her metal detector, we'll hopefully find some confirmation of the spot of the cemetery.  I'll keep you updated.