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Sep. 11th, 2012 10:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
which_chickHere lately, I've been Having Fun With Courthouse History.
Brother-the-younger is interested in the chain of title on the property we own in Fulton County, PA. To determine this information, we go to the Fulton County courthouse and do some reading. The story so far, most recent events first...
February 23, 1963: Mortgage satisfaction recorded at courthouse for the mortgage on the 533.22 acres.
July 28, 1961: Jack and Sarah Gothie buy 533.22 acres from Fred C. and Catherine M. Weicht.
January 20, 1960: Fred C. and Catherine M. Weicht buy out a half interest in the property from Richard and Mable Weicht (533.22 acres)
January 24, 1952: Fred C. and Richard F. Weicht buy 533.22 acres from Elmer W. and Mary Foor, part of a larger tract.
Deed description is as follows:
s86.42e 239r
s85.45e 44.2r
s88.15e 65r
n59.15e 31r
s5w 66.3r
s37.45w 268.55r
s62.23w 61.77r
n27.37w 18.18r
s62.23w 70.77r
s27.37e 18.18r
and thence “along summit of mountain in a northerly direction for a distance of 375 rods, more or less, to the place of beginning.”
Basically, this is the current property line, which is as follows: Start on the summit of Ray's Hill at the state forest line. Go down on the Fulton County side, following along the state forest line, crossing Tar Kiln Run (piles of stones on either bank), until you run into to the property owned by the Old PA Turnpike (now Pike-to-Bike trail). You'll know it when you get there, it has a chain link fence topped with barbed wire and a four-lane concrete highway inside the fence. Turn right and travel along the fence line back up to the top of the mountain again. It's more or less a triangle of a thing.
I plotted the coordinates and distances on tractplotter.com, giving me 470 acres but that's because “along summit of mountain in a northerly direction” is not something it likes and it drew its own little straight line instead. The mountain has quite a curve in it that could easily account for the missing 60 or so acres.
The tractplotter pictures are very helpful, but please note that THEY ARE NOT TO SCALE -- they are all pretty much the same size even though the tracts range from 63 acres to 1200 acres. The Foor-to-Weicht tract looks like this:
February 21, 1948: Elmer W. Foor buys out interests of Oscar A. and Harriet L. Foor, Lawrence C. and Phyllis E. Foor, property is a tract of 723.34 acres situate in Bedford and Fulton counties.
March 1, 1944: Elmer W, Oscar A, and Lawrence C. Foor buy out the interests of Percy G. and Marjorie G. Foor in the 723.34 acre tract.
February 6, 1943: Elmer W, Oscar A, Lawrence C and Percy G Foor purchase 723.34 acres from M. J. and Esther A. Myers. 723.34 acres.
Description from the deed is as follows:
n15.30e 61.7r
n15e 102r
n31.30w 282r
s86.42e 404r
s85.45e 44.2r
s88.15e 65r
n59.15e 31r
s5w 66.3r
s37.45w 268.55r
s62.23w 61.77r
n27.37w 18.18r
s62.23w 90.9r
s27.37e 18.18r
s62.23w 130.77r
Says 723.34 acres, tractplotter.com says 749, plus or minus 12. Here's a picture:
June 22, 1929: M. J. and Esther A. Myers purchase 1247 acres (1039 in Fulton, remainder in Bedford) from A. J. Van Horn, A. B. Eshelman, and Philip H. Sponsler.
November 5, 1921: Van Horn et al purchase ¼ interest in the 1247 acres from Albert F and Jennie C. Foor.
March 5, 1921: Van Horn (and A. F. Foor, A. B. Eshelman, P. H. Sponsler) purchase 1/5 interest in the 1247 acres from J. E. and Mary I. Reitz.
September 30, 1920: Van Horn (Foor, Eshelman, P. H. Sponsler, Reitz) purchase 1/6 interest in the 1247 acres from W. B. Sponsler.
May 22, 1920: Reitz purchases 1/6 interest in the 1247 acres from Van Horn et. al. Deed at this point describes ONE BIG TRACT of land.
Description as follows:
n18.30e 15r
s47.30e 135.4r
n82.15e 58r
s78e 108.5r
n15.30e 239r
n12.30w 104.5r
s53w 200r
n89w 107r
n18.30 30r
n37.45e 317.5r
n5e 66.3r
s59.15w 31r
s88.15w 65r
n85.45w 44.2r
n86.42w 404r
s31.30e 282r
s15w 102r
s15.30w 100r
s28.30e 17r
n65.15e 101r
s3.15w 43.5r
n79.45e 45.5r
Plotted on tractplotter.com, says 1220 acres plus or minus fourteen. Perimeter error of 1.15%. We're using this description because it is the most legible of the available options and the deeds don't change from when VanHorn et. al. buy the thing from Thropp and when they sell it to Myers. Here's a picture:
March 26, 1920: Van Horn, A. F. Foor, A. B. Eshelman, W. B. Sponsler purchase land in four tracts from Joseph E. and Miriam D. Thropp. (Need pictures of tracts.) This deed lists the four separate tracts, NOT "one big piece" like in the VanHorn et al to Reitz deed.
Tract 1 177 acres 155 ph (John & Calvin Howard to Thropp, Nov 1905)
n37.50e 257.5r
n58.53w 110.6r
s30.15w 48r
n59.45w 20.6r
s31.15w 203.5r
s56.30e 100.5r
177.54 ac, closes
Tract 2 503 acres 143 ph (this tract from Charlotte McIlvaine 9-24-1895)
s18.30w 83r
s67.45w 33.1r
n26.45w 9.3r
n31w 228.6r
s14.53w 102r
s15.21w 100r
s28.30e 17
n65.15e 101r
s56.45e 60r
s3.15w 43.5r
n79.38e 45.5r
n26.45w 11.5r
n67.30e 10.6r
s47.27e 135.4r
n82.15e 58r
s78e 108.5r
n15.26e 239r
n12.30w 104.5r
s52.54w 200
n89w 107r
504.3 acres says Tractplotter, and it closes perfectly, no error, GO SURVEYOR!
Tract 3 63 acres 113 ph (from Benjamin Hanks, 3-feb-1906)
n26.45e 84.9r
s89.45e 44.2r
n84.15e 65r
n55.15e 31r
s1w 66.3r
s33.45w 60r
n62.53w 110.6r
s26.15w 48r
n63.45w 21.6r
Closes, 67.49 acres.
Tract 4 413 acres (from the late Simon Nycum estate), described as follows:
n35e 312r
w 330r
s34e 480r
s30e 45r
n14e 156r
n61w 102r
This description does not close, is TOTALLY off, missing at least one line. I need to go to the Bedford County courthouse and get the deed description from Jos. Nycum transferring it to his son Simon to see if there is a better description of the property there.
Here's the best that tractplotter.com could do:
Possibly there is also a tract of 107 ac 56 ph, (McIlvaine from Welsh and Gray, Fulton book 3 p. 807), though this property is not listed as a transferred tract from Thropp to VanHorn in the deed I have. Perhaps there is another deed. If I include the McIlvaine tract of 107ac 56ph, the acreage works out. Otherwise, the total acreage is off by that amount, which seems like a lot. I don't have the description for the 107 acres because book 3 is NOT PHOTOCOPYABLE and I didn't know that you could find online a computer program to plot this stuff for you and keep north *north* all the time even though the tract descriptions refer to nonexistant pin oaks and red oaks and stumps of chestnut oaks and fallen white oaks and piles of stone and fenceposts and stuff.
A certain amount of ineffectual fucking around with layers in GIMP suggests strongly that the pieces comprising "our" property in Fulton County are made up of tracts 1, 3, and parts of 4 as listed in the Thropp deed to Van Horn. Tract 1 fits together neatly with the notch in the lower left corner of tract 3. Tract 4 goes on the left hand side of tract 3, lining up horizontally across the top of same and also with the long left side of tract 1. "Our" property has nothing to do with tract 2.
Here's a picture that I sort-of scaled in GIMP. Colors have to do with weird nvidia issues I am having. Don't ask. The rest of the computer displays OK, but GIMP only shows me about sixteen colors. Whatevs. I didn't include Tract 4 from the Thropp deed because the picture I have is totally fucked anyway and I need a better description to work with. This image shows tract 1 and 3 on top of the Foor-to-Weicht image, illustrating that we own most of those two pieces. If I knew how to make transparency happen, you could see where the line is underneath tract 1, but I don't. Sorry.
Matters for further research:
1. Nail down a better description of Tract 4 in the Thropp deed to Van Horn. Probably best place to look is Simon Nycum's deed from his father Joseph Nycum. It's in the Bedford County Courthouse.
2. Provenance of Tract 1, Tract 3, and Tract 4 prior to Thropp owning them. Some of this is in Fulton courthouse, some is in Bedford.
3. Location of piece we bought from the PA turnpike, track that deed as well.
Brother-the-younger is interested in the chain of title on the property we own in Fulton County, PA. To determine this information, we go to the Fulton County courthouse and do some reading. The story so far, most recent events first...
February 23, 1963: Mortgage satisfaction recorded at courthouse for the mortgage on the 533.22 acres.
July 28, 1961: Jack and Sarah Gothie buy 533.22 acres from Fred C. and Catherine M. Weicht.
January 20, 1960: Fred C. and Catherine M. Weicht buy out a half interest in the property from Richard and Mable Weicht (533.22 acres)
January 24, 1952: Fred C. and Richard F. Weicht buy 533.22 acres from Elmer W. and Mary Foor, part of a larger tract.
Deed description is as follows:
s86.42e 239r
s85.45e 44.2r
s88.15e 65r
n59.15e 31r
s5w 66.3r
s37.45w 268.55r
s62.23w 61.77r
n27.37w 18.18r
s62.23w 70.77r
s27.37e 18.18r
and thence “along summit of mountain in a northerly direction for a distance of 375 rods, more or less, to the place of beginning.”
Basically, this is the current property line, which is as follows: Start on the summit of Ray's Hill at the state forest line. Go down on the Fulton County side, following along the state forest line, crossing Tar Kiln Run (piles of stones on either bank), until you run into to the property owned by the Old PA Turnpike (now Pike-to-Bike trail). You'll know it when you get there, it has a chain link fence topped with barbed wire and a four-lane concrete highway inside the fence. Turn right and travel along the fence line back up to the top of the mountain again. It's more or less a triangle of a thing.
I plotted the coordinates and distances on tractplotter.com, giving me 470 acres but that's because “along summit of mountain in a northerly direction” is not something it likes and it drew its own little straight line instead. The mountain has quite a curve in it that could easily account for the missing 60 or so acres.
The tractplotter pictures are very helpful, but please note that THEY ARE NOT TO SCALE -- they are all pretty much the same size even though the tracts range from 63 acres to 1200 acres. The Foor-to-Weicht tract looks like this:
February 21, 1948: Elmer W. Foor buys out interests of Oscar A. and Harriet L. Foor, Lawrence C. and Phyllis E. Foor, property is a tract of 723.34 acres situate in Bedford and Fulton counties.
March 1, 1944: Elmer W, Oscar A, and Lawrence C. Foor buy out the interests of Percy G. and Marjorie G. Foor in the 723.34 acre tract.
February 6, 1943: Elmer W, Oscar A, Lawrence C and Percy G Foor purchase 723.34 acres from M. J. and Esther A. Myers. 723.34 acres.
Description from the deed is as follows:
n15.30e 61.7r
n15e 102r
n31.30w 282r
s86.42e 404r
s85.45e 44.2r
s88.15e 65r
n59.15e 31r
s5w 66.3r
s37.45w 268.55r
s62.23w 61.77r
n27.37w 18.18r
s62.23w 90.9r
s27.37e 18.18r
s62.23w 130.77r
Says 723.34 acres, tractplotter.com says 749, plus or minus 12. Here's a picture:
June 22, 1929: M. J. and Esther A. Myers purchase 1247 acres (1039 in Fulton, remainder in Bedford) from A. J. Van Horn, A. B. Eshelman, and Philip H. Sponsler.
November 5, 1921: Van Horn et al purchase ¼ interest in the 1247 acres from Albert F and Jennie C. Foor.
March 5, 1921: Van Horn (and A. F. Foor, A. B. Eshelman, P. H. Sponsler) purchase 1/5 interest in the 1247 acres from J. E. and Mary I. Reitz.
September 30, 1920: Van Horn (Foor, Eshelman, P. H. Sponsler, Reitz) purchase 1/6 interest in the 1247 acres from W. B. Sponsler.
May 22, 1920: Reitz purchases 1/6 interest in the 1247 acres from Van Horn et. al. Deed at this point describes ONE BIG TRACT of land.
Description as follows:
n18.30e 15r
s47.30e 135.4r
n82.15e 58r
s78e 108.5r
n15.30e 239r
n12.30w 104.5r
s53w 200r
n89w 107r
n18.30 30r
n37.45e 317.5r
n5e 66.3r
s59.15w 31r
s88.15w 65r
n85.45w 44.2r
n86.42w 404r
s31.30e 282r
s15w 102r
s15.30w 100r
s28.30e 17r
n65.15e 101r
s3.15w 43.5r
n79.45e 45.5r
Plotted on tractplotter.com, says 1220 acres plus or minus fourteen. Perimeter error of 1.15%. We're using this description because it is the most legible of the available options and the deeds don't change from when VanHorn et. al. buy the thing from Thropp and when they sell it to Myers. Here's a picture:
March 26, 1920: Van Horn, A. F. Foor, A. B. Eshelman, W. B. Sponsler purchase land in four tracts from Joseph E. and Miriam D. Thropp. (Need pictures of tracts.) This deed lists the four separate tracts, NOT "one big piece" like in the VanHorn et al to Reitz deed.
Tract 1 177 acres 155 ph (John & Calvin Howard to Thropp, Nov 1905)
n37.50e 257.5r
n58.53w 110.6r
s30.15w 48r
n59.45w 20.6r
s31.15w 203.5r
s56.30e 100.5r
177.54 ac, closes
Tract 2 503 acres 143 ph (this tract from Charlotte McIlvaine 9-24-1895)
s18.30w 83r
s67.45w 33.1r
n26.45w 9.3r
n31w 228.6r
s14.53w 102r
s15.21w 100r
s28.30e 17
n65.15e 101r
s56.45e 60r
s3.15w 43.5r
n79.38e 45.5r
n26.45w 11.5r
n67.30e 10.6r
s47.27e 135.4r
n82.15e 58r
s78e 108.5r
n15.26e 239r
n12.30w 104.5r
s52.54w 200
n89w 107r
504.3 acres says Tractplotter, and it closes perfectly, no error, GO SURVEYOR!
Tract 3 63 acres 113 ph (from Benjamin Hanks, 3-feb-1906)
n26.45e 84.9r
s89.45e 44.2r
n84.15e 65r
n55.15e 31r
s1w 66.3r
s33.45w 60r
n62.53w 110.6r
s26.15w 48r
n63.45w 21.6r
Closes, 67.49 acres.
Tract 4 413 acres (from the late Simon Nycum estate), described as follows:
n35e 312r
w 330r
s34e 480r
s30e 45r
n14e 156r
n61w 102r
This description does not close, is TOTALLY off, missing at least one line. I need to go to the Bedford County courthouse and get the deed description from Jos. Nycum transferring it to his son Simon to see if there is a better description of the property there.
Here's the best that tractplotter.com could do:
Possibly there is also a tract of 107 ac 56 ph, (McIlvaine from Welsh and Gray, Fulton book 3 p. 807), though this property is not listed as a transferred tract from Thropp to VanHorn in the deed I have. Perhaps there is another deed. If I include the McIlvaine tract of 107ac 56ph, the acreage works out. Otherwise, the total acreage is off by that amount, which seems like a lot. I don't have the description for the 107 acres because book 3 is NOT PHOTOCOPYABLE and I didn't know that you could find online a computer program to plot this stuff for you and keep north *north* all the time even though the tract descriptions refer to nonexistant pin oaks and red oaks and stumps of chestnut oaks and fallen white oaks and piles of stone and fenceposts and stuff.
A certain amount of ineffectual fucking around with layers in GIMP suggests strongly that the pieces comprising "our" property in Fulton County are made up of tracts 1, 3, and parts of 4 as listed in the Thropp deed to Van Horn. Tract 1 fits together neatly with the notch in the lower left corner of tract 3. Tract 4 goes on the left hand side of tract 3, lining up horizontally across the top of same and also with the long left side of tract 1. "Our" property has nothing to do with tract 2.
Here's a picture that I sort-of scaled in GIMP. Colors have to do with weird nvidia issues I am having. Don't ask. The rest of the computer displays OK, but GIMP only shows me about sixteen colors. Whatevs. I didn't include Tract 4 from the Thropp deed because the picture I have is totally fucked anyway and I need a better description to work with. This image shows tract 1 and 3 on top of the Foor-to-Weicht image, illustrating that we own most of those two pieces. If I knew how to make transparency happen, you could see where the line is underneath tract 1, but I don't. Sorry.
Matters for further research:
1. Nail down a better description of Tract 4 in the Thropp deed to Van Horn. Probably best place to look is Simon Nycum's deed from his father Joseph Nycum. It's in the Bedford County Courthouse.
2. Provenance of Tract 1, Tract 3, and Tract 4 prior to Thropp owning them. Some of this is in Fulton courthouse, some is in Bedford.
3. Location of piece we bought from the PA turnpike, track that deed as well.
