BGSU :: Center for Archival Collections :: Sample Project: "The Old Ice House" 330 North Maple

Center for Archival Collections

Sample Project: "The Old Ice House" 330 North Maple

Get Your Bearings: Study Maps and Atlases

Learn how land is surveyed

Use the Geographical Index at the Wood County Recorder's Office to find the legal description (In this case, the property is Plain Township, Inlot 3222, 3223, 3224, 3225) and a list of owners.
If the property was once part of a larger parcel, trace the ownership of the larger parcel back to the earliest owners.

Locate the property on a series of maps to note changes over time

Locate the property in an Atlas. Compare several atlases to see any changes.
Look for changes in land, ownership, and the nearby area
Look for natural features (rivers, swamp areas) which affect access to the property, availability of water, etc.
Look for man-made features (railroads, roads, cemeteries, quarries) which affect transportation of people and goods or influence movement or business.

Read history of the general area

City and county histories often begin with a description of the geology and geography of the area and include information about places of special interest.
Atlases sometimes have brief histories, biographies of landowners, and statistical information about agriculture or manufacturing.
See Bibliography of Selected Resources

Learn about the people: Gather biographical information about the property owners

Printed sources include city and county histories and newspaper obituaries

Other sources include the Federal Census

Still other sources for information

Learn about the Property

Government Records

At left is the 1924 Reappraisement for one portion of this property. Be sure to locate all parcels of the property in question. The Reappraisement record gives a valuation of the land and buildings for tax purposes and describes the construction and age of any buildings.

Other government records which may be sources for information

Search the property through time in City or County Directories

Questions to ask:

Still other sources of information

Photographs and postcards
Search appropriate topics in the online catalog. (See "Industrial Development of Bowling Green," pOG 0271)
Search newspapers (including BG News) for articles on business
Search BGSU General Catalog for information on class pictured at left

Special Tips

Not every source is appropriate for every property.
Some information may not have been recorded, or may have become lost. But-- are you looking in the right place? Other sources may provide the "missing" information.
Consider national as well as local events as they affect your property:
- Farming practices may be documented from general history sources
- Economic conditions affect land use (Depressions occurred many times during the last 150 years--did they affect your property?)
- Industrial development affects even "rural" areas. Consider the gas and oil boom. Did it affect your property?
- Political events can affect land use. What national policies were adopted during wartime which may have affected farming and industry?