Topic

Archives & Local History

Deeds, maps, cemetery and church records, donations and the small archives that hold a town’s memory.

Building a Local History Collection From Attic Donations

How a small historical society handles attic donations: the first talk, appraisal, deeds of gift, provenance, accessioning, rehousing and saying no kindly.

January 20th, 2026 · 9 minRead the piece →

Archives & Local History

How to Read a 19th-Century Deed Book

A historian's guide to 19th-century deed books: grantor and grantee indexes, deed formulas, metes and bounds, clerks' hands, margin notes and chains of title.

June 25th, 2024 · 10 minRead the piece →