I found who originally owned my house

[Blue Collar Guy]

Through the 1940 census, and some map research I found my home. The original owner male was born in Hungary. The wife in was born in New York. They paid 6500 for the place in 1935-1936. Their daughter was living here with her husband, She died in Florida in 1999. the original owner was a cabinet maker claiming he made 1600 in 1939. Across the street lived one of the future Police Commissioners. He was a patrolman at the time. The widow I bought the house from was the second owner. She was a Korean war combat nurse. She was tough as nails when I met her in her golden years. Sadly she died at a place in Connecticut 1 year after we bought this place. I found the old tax photos from 1980 showing my home, It was a dead ringer for what it looked like when I bought it. They have the 1939-1941 tax photos but I can seem to locate it yet. The census info was interesting 2 families per block were asked extra questions.

 

[97guns]

Cool... good to know they didn't die in the house

 

[MarieIG]

Very interesting history.

 

[Marita40]

I traced my house history through a title search at the county property records office as well as a permit search at the county history center. As a result I know every owner, mortgage, and even the name of the Swede who built the home in 1923. I really like to do this kind of research!

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

Cool... good to know they didn't die in the house

Lol yeah I agree. And as usual I have a story. When I was a young married man and my wife was pregnant we went to look at a home near my parents house. It was a bit out of my price range but it was a 2 family home with a small 3 room apt upstairs. I remember the widow who was around 60 was paying $350 a month. The going rate for that apt back then was $550. She said she was relieved a young couple was thinking of buying the house and that she wanted to stay and knew the rent would go up but hopefully we wouldnt force her out. My Father was still alive at this time and he assured her we wanted her to stay. As we were doing the back of the envelope math in the houses kitchen another real estate agent came with a large family. He pointed out "this is the bedroom where the former owner died." My wife grabbed her stomach and we left the house. She TOLD me " no way" Im not living there. hahahah. I was spooked too. PS my dad told me we wouldnt have gotten the house, they offered full asking price(we couldnt, we were off by about 20 %), and the first thing they did was show the widow the door, They needed the apt for relatives.

 

[calmloki]

It is fun to find old data on places - some old apartments we have in a college town have a raised step at the curb - turns out that was for ladies stepping up or down from horse drawn carriages. A city hall wall picture shows half the building back when a town to town train ran down the street. An early contract for the place enumerates some of the furniture that went with the sale - including a 3-legged stool and some straw mattresses. Later the building was expanded and served as living space for nurses in training in WW1. Place stills stands and houses students.

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

I traced my house history through a title search at the county property records office as well as a permit search at the county history center. As a result I know every owner, mortgage, and even the name of the Swede who built the home in 1923. I really like to do this kind of research!

It was exciting, I made my block a favorite so I can find it again, id like to share this info with the neighbors.

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

It is fun to find old data on places - some old apartments we have in a college town have a raised step at the curb - turns out that was for ladies stepping up or down from horse drawn carriages. A city hall wall picture shows half the building back when a town to town train ran down the street. An early contract for the place enumerates some of the furniture that went with the sale - including a 3-legged stool and some straw mattresses. Later the building was expanded and served as living space for nurses in training in WW1. Place stills stands and houses students.

Awesome, I love that raised curb part. I think Ive seen that at an old Victorian house I looked at once.

 

[ejman]

Cool... good to know they didn't die in the house

I'm sure lots of people die in their houses. Frankly I'd rather die in my house in my own bed than in a hospital with all kinds of tubes and whatevers stuck in me. What is the issue with that?

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

I'm sure lots of people die in their houses. Frankly I'd rather die in my house in my own bed than in a hospital with all kinds of tubes and whatevers stuck in me. What is the issue with that?

When your 22 , living near a cemetery or some one dying in the house is spooky.

 

[Meadbh]

I'm sure lots of people die in their houses. Frankly I'd rather die in my house in my own bed than in a hospital with all kinds of tubes and whatevers stuck in me. What is the issue with that?

+1

When I was w*rking, our Palliative Care Team was very proud of the fact that 30% of their patients fulfilled their wishes to die in their own homes. A natural death is......natural. Just like a home birth.

When I was 12, my best friend's father died at home in his sleep. His eldest daughter, who was a nurse, began to use his bedroom as soon as practical, so people wouldn't think it was spooky.

On the other hand, I would be a little freaked out if I discovered that a murder had been committed.

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

You guys are creeping out my home history thread hahaha.

 

[MRG]

When your 22 , living near a cemetery or some one dying in the house is spooky.

Our first apartment was across a 4 lane road from a cemetery. We were all of 18 when we got married and a few friends would come to visit. I'd always ask if they wanted any flowers! Never any takers.

Year's later:

We learned after we bought our home on 20 acres the original home owner had died while working on the property. He'd rolled a Ford 8N tractor; brush hogging around one of the ponds. It was the very same Ford 8N I used to brush hogg around the same pond! I'd wondered at first why the hood of the tractor was all messed up. I was always afraid of that machine.

He'd had his ashes spread on the property too. We didn't know where. Not sure why the asparagus grew so well?

It's all good. You're going to die somewhere.

 

[SheitlQueen]

When your 22 , living near a cemetery or some one dying in the house is spooky.

When we were looking for a home on acreage, we looked at a house that had a view of a cemetery out the kitchen window. The property butted up against a pioneer cemetery that was still in use. We took a pass on the house.

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

When we were looking for a home on acreage, we looked at a house that had a view of a cemetery out the kitchen window. The property butted up against a pioneer cemetery that was still in use. We took a pass on the house.

yeah, count me in the I'll pass club too

 

[Texas Proud]

Being in a new house I guess it is much easier to find out stuff...

House built in 1984... first buyer in 1985...

Second was in 1987.... sold in 96, but we STILL get mail for him at times...

Third 96, 4th was 05 and us in 09...

Mail come addressed to the last 4 owners at times... sometimes it looks important, but sending it back does not seem to change things much...

 

[Sunset]

When we were looking for a home on acreage, we looked at a house that had a view of a cemetery out the kitchen window. The property butted up against a pioneer cemetery that was still in use. We took a pass on the house.

Especially if you are on a well

 

[Sunset]

You guys are creeping out my home history thread hahaha.

I have not looked up my house history.

But I know the reason it came up for sale was the husband we on a fishing trip with some buddies and the little plane crashed and he died.
So I tell my friends I bought it from a dead man.

As soon as we moved in, the next door neighbor simply had to tell us about all the deaths of teenagers due to crashing of cars, he was able to rattle off 6 or 8 incidents, no wonder there were so few kids around here.

 

[Scrapr]

My FIL is 90. I take him around looking at jobsites with me. Mostly to get him out of the house and BS with him. He always wants to go to McDonalds to buy me coffee. Anyway he has been in his home since 1931 I think. Grew up in it and then bought it. He has all kinda stories about what used to be on "this or that corner"in the neighborhood. He owned an oil company and he is always showing me corners where gas stations were. Most of the time he tell me George Johnson used to run that station. Helluva nice guy. I'll tell you what there was a lot more gas station around BITD.

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

My FIL is 90. I take him around looking at jobsites with me. Mostly to get him out of the house and BS with him. He always wants to go to McDonalds to buy me coffee. Anyway he has been in his home since 1931 I think. Grew up in it and then bought it. He has all kinda stories about what used to be on "this or that corner"in the neighborhood. He owned an oil company and he is always showing me corners where gas stations were. Most of the time he tell me George Johnson used to run that station. Helluva nice guy. I'll tell you what there was a lot more gas station around BITD.

Love those types of stories.

 

[GalaxyBoy]

Been looking for a new home over two years. Our biggest issue with the current house is the noise. We'd LOVE to have a quiet cemetery next door.

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

Been looking for a new home over two years. Our biggest issue with the current house is the noise. We'd LOVE to have a quiet cemetery next door.

Now that Im older , Im not as creeped out, we looked at a country home that was next to a funeral parlor. We passed on that too, lol. The interesting thing about looking at the 1940 census trying to find my census track , was that it was written by hand, in pencil, on the map. They had some other odd/strange numbers on the map as well, on the second try it was the 4 digit number that was the census tract.

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

If anyone is interested this is what it looked like https://1940census.archives.gov/sea...searchby=location&searchmode=browse&year=1940

 

[EastWest Gal]

Lol yeah I agree. And as usual I have a story. When I was a young married man and my wife was pregnant we went to look at a home near my parents house. It was a bit out of my price range but it was a 2 family home with a small 3 room apt upstairs. I remember the widow who was around 60 was paying $350 a month. The going rate for that apt back then was $550. She said she was relieved a young couple was thinking of buying the house and that she wanted to stay and knew the rent would go up but hopefully we wouldnt force her out. My Father was still alive at this time and he assured her we wanted her to stay. As we were doing the back of the envelope math in the houses kitchen another real estate agent came with a large family. He pointed out "this is the bedroom where the former owner died." My wife grabbed her stomach and we left the house. She TOLD me " no way" Im not living there. hahahah. I was spooked too. PS my dad told me we wouldnt have gotten the house, they offered full asking price(we couldnt, we were off by about 20 %), and the first thing they did was show the widow the door, They needed the apt for relatives.

Funny, everyone wants to die at home but no one wants to live in a home where someone died.

 

[GalaxyBoy]

I've not seen these census maps before. Unfortunately, for my ancestors there are none available.

Thanks, though. Genealogy research is on my list of RE projects.