The Quest Continues: One Good Deed

Since I have been going around complaining that I can't find out the date the Oviatt Farmhouse was built, historically-savvy people have told me to check the property tax records. A sudden increase in valuation means a building was added. Property tax has been around here since the 1820's. Summit county wasn't established until 1840 - so I'd have to check Medina County records. Then it occured to me that before I look for taxes, I ought to check there for the deed transfer.

Medina County's deeds index was a huge old book, about 2 feet tall and pages 15 inches across , with all the property transfers in Medina County from 1818 to 1843. Rough alphabetical order. There were TONS of Oviatts: Benjamin Oviatt, Mason's grandfather who was a Revolutionary War soldier; Salmon Oviatt, Mason's father whose house is still standing on Rt. 303 just east of Broadview; Heman Oviatt, the rich uncle; plus various other uncles, cousins, and one aunt. There were also tons of now familar names from the histories I've been reading recently: Newtons, Nortons, Farnhams and Hudsons. Sometimes the parcels swap around between the main charactors. No Mason to be seen. Whatever else he may have been, Mason Oviatt was NOT a major player in the real estate market. A little note at the bottom of the last column refers back to another page. There's a bunch more "O" entiries out of order. Three quarters of the way down the page is our man.

Mason bought the land from his parents for one thousand dollars. The deed starts out with a hello to anyone reading the document. If you have read this email so far, the message is for you, from April 5, 1836: " To all persons to whom these presents shall come, greeting." Then it gets all legal. The western boundary of the land went all the way to the Hinkley border. It measured one hundred and one acres. Although the land had been owned jointly by Salmon and his wife Mary, the title only transfers to Mason, not Fanny. You have to wonder why. Did her in-laws not like her? Were they trying to make sure her relatives, the Carters and the Farnhams (who were big wheels in town) never got control of it? Was Mason opposed to having Fanny on the deed?

Whatever the reason, it wasn't an oversight. I was surprised at how many women were listed in the index holding their own property. Plus, the ammendment to the deed transfer certifies that the county recorder made sure that Mary was included in the deal - that she understood the legal issues and that she was OK with them. This appears to have been part of his routine function:

 " Personally appeared before me - Salmon Oviatt & Mary Oviatt his wife who acknowleged that they did sign and seal the forgoing instrument, and that the same is their free act and deed, And I do further certify that I did examine the said Mary Oviatt separate and apart from her husband and did then and there make known to her the contents of the forgoing instrument and, upon that examination she declared that she did voluntarily, sign, seal, and acknowledge the same and that she was satisfied therewith.
- Martin Chittenden, Justice of the Peace // Recorded June 3rd 1837 //
Oviatt Cole, Recorder.