LAND RECORDS NEAR CRESCENT, IOWA

STEPHENS, DUSTIN, BENTON, PETERSON, ROSSOW, WRIGHT, REYNOLDS, HYATT, CORBALEY, GOULD, BOURLAND, WOLCOTT

Posted By: Mona Sarratt Knight (email)
Date: 7/17/2005 at 15:47:57

MISCELLANEOUS LAND ENTRIES RELATED TO THE ORIGINAL ACREAGE NORTH OF CRESCENT, IOWA, EVENTUALLY OWNED BY BENJAMIN HARDING, AN EARLY MORMON PIONEER

This is a situation of one of those serendipitous moments in history where events conspire to come together. My parents purchased a farm of 80 acres about 1.5 miles north of Crescent, Iowa, in about 1967, as my father had always wanted to be a land owner and farmer. When the title search was done at closing, it was learned that the farm had originally been owned by Benjamin Harding, great-grandfather of my Dad, George Sarratt Jr. What a surprise.

Extracted from the original title search and submitted by Mona Sarratt Knight, great-great grandaughter of Benjamin Harding, on July 8, 2005.

Note by submitter: See the 1891 Biographies for more information about Benjamin Harding and family.

No. 1.
United States to Richard Stephens; B.L.W. #50334. Located 5 July 1853, Act of 1850, pre-emption 1841. Describes: E ½ SE ¼ of Section 13, township 76, range 44, containing 80 acres. As shown by records of U.S. original entries.

No. 2.
United States to Richard Stephens; U.S. Rec. 218, page 64. Patent dated 1 Sepember 1854. Grants E ½ SE ¼ of Section 13, Township 76, Range 44, containing 80 acres, more or less. This and preceding entry are from books of Original Entries of land subject to sale at Council Bluffs, Iowa, Land Office, certified copies of which form part of the records of Pottawattamie County, Iowa.

No. 3.
Richard Stephens and wife Nancy to Sylvester Dustin; Book B, page 118. Special Warranty deed, $350, dated 3 October 1854, filed 28 December 1854. Conveys E ½ SE ¼ of Section 13, Township 76, Range 44, containing 80 acres. Warrants “claiming by and through them.”

No. 4.
Sylvester Dustin and wife Lydia to Thomas H. Benton, Jr.; Book B, page 119. Warranty Deed $250.00, dated 20 December 1854, filed 28 December 1854. Conveys E ½ SE ¼ Section 13, Township 76, Range 44, containing 80 acres.

No. 5.
Thomas H. Benton, Jr. and wife Susan to Harold Peterson, as Trustee; Book H, page 284. Deed of Trust, $835.00, dated 24 May 1858, filed 24 May 1858. Morgages E ½ SE ¼ of Section 13, Township 76, Range 44 (and other land). Made for the purpose of securing to Christian Rossow the payment of one note of even date, given by Thomas H. Benton, Jr., to said Christian Rossow, for $835.00 and due 12 months after date. If the sum so secured to said Christian Rossow is not paid by the time the same becomes due, we hereby authorize the said Harold Peterson to sell the premises hereby conveyed, after giving 30 days notice of the time and place of sale by publication in some newspaper published in Council Bluffs aforesaid, and by posting up printed notices in at least three public places in said city of Council Bluffs, and to execute a Deed to the purchaser, to pay off the amount herein secured with interest and costs, and to hold the remainder, if any, subject to our order.

No. 6.
George F. Wright vs Thomas H. Benton Jr., et al; #64, Equity. Petition in Circuit Court, Pottawattamie County, Iowa. Plaintiff files verified petition on 13 February 1869 which states that he is the owner of the note and mortgage recorded in Book H, page 284, prays that said mortgage is foreclosed. Decree entered 8 May 1869 directs that said mortgage be foreclosed and on 2 July 1869, the sheriff of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, sold the mortgaged property to George F. Wright.

No. 7.
Sheriff of Pottawattamie County, Iowa to George F. Wright; Book 15, page 587. Sheriff’s Deed, $1,350.00, dated 2 July 1869, filed 2 July 1869. Conveys NE ¼ SE ¼ and SE ¼ SE ¼ Section 13, township 76, range 44 (and other property). Sold pursuant to proceedings at #6 ante. Also recorded in Book 14, Page 277. U.S. Revenue $1.50 affixed and cancelled.

No. 8.
George F. Wright and wife Ellen E. to Benjamin Harding; Book 17, page 71. Quit Claim Deed $75.00, dated 31 December 1869, filed 31 December 1869. Conveys all our right, title and interest in the SE ¼ SE ¼ Section 13, Township 76, range 44. U.S. Revenue $.50 affixed and cancelled.

No. 9.
Treasurer of Pottawattamie County, Iowa to Dexter Reynolds; Book 2, page 2. Tax Deed $199.51, dated 9 May 1867, filed 26 July 1867. Conveys SE ¼ SE ¼ Section 13, township 76, Range 44 for $19.19. Sold 2 May 1864 for taxes of 1857, 1858, 1859, 1860, 1861.

No. 10.
Dexter Reynolds and wife C.M. to Benjamin Harding; Book 8, page 153. Quit Claim Deed $60.00, dated 6 January 1868, filed 12 February 1868. Conveys SE ¼ SE ¼ Section 13, township 76, Range 44; Dexter Reynolds and Catharine M., his wife, in conveying clause and acknowledgment.

No. 11.

Benjamin Harding and wife Eliza Ann to Benjamin M. Hyatt; Book 337, page 202. Warranty Deed $60.00, dated 6 July 1895, filed 20 July 1895. Conveys one acre of the SE ¼ SE ¼ Section 13, Township 76, range 44, described as follows: Commencing 20 rods East of Northwest Corner of said SE ¼ SE ¼ and running thence South to South line of said Section 13, thence east 2 rods, thence north to public road, thence West on line of public road to place of beginning, said tract being conveyed for road purposes and the grantor reserving right of a gate at north side until said road is fenced.

No. 12.
Benjamin M. Hyatt and wife Huldah to H. E. Gould; Book 337, page 203. Warranty Deed $60.00, dated 20 July 1895, filed 30 July 1895. Conveys one acre of the SE ¼ SE ¼ section 13, township 76, Range 44, described as follows: Commencing 20 rods East of Northwest corner of said SE ¼ SE ¼, and running thence south to South line of said Section 13, thence East 2 rods, thence North to Public road, thence West on line of public road to place of beginning, said tract being conveyed for road purposes and the Grantor reserving right of a gate at North side until said road is fenced. Benjamin M. Hyatt and Huldah Hyatt, husband and wife, in conveying clause.

No. 13.
Benjamin Harding, widower, to Enos Corbaley; Book 367, page 324. Warranty Deed $2,000.00, dated 25 february 1899, filed 25 February 1899. Conveys W ½ SW ¼ Section 18, Township 76, Range 43, containing 50 acres, more or less and excepting from said description as above, the place heretofore sold to Britton Bourland, and containing 8 acres. Also SE ¼ SE ¼ Section 13, Township 76, Range 44. Except a mortgage for $300.00 on W ½ SW ¼ Section 18, Township 76, Range 43, which said Enos Corbaley hereby assumes. U.S. Revenue $2.00 affixed and cancelled.

No. 14.
Enos Corbaley and wife Ollie May to Benjamin Harding; Book 380, page 498. Quit Claim Deed $1.00, dated 20 January 1904, filed 25 January 1904. Conveys SE ¼ SE ¼, Section 13, Township 76, Range 44.

No. 15.
Benjamin Harding, widower, to Roger J. Wolcott; Book 430, page 92. Warranty Deed $2,800.00, dated 15 January 1904, filed 16 January 1904. Conveys (among other) “a railway” 20 feet wide through the SE ¼ SE ¼, Section 13, Township 76, Range 44, commencing at a point 890 feet west of Southeast corner of said Section 13, thence running northeasterly 450 feet, thence due North to intersection of county road as now traveled. (Our abstract of original deed at date of filing shows “roadway” in place of “railway.”)

No. 16, 17 and No. 18.
These entries of the abstract list the estate of Benjamin Harding, deceased, filed 22 May 1905, following his death of 17 April 1905. The estate inventory filed 2 June 1905 listed SE ¼ SE ¼ of Section 13, Township 76, Range 44. (See Wills and Inventory for more details)

No. 19.
Wallace Benjamin and P.O. Alleshouse, Referee to Matilda Norgaard; Book 426, page 588. Referees’ Deed, $4,000.00, dated 8 October 1909, filed 18 October 1909. Conveys SE ¼ SE ¼, Section 13, township 76, range 44. Attached is Certificate of Harry M. Brown, Clerk of the District Court, Pottawattamie County, Iowa, by Roy Hardesty, Deputy, dated 18 October, 1909, that the within and foregoing deed of conveyance was on 8 October 1909 presented in open Court for approval, and that the same was by the Court approved and Ordered of record.