2 microfilm reels A separate agency history is available. The Washington County recorder kept an index to chattel mortgages, or mortgages of personal property, such as livestock, machinery, furniture, merchandise and crops. The index references chattel mortgages, releases of chattel mortgage, and bills of sale. The index identifies the type of document, names the mortgagee and mortgagor, gives the filing date and document date, and the amount of consideration money. Early indexes also indicate a book and page number, while later ones refer to a document file number.
Volumes are chronological.
The county recorder kept a running index, grouping entries according to the first letter of the mortgagor's or mortgagee's surname. Under each letter she filed entries chronologically. The index to chattel mortgages is arranged in five books. The county recorder designated sections of Books 1 and 2 to make entries for each letter of the alphabet. When a particular section became full, she occasionally continued entries at the end of a section designated for a different letter.