The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-07-01
Register of Deeds Has Unique
Collection in ONCE.
Consists of Long Lost Deeds,
Patents and Abstracts.
MANY ARE NOT RECORDED
Would Be Keepsakes for De-
scendants of Executors.
Oran Layton Wants Rightful
Owners to Claim Them.

It would be difficult to estimate the
amount OF money and trouble Oran
Layton. register Of deeds. could have
saved various persons during his term
/ OF office had he but known where to
find them For he has in his office
one Of the NEST unique collections OF
official documents in the city
The collection consists of thousands
OF warranty deeds. contracts. mort
cages, abstracts. land patents. agree
meuts and other written instruments.
dating back as far as 1850 Many Of
these instruments never have been re-
| corded and IL is quite probable that
hundreds OF property owners have
considered the deeds and other tnstrC-
ments relating to their property as lost
when, as a matter Of fact, they have
always reposed safely IN the steel
tiles in the office of the register
1t is Layton's desire that all these
I Instruments be placed in the hands of
the persons rightfully entitled to them
While many Of them are OF course
worthless so far as their intrinsic VAL
ue is concerned. they would neverthe-
less be priced. in many instances. as
keepsakes by the heirs and descen-
dants Of the persons executing them
Until a few years ago the register of
deeds received the fee charzd for re-
not paid the papers were not recorded
This probably accounts for large
number of the instruments not being
recorded
Original Papers There.
There is no telling said Layton,
how much trouble and expense could
have been saved il these people could
have but known that the papers they
wanted were right here in thus office.
Some Of them are really valuable, nc
doubt, while others would at least
make nice keepsakes for the desceu-
i
them There are lots OF real estate in
the county that is still being carried on
our books in the name Of the original
owner, altho il may have changed
hands many times"
There are large number of patents
to quarter sections Of land in the vi
ciuity OF Lecompton. issued by the
government to soldiers and sailors of
the Mexican war OF 1886 and the war
Of 1872 Among them is one in favor
Of Charles Clifford. a seaman on the
ship mississippi in the Mexican war.
This patent was assigned June 1.
1850, to Jesse Stone
Another patent is in favor OF Havery
A Allen. a lieutenant in the Second
Z. S. artillery in the Mexican war.
granting him the title to $50 acres Of
land, afterward assigned to Samuel
Hendry- Another covers the title OF
Mavor Martin, a musician in Captain
Sheldou's company Of the New York
militia during the New York frontier
disturbances, afterward assigned to
James Kidd, and by him, in 1850. to
Daniel Sayre- A fourth patent is in
favor Of Isaac BIedsoe, a private in
Captain BascOviIIe's company OF the
First Tennessee cavalry in the war CT
1912, later assigned to Jacob Rice in
August, 1859. A fifth patent is drawn
in favor of Sarah Hand, widow of Pvt
LemueI Hand, killed while serving
with the Ohio militia in the war of
1872. This land afterward was as
signed to Edgar W. Wiuans. Another
was issued to George Peacock. second
lieutenant Of company G, New Mexico
Volunteers in the war with Mexico.
and transferred TO Thaddeus H Walk
er in September. 1850. There are
scores Of these patents and assign
ments-
Patents Signed by Grant.
There are also a large number of
patents issued to Indians on>what N1s
formerly the Pottawatomie reserva-
ton west OF Topeka These are signed
by President Grant Others bear the
signature Of Andrew Jackson. There
are even patents for school lands, is
sued by the state of Kansas.
Among the older warranty deeds is
one dated March IS, 1875 in which
Phillip Beaubien conveys to Eunics
Pollock lot No 81. in Silver Lake. for
a consideration OF S25- There are two
Lake TO Euni,s Pollock. none of which
have ever been recorded
One warranty deed conveys the
northeast quarter OF section %, town
ship II. range Is, from Matthew s
Green and Betsy Ann Green. husband
and wife to Erastus r. Stone. for a
consid eratiou OF $500. This fnstrtI
ment is dated November so, 1870 An
other deed conveys seven acres in the
vicinity OF the Kaw haIf-breed In
dian reserve No. from J. VINO
Clane and Charles b Ricketts, to j.
NJ Shellabarger- This is dated March
II. 1854
Relating to property in the city OF
Topeka, there is a deed dated April 8.
1855, conveying lots >, 4. s, 8. 10 and
II on Garfield averue, Seabrook ad-
dition, from Anna and Carl Jaeschke,
OF Texas, 10 Nancy J. Sexton OF Shaw
nee county A deed conveying three
lots on Green street in RossviIIs, from
A. C Sherman and Lou F Sherman
husband and wife. to Martha J Strim
pie for a consideration Of $50. has
never been recorded There is also an
abstract Of title TO lot No. 9 on Rail-
road avenue, in Silver Lake. showing
that the lot was first obtained from
the government December L 1855, by
Madore B. Beaubien- The last trans
fer shown on this abstract was from
Charles E. F-ost to L W. Hardy ana
L P. Wor7en on March s. 1880
eighth of the deaths Of women aged