Be a House History Detective
Be your own house historian! I believe that being familiar with the history of your home adds depth to the old house experience and gives perspective into your place in the chain of ownership. I not only have a desire to know who lived and died in my house, but also details of their lives. Don’t be satisfied with a historic register or other summary. Be your own detective and do the research!
There are two basic concepts to effective research. Start with what you know and work backwards. Primary sources are BEST. A primary source is created at or near the time of the event. Secondary sources interpret and analyze information from primary sources. Accuracy can be open to question. The local historic register summary of our home, a secondary source, has many errors.
This is quick summary of my top resources to begin research. This will provide a framework for more advanced research. If you have done family history research, you will recognize these sources.
Before you begin, find the street address during each period of the house‘s lifetime. For example, our house has four different street addresses in 128 years. Street names changed in Astoria circa 1895. Astoria changed the house numbering system around 1955. I found it easiest to locate the old address using old Sanborn maps or look up owners in the City Directories or census. A legal description of the property is helpful. This might be expressed as an addition name, block and lot number. Any known names of previous owners or occupants are extremely useful and can be confirmed.
County Land Records. These essential records document sales and are generally organized by an index of grantor (seller) and grantee (buyer). With information from the index, records can be looked up in the correct deed book. A gold mine of information is located in the microfilmed records of the Clatsop County records online from county organization to 1909 free of charge. These can be found in the Family History Library Catalog at FamilySearch.org. Look up Clatsop County and find land records. Get ready to slip down the rabbit hole for a few hours of good research. Document the chain of ownership and read the legal description. It might contain descriptions of any structures and a price. Note it is common in Oregon for land sales to be recorded in the wife’s name. Transactions after 1909 are a bit more challenging to obtain and would involve working with Clatsop County records. I did trace our property in transactions from McClure/Clatsop County to the Warren family, Capt. Archibald Cann, and Dr. Forsstrom.
Sanborn Maps. These are detailed maps for fire insurance purposes. They were done at variable intervals of time and provide an outline of structures on a property, the street address and other information. The earliest one I can find of Astoria is 1884. These can be viewed on line on multiple sites and on microfilm at the Astoria Public Library. There are multiple pages and you will need to explore and find your map. I found strong evidence that our home was rotated and moved on the property from Sanborn maps.
City Directories. These were typically done annually and list names, occupations and address of residents. They are arranged alphabetically by surname. Reverse directories are available for Astoria beginning in 1931. City Directories for Astoria are available at the Astoria Public Library, Clatsop County Historical Society and other online sources. Ancestry.com has a large collection.
U.S. Federal Census. These are done every 10 years on the decade. Be aware 1890 is missing for most of the country. They are generally searchable on genealogy web sites by name. Census data provides important information and a snapshot of who was living at an address and their relationship to head of household. Census data from 1850 forward contains more information. Keep in mind census data is frequently incorrect and depends on the household member providing the information, foreign language issues, and the quality of the census taker. They are available after 70 due to privacy reasons. The 1950 census should be available early next year!
Oral History. Track living descendants of former owners. This for me, this was the most rewarding experience. I found Dr. Forsstrom’s step grandchildren by following up on his 1945 newspaper obituary information through simple google searches. I contacted and met them! We toured them through the house and have been gifted with family photos and artifacts. I treasure the stories. The Forsstrom step grandson toured the house in 2019 and had not been in the house since about 1950. Memories of his grandmother, Nelma Forsstrom, were vivid. I got fabulous descriptions of the decor from a child’s perspective. He especially liked the old brass dust corners in the mahogany grand staircase. He liked playing with his toy trucks on the staircase.
Historic Inventory or Register Summaries. Your home might be on a historic register or inventory. If one exists for your property, it can be obtained from your local jurisdiction or State Office of Historic Preservation.
Newspapers. The best free site for digitized and searchable newspapers in Oregon is Historic Oregon Newspapers by U of O. There is a card catalog index at Astoria Public Library for some years of old area newspapers. The index is organized by name and topic. Paid subscription sites include newspapers.com and genealogybank.com. I use old newspapers frequently and for me, an annual subscription is well worth the small fee. Search by surname, surname variants and address. You will fine obituaries, records or land transactions, business news, society page mentions and general gossip.
Cemeteries. Check Find a Grave on line to find the gravesites. It’s fun to visit the graves. There might be some data on the stones and family plots can be most interesting. I make an annual trek to Dr. Forsstrom’s grave in Warrenton to give him house updates. A Find a Grave volunteer photographed Alli Forsstrom’s 1935 grave in Long Island, NY for me. It turned out to be unmarked! She is quite a mystery and a current topic of extensive research.
Wills, Estate Records, and Probate. Records are usually organized by County. If you are lucky, they will be available on microfilm or online. Often, there is a household inventory. These can be fun! Where is Dr. Forsstrom’s Steinway grand piano?
Google Search. I have made great finds just googling my address or person of interest. There is so much on the Internet! I found Alli Forsstrom’s 1930’s estate record in NYC on a chance Google search.
The Clatsop County Historical Society has an amazing on line resource. Find the web site, AstoriaMuseums.org. Choose “explore” on the menu and scroll down to Research and Collections. Search the Internet Archive and photographs. I found additional photographs of the Forsstrom Family and more importantly, memoirs that mentioned former owners. It’s a fantastic local research and makes the collection very accessible to the casual researcher. Well done and greatly appreciated, CCHS!
Next month, I will discuss old house styles common to the North Coast. It’s important information to understand since it drives choices in decor, preservation, restoration and renovation. Happy New Year!
Yours in Historic Preservation, Lauri