I’m Playing off my last post: We were bound to mete
Okay, I’m on an old map and tract book kick. I didn’t plan it. It just happened. A sequence of events brought me here. I was going through some project files when I stumbled upon (pun intended) a project I did back in circa 1986.
History of the Shumway Farm
Kirkland, Washington
A couple of my clients were working in a new subdivision called Maplebrook Lane. It’s a beautiful townhome plat on Rosehill in Redmond. The homes, built in 1984, are clustered in a circular pattern within a large designated green space. It feels like you’re in the country.
It came out of a conversation with the homeowners association that it would be great to have a history of the property since it was formerly owned by an old and prominent family in the community, the Shumway’s.
Henry A. Frederick filed a Homestead Application (#8100) in Seattle on 11/20/1888 for 160 acres. I found the document below on microfiche in our back plant. It’s a hand written entry in a tract book that makes copy of the county auditor’s records. I think it’s interesting to note that he already paid $3.55 and his filing fee is now paid in full by giving them $6.00. The recording date is August 14, 1889 at 56 minutes past 3 PM.
 | A section is one square mile and Frederick is homesteading the SW corner of section 3, which is 160 acres. |
May 9, 1890
Frederick's Homestead Claim is established and he receives his U.S.Patent, recording #3915. Not bad, 160 acres for a little under 17 cents an acre.
April 10, 1895
An enterprising young man living the American dream, Henry is now married to Malinda and they sell off 3/4's of there 160 acres to James McCallam for a whopping $9,000.
 | The NW corner of the Frederick Homestead is 40 acres, and the E1/2 is 80 acres. They retain the SW corner, 40 acres, which in legal description terms is the SW corner of the SW corner of Section 3. |
July 9 , 1895
Three months later we find James married to Lizzie and they sell 80 acres to Soloman Shearer, recording #144527. I'm thinking Mr. Shearer must be family or something because the sale is for $1.00...
 | As I mentioned above, these legals are quite neat and easy. The N1/2 of the SW is 80 acres. The McCallam's keep the 40 acres that is the SE corner of the SW. |
I love going through these old tract books and I love the language. Can you imagine copying these transactions with a crow quill point (dip pen) verbatim? These original land patents held more authority than any land titles we hold today. Here’s an excerpt from the transaction by Warranty Deed from the McCallam’s to Solomon Shearer.
This Indenture, witnesseth, that J. S. McCallam and Lizzie V. McCallam his wife, parties of the first part, for and in consideration of the sum of one dollar, in lawful money of the United States of America, to them in hand paid by Solomon Shearer, party of the second part, has granted, bargained and sold and by these presents do grant bargain and sell and convey unto the said party of the second part and to his heirs and assigns the following described premises, situate, lying and being in the County of King, State of Washington, to wit.
All of the north half of the Southwest quarter in section three in Township Twenty Five, North of Range Five East of Willamette Meridian containing eighty acres, more or less. To have and to hold, the said premises, with their appurtenances, unto the said party of the second part his heirs and assigns forever; and they, the said parties of the first part do here by covenant to and with the said party of the second part, his heirs and assigns, that they are the owners in fee simple of said premises, that they are free from all encumbrances’ and that they will warrant and defend the same from all lawful claims whatsoever, Witness our hands and seals this 9th day of July A.D. one thousand eight hundred and ninety five.
This is the stuff Kingdoms are made of,
and note the “forever” in the ‘to have and to hold’...
May 21, 1906
Seeing a pattern here? Soloman and Mary Shearer, husband and wife sell their 80 acres to Emma A. Shumway for $8,000 via recording #402398.
 | Emma purchased the property as a single woman (a spinster). A rare thing in those days. A spinster according to Webster's Dictionary is a woman still unmarried beyond the usual age of marrying. |
December 19, 1914
Emma A. Shumway, a spinster of Kirkland, Washington, for $1.00 sells her 80 acres to Carrie H. Shumway and Mary F. Shumway, both spinsters. Besides the term "spinster" that we obviously don't see any more, note the huge change in recording technology... The tract books are now being typed!
June 26, 1944
I can't remember what happened to sister Mary, but Carrie Shumway sells the farm to Albert Lindjord, recording #3397633.
March 3, 1979
Obviously Albert got married to Ola and she is a widow in 1979 when she sells the 80 acres to Jasper-Kline Partnership for $653,000.
April 4, 1983
Jasper-Kline sell the same parcel to Countrywood Homes for $810,000.
Maplebrook Lane Division 1 platted 9/27/1983.
Maplebrook Lane Division 2 platted 2/29/1984.
Obviously I left a lot of details out, and dang it, it's still too long. But I love this stuff, it's our heritage, where we came from, and public record.
