As part of a normal real estate trasaction the buyer and seller will sit down at the closing table to sign over the deed, and for the buyer, the mortgage. We usually have the seller convey the abstract to the buyer, even though the abstract is rarely updated anymore. It’s more for historical fun than anything else. The abstract is that big bound document that has the history of the particular property, going back many years. Here in Minnesota real estate transactions, the abstract goes back to around 1850’s when Minnesota was recgonized. Usually it’s just pages and pages of transactions. But at a recent closing, we came across one part of the abstract that was particularly funny, in todays world. I’ve included a pic here.
1 cow and $25 annually and 5 sacks of flour and 20 bushels of potatoes? How much is 20 bushels of potatoes anyway? I really have no idea. 5 sacks of flour? Is that a 50lb sack? I don’t know that either. How’s she going to carry that? On the 1 cow?
How much simpler of a time that was back then in 1892. If this were today, it would read something like “… and give her 1 toyota camery, and a paid annual membership to costco, along with 5 cases of diet coke and 20 credits at iTunes.” Is that today’s equivalent?