Property Abstracts

A property abstract is a chronological account of the owners of a property.  They are not the same as a deed which denotes legal ownership.  Abstracts are multi-page documents which historically were legal paperwork for land ownership.  They were updated each time the property was sold and were passed to the new owner(s).  This legal obligation was terminated in the late 1930s and abstracts are not used legally today.

Property abstracts contain a wealth of information about the property and, often, the families who owned the property through the years.  Sometimes they contain genealogical information about the family and may even contain a copy of an existing will. 

Each section of Plain Township had, at one time, many abstracts as there were many property owners in each section and an abstract was required for each individual property.  When they were no longer legally required many people simply kept the abstract with the legal papers for their home, but they were not updated anymore.

Abstracts today are not kept by any governmental agency so you cannot go to a county office to view them.  The documents may still be kept by families or donated to historical groups.  If you know the Section and Quarter of the area you want to research and are somewhat lucky, you may find an abstract which has been donated. The McKinley Presidential Library and Museum and the North Canton Heritage Society have some abstracts in their archives.

Supported in part by an award from the Ohio Historical Records Advisory Board, through funding from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), National Archives and Records Administration.

2022 OHRAB Grant funded the equipment to aid in the digitization and storage of the following abstracts:

Here is a list of what we have (* digital copy available):

• Section 1 Southwest Quarter Abstract – Diamond St NE 3064 1977 *
• Section 1 Southwest Quarter Abstract – Diamond St NE 3064 Lot 1977 *
• Section 1 Southwest Quarter Abstract – Diamond St NE 3226 1966 *
• Section 2 Southeast Quarter – Section 11 Northeast Quarter Abstract – Central Middlebranch Lot 45 and 46 1907 *
• Section 2 Southeast Quarter Abstract – Middlebranch Ave NE Lots 17, 18, 19 1975 *
• Section 2 Southeast Quarter Abstract – Middlebranch Ave NE Lots 61, 16 1975 *
• Section 3 Southeast Quarter Abstract – Applegrove NE 1825 1964 *
• Section 3 West Half Abstract 1964 *
• Section 3 West Half Abstract – Lawr-Chester Allotment No 2 Lot 98 1964 *
• Section 3 West Half Abstract – Lawr-Chester Allotment No 2 Lot 99 1964 *
• Section 3 West Half Abstract – Lawr-Chester Allotment No 2 Lot 128 1965 *
• Section 5 Northwest Quarter Abstract – Waltham Woods No 5 Lot 199 – River Run Cir 2810 1985 *
• Section 5 Southwest Quarter Abstract – Chatham Hills Allotment No 2 Lot 66 – Sunnyfield NE 366 1970 *
• Section 7 North Half Abstract – P. Rohrer’s Addition Lot 1762 – Aurora Blvd NW 4560 1977 *
• Section 7 Southwest Quarter Abstract – Lindy Lane 128 1961 *
• Section 11 Northeast Quarter Abstract – Middlebranch Ave NE 7375 1930 *
• Section 11 Northeast Quarter Abstract – Middlebranch Ave NE Lot 17, 18, 19 1930 *
• Section 11 Southeast Quarter Abstract 1939 *
• Section 11 Southeast Quarter Abstract 1973 *
• Section 11 Southeast Quarter Abstract and Section 12 Southwest Quarter Abstract 1977 *
• Section 12 Northwest Quarter Abstract – Winchester Hills Allotment Lot 22 – Highspire St NE 3626 1972 *
• Section 12 Northwest Quarter Abstract – Winchester Hills Allotment Lot 23 – Highspire St NE 3626 1959 *
• Section 12 Northwest Quarter Abstract – Winchester Hills Allotment No 2 Lot 71 – Mehaffie Dr NE 1976 *
• Section 12 Southeast Quarter Abstract – Laurel Ridge Allotment #2 Section #4 Lot 159 1967 *
• Section 14 Northeast Quarter Abstract – Middlebranch Ave NE 1959 *
• Section 14 Northeast Quarter Abstract – Tract 3 1965 *
• Section 14 Northeast Quarter Abstract – Tract 4 1965 *
• Section 15 Northeast Quarter Abstract – Grove St NE 1958 *
• Section 15 Northeast Quarter Abstract – Holly Hills Allotment Lot 4 1957 *
• Section 15 Northwest Quarter Abstract – Pleasant View Farm Lot 69 – Grove St NE 1946 *
• Section 16 Northeast Quarter Abstract – Market Ave N 6123 1963 *
• Section 17 Southwest Quarter Abstract – Maple Crest Allotment Lots 67 68 69 70 Hallum St 1971 *
• Section 19 Northeast Quarter Abstract – Orchard Acres Lot 42 Stayman Ave SW 1962 *
• Section 20 Parts Northwest, Southwest, and Southeast Quarters Abstract 1922 *
• Section 20 Southwest Quarter Abstract – Rosedale Gardens Lot 3 Harrison Ave NW 1951 *
• Section 22 Southeast Quarter Abstract 1953 *
• Section 23 Northwest Quarter Abstract – Dunloe Estates No 1 Lot 33 – Lindford Ave NE 5404 1969 *
• Section 23 Northwest Quarter Abstract – Norwood Hills Lot 44 Rocky Rill NE 5151 1983 *
• Section 24 North Half – Southeast Quarter Abstract – 55th St NE 3240 *
• Section 25 Northeast Quarter Abstract 1986 *
• Section 26 Northeast Quarter Abstract 1957 *
• Section 27 Northwest Quarter Abstract – Plain Center Rd NE 1933 *
• Section 27 Southeast Quarter Abstract – Oakwood Park 1 Lot 13 1956 *
• Section 27 Southeast Quarter Abstract – Oakwood Park No 5 Lot 172 34th St NE 1615 1981 *
• Section 27 Southwest Quarter Abstract – Martindale Rd NE 3116-3118 1976 *
• Section 27 Southwest Quarter Abstract – Rowland Ave NE 1982 *
• Section 28 Southeast Quarter Abstract – North Market Heights Allotment 31st St NW 1967 *
• Section 29 Northeast Quarter Abstract – A. P. Hanna Addition to Edgefield Lot 14 1986 *
• Section 29 Northeast Quarter Abstract – Cleveland Ave NW 1919 *
• Section 29 Northeast Quarter Abstract – Edgefield Allotment 1909 *
• Section 29 Northeast Quarter Abstract – Tract 1 and 2 Lot 20 1952 *
• Section 29 Northeast Quarter Abstract – Vernon Allotment Lot 24 1952 *
• Section 29 Northwest Quarter Abstract – Canton Gardens Lot 90 41st St NW 2417 1946 *
• Section 29 Northwest Quarter Abstract – Homer Snyder’s Allotment Lot 20 40th St NW 1953 *
• Section 29 Southeast Quarter Abstract – Kolp-Young-Edgefield Allotment Lot 1 1921 *
• Section 29 Southeast Quarter Abstract – Partial 2.65 Acres 1893 *
• Section 29 Southeast Quarter Abstract – Partial 6 Acres 37th St NW 1920 *
• Section 29 Southeast Quarter Abstract 1922 *
• Section 30 Southwest and Southeast Quarter – Section 31 Northwest and Northeast Quarter Abstract – Avondale Allotment Lot 331 Blackburn Rd NW 1979 *
• Section 31 Southeast Quarter Abstract – Trout’s Land 25th St NW 1960 *
• Section 32 Northeast Quarter Abstract – Lot 22264 22265 Ivanhoe Ave NW 1960 *
• Section 32 Northwest Quarter Abstract – Edmeyer Park 3 Lots 197 198 199 1958 *
• Section 32 Southwest Quarter Abstract – Broad Ave 1968 *
• Section 33 Southeast Quarter Abstract – Ridgewood Allotment Lot 19287 19th St NW 1974 *
• Section 33 Southwest Quarter Abstract – Lot 12442 Woodland Ave NW 1948 *