Prior to the computer age Abstracts of Title (AOT) were given by Title Companies to buyers of property to certify that their title to the property was “free and clear”. The abstracts were a chain of ownership to the property documenting every transaction related to the property from the time it was owned by the Federal Government, identifying every transaction through the time of the recent purchase. AOT document every deed by date, book and page where it was recorded, include a detailed description about the transaction, and sometimes included divorces, quitclaims, lawsuits, etc.  They are a treasure trove of history. AOT became obsolete with the coming of the computer age, and today those original reports that have survived are generally only found in museums, attics, closets or basements. They are also generally in rough shape.