In the thread below on distance from your office to the courthouse I noticed quite a few indicated that could get what they needed online. That will never for happen for me. Maybe you guys don't have as many different kinds of records to access as I do. Most everything, except deeds and similar instruments, will probably never be made available online.
My search commonly includes:
Deeds, etc. for the parcel to be surveyed.
Deeds, etc. for adjoiners and other nearby parcels for which surveys may have been made at some time in the past.
Appraiser office maps commonly showing all splits in a section or a quarter section or odd subdivision here and there in cities which provide a quick overview of what might be out there, survey-wise.
Road records which involve accessing a minimum of three books for any given road. This number can grow as a number of different record books were used over the years.
Railroad strip maps for current and former routes through the county.
Highway plans, bridge plans and such by other agencies that may provide valuable survey data. County road and bridge project files and plans as well.
Land survey reference reports (section corner records) for modern surveys.
Two drawers full of section corner data collected between 1920 and now.
Six books, six expanding folders, two drawers and about 100 fieldbooks containing surveys for the past 150 years.
Court records.
All subdivision, town and addition plats, plus cemetery plats.
Government field notes and original plats.
Index books for the deeds, etc. that make it simple to quickly determine when a specific lot split was made and which side has the senior rights and to determine situations where several lots were held by a single owner until a certain date and then split off in some way thus providing clues relative to odd signs of occupation in the field.
Historic aerial maps of the county.
Numerous other sources of info from various county offices that become helpful from time to time.
On the east coast, a porting of the information Your Cowness needs is not applicable. Things such as section corners don't exist here. (getting ready to be corrected)
In MD, many deeds and plats (dating back quite far, some to at least the 1800's) as are numerous road plans.
If memory serves, many sewer (and perhaps water) is also available online.
All that research seems like a lot of work. Why not just follow the fences and flag lines?;-)
> Most everything, except deeds and similar instruments, will probably never be made available online.
Why not? Most all that could be available on line and probably should be. Cheaper for the county to maintain, easier for the user to access.
fighting the ex-wife's demands..... my research, for the office, is all online....
Pleading innocent.
Have a great weekend! B-)