Looking at Albertsons in Linn County Directories

In taking genealogy classes we are urged to remember to research in city directories. However, since most of my ancestors were farmers and lived out of town, this doesn't always work.

But I was delighted to find in my father's collection a pair of rural directories for Linn County Oregon where my parents and both sets of grandparents had lived. There is one for 1953-54 and another for 1956-57. So I began looking up family members.

Starting with the Albertsons: 1953-54 had four listings:

• Albertson, A. F. Rt 1, Halsey 74 acres section 33, township 13, range 4W
  This was my grandfather's brother Arthur
• Albertson, Earle F Rt 1, Halsey 120 acres section 33, township 13, range 4W
  This was Arthur's son
• Albertson, Lester Halsey 55 acres section 14, township 13, range 4W                                       This was my father
• Albertson, O. J. 2434 Columbia St, Eugene 117 acres section 3, township 14, range 4W
  This was my grandfather, although he had died in 1948

Next to compare with the 1956-57 listings

• Albertson, A. F. Same except added Box 232 to his address
• Albertson, Earl F. Same except added wife's name Ester and Box 195 to his address
• Albertson, Lester Several differences:
  Added wife's name Welma, Address Rt 1, Box 257
  Changed to 112 acres section 23, township 12, range 4W
• Albertson, O.J. Same except added wife's name Lucy

Most of these changes cause no problem, except wives' names are spelled incorrectly. It is good to have more complete addresses. But what about the changes for my father, the number of acres are different and the section location is different.

Thankfully, I had some resources to use. I had copies of two deeds. The first was for 55 acres, more or less and the second one, dated Oct 1954, was for 53.25 acres, more or less. Adding them together doesn't quite equal 112, but 108, more or less, is close enough. My other resource is the Internet where Linn County has posted their assessment and taxation maps. I found the property, listed there as 112 acres and it is about half in section 14 and half in section 23, so both directories were half correct.

It was fun to find that by the 1956-57 directory, Albertsons owns 423 acres of Linn County.

Maybe tomorrow I can check the Falk families in these directories.