If you have farming ancestors ....

[Erato]

I've studied a lot of plat maps before but somehow I never noticed that, aside from the maps, the plat books also include photographs and directories of advertisers and patrons.  These are definitely worth looking at.  Here, for example, is the 1919 plat book for Marquette County, Wisconsin [where so many of my ancestors lived]:

http://www.historicmapworks.com/Atlas/US/9455/Marquette+County+1919/

Among other things, I found a photo of the ancestral McGwin farm as it appeared in 1919 and also a photo of cousin Hugh Yates [a real estate agent who advertised himself as "The Land Man"].  From the directories, I learned that the McGwins were breeders of Plymouth Rock chickens, cousin Horace Chapman was a breeder of thoroughbred shorthorn cattle and cousin Walter Reid was a breeder of Poland China hogs and was chairman of Buffalo Twsp.  There are even birth and marriage details for some people and others, for whatever reason, got especially detailed treatment.  For example, the Hulls:

[brigidmac]

Thats a resource ive never seen before
Only distant relatives in USA so far but it may be useful in future for people i help.
Thanks for sharing

[Erato]

Definitely worth a look although it's maddening how many did not put up the few bucks it took to be a "patron"  [I'm talking about you, Hugh Ennis, and you too, James Bennett].