Alright, let me tell you about this whole McComb record thing I went through recently. It wasn’t exactly rocket science, but man, it felt like pulling teeth sometimes.
So, I needed to dig up an old property record from way back, tied to family stuff, you know? Genealogy rabbit hole. Thought it’d be simple enough. First thing I did, naturally, was hit the web. Spent a good chunk of time clicking around the Pike County official website, looking for any kind of online records database for McComb properties. Found some stuff, yeah, but nothing really useful, mostly modern listings or just general info. The search function felt like it was built back in the dial-up days.
Okay, plan B. Decided to just call them up. Got the number for the county clerk’s office, the folks who usually handle deeds and whatnot. And that’s where the fun really started. Got put on hold, then transferred. Explained what I was looking for – this old deed, specific family name, rough time period. The person on the other end… well, let’s just say they weren’t exactly jumping to help. Sounded like they were buried under paperwork, which, fair enough, but still.
They basically told me I needed exact dates, exact plot numbers, things I just didn’t have. That was the whole point of me calling! Felt like I was going in circles. They mentioned something about coming in person or hiring a local title searcher. Great. Not exactly practical for me right then.
So, I tried a different approach. Thought maybe the local library or the historical society in McComb might have archives or know someone who could point me right. Sent a few emails out.
- Searched online databases first – mostly useless.
- Called the county clerk’s office – got the runaround.
- Needed exact details I didn’t have.
- Considered going there, but couldn’t.
- Reached out to local history groups via email.
Got a reply from the historical society folks after a few days. Super nice people, actually. They didn’t have the specific deed I needed right there, but they gave me a couple of pointers. Suggested checking different spelling variations for the family name, which was something I hadn’t thought deeply about. They also mentioned sometimes records ended up filed under slightly different administrative names depending on the exact year. That little tip was gold.
Armed with that, I went back to the online scraps I’d found earlier and tried some different search terms. Didn’t find the exact deed right away, but I did stumble onto a related tax record from that era with a name spelling that was close. It wasn’t the final piece, but it was progress. A real lead.
What I learned
Honestly, the whole thing was a reminder. Sometimes getting official records, especially older ones, isn’t straightforward. The systems aren’t always online, or easy to use if they are. You gotta be persistent, try different angles, and sometimes talk to the folks who are passionate about the local history, not just the ones behind the official counter. It took way more effort than I thought it would, just for one piece of paper. Still haven’t got the actual deed in my hands, but I’m closer now. It’s a process, I guess.
