Orange County Abstract Company Stock Certificate C1889 (California)

CA real estate piece. Amazing vertical vignette of oranges, orange tree orchard, and a real estate transaction ledger. Unissued and not cancelled. Circa 1889. Dated 18__.  Approximately 13.5 x 9 inches. 

When the county of Orange was carved out of Los Angeles County in 1889, two title companies served the area, Santa Ana Title Company and Orange County Abstract Company. Five years later, C. E. Parker effected the consolidation of the two firms as Orange County Title Company, predecessor of First American Title Insurance Company.

Incorporated in 1889, the Orange County Abstract Company was established to facilitate the transfer of area property titles in Santa Ana CA and surrounding Orange County. William Springer Bartlett helped found the initial 1889 company.

Bartlett originally grew grain and hay and planted forty acres of grapes, but eventually he focused his energies on his many business endeavors. In 1882, he helped organize the Commercial Bank of Santa Ana and acted as its secretary and later its manager. He also helped organize and was the director of the Bank of Tustin. Bartlett was connected with the founding of the Orange County Abstract Company, the Santa Ana Improvement Company, the Santa Ana Gas & Electric Company, and the Santa Ana Street Railway Company. Added to this impressive list, he also acted as the local agent for the San Francisco-based Bank of California.

In real estate, an abstract of title is a condensed, historical summary of all the legal documents and records affecting a property's title, such as deeds, mortgages, liens, and judgments. It provides a chronological history of ownership and any claims or encumbrances that could impact the property. Creating an abstract is a key step in due diligence before a purchase, though its use has decreased in favor of title insurance in many areas. 

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