Chattel Mortgages and Farming in late 1800's Iowa - Albert and May Ludwig

When I acquired two mortgage documents from 1900 and 1901, I had no idea what a Chattel Mortgage was. Naturally, I had to do some research on the nature of these mortgages as I was curious.

A bit about the Ludwigs and the satisfied mortgages they filed during the turn of the 20th century.

Albert and Mary "May" Ludwig were farmers in Woodbury, Iowa at the end of the 19th century. Both were born in Iowa and married in 1882. They had at least three children and farmed in Iowa until they moved to Oregon sometime between 1906 and 1910. Albert is listed as a Farmer in the 1920 census and by 1930, he is listed with no occupation. Based on his obituary, one can assume that he retired from farming sometime between 1920 and 1930. Mary passed in 1940 and Albert died the next year. Both are buried in Lane County, Oregon in the same cemetery as two of their children.

After researching the documents, I discovered that a Chattel Mortgage is described as a lien against property that is moveable. The Chattel Mortgage below was made in 1899 and satisfied in 1901. It includes Wheat, Horses, and Cattle. The second mortgage was made in 1895 and paid in full five years later in 1900. Both documents contain Notary Seals and Stamps.

I do not have much more information about the nature of the mortgages and will update if my continued research provides more details.

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