USA > Ohio > Cuyahoga County > Cleveland > A history of Cleveland, Ohio, Volume I > Part 6
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104
There are three surveyors who have been specially instrumental in laying out the streets of the city, in fixing their monuments and establishing the lot lines. John Shier, the first city surveyor and engineer was appointed May II, 1836, only two months after the incorporation of the city. He fixed the stone monuments in the streets of the original town. These monuments were sub- stantial and set in the center of the streets. He also surveyed the street lines. He was a very painstaking surveyor, having received a thorough training in his profession in Scotland, his native country. Ahaz Merchant was for many years the leading surveyor in this vicinity. He served as county surveyor for a number of years, and in 1835 published a magnificent map of the city. I. N. Pillsbury was elected city engineer in April, 1853. Previous to his appoint- ment, the city engineers had thought their records were their private property, so he found no public records whatever in the office he assumed. He at once began "No. I and volume I, of Engineers' Records," and transferred to them the accurate copies of the earliest surveys mentioned above. The city owes a large debt of gratitude to his faithful research and painstaking records.
In 1854, the city council passed an ordinance, declaring the records made by the city engineers, the property of the city, and since then, the records have been more or less carefully kept.
The west side of the city lying in the original township of Brooklyn was surveyed in 1806 by Abraham Tappan of Painesville. Subsequent surveys of the leading subdivisions, namely, "The Buffalo Company's Purchase," in 1833, near the old river bed, "Barber & Lord's Purchase," "Willeyville," in the big river bend. "The Taylor Farm," "S. S. Stein's Allotment," and "Benedict & Root's Allotment," were all surveyed by Ahaz Merchant.
"It is rare to find an old street laid out perfectly straight, as recorded, and all of the original streets are more or less crooked, due to haste, difficulties of field work, and imperfect instruments of original surveyors."1 Most of these irregularities in the first city limits have been corrected, and the streets well
* See Barker, "Original Surveys of Cleveland," page 229.
1 See Barker, "Original Surveys of Cleveland," p. 231.
ene cuses of the inn and we Loss as engoually would are entered and cheur winters are expressed within their respectiet unes in fautes Each in luce has is fore Front and Each out los so fres front
ERI
LAKE
-
10
=
A
LAF
Thefollowing sives he werder y quels enlos and daand withsport & Cleveland with rangers and vermag regole lange
-
4
Figuras at the inten section of Streets
`17
LT
han about the level Sthe Late in seet.
22 23
3
PUBLIC
SUPERIOR
85
SFRIET
60
18
SQUARE
149
183
2
49
9
ho
$ 50
₦
307
20)
J33MLC
9
110
STACEY
79
RO
0:3
STEFET
Cemetery
STREE
742
131
130
140
POPULATION of CLEVELAND East side of the Cuyahoga
55
In 185 NUMMER 500
1100
. 1832
1300
183
1900
Inn 1834
1323
.
.
Aus 1835
5080
ACourt House Coal.
A Franklin House.
- 1832
250
Aug 7835
I pasient Ch
" 2" Press; Granchio, Steam Engine Shop G BeLAN CA. Fluyelay Down Furnace
H. Commercial Bank o old Fort
Lake En8.
1 Bank of Cineland o Light House
& bbecj putride smiled mands.
5
Scale 605 frost to the inst
15.
MAP
OT
CLEVELAND
AND ITS
/ ENVIRONS &
Surveyed and Published by Ahaz Merchant, October, 1835
0
CLEVELAND YOUT LOTSO
Comportenty called
TEN ACRE LOTS
NVB The Dirty narciarly fide Old Das are drawn out posts by direction of the presretors and not surveyed
MO
?
ER
ERIV
AHOGA
٢ g o oned
with a yav.
wwwh dwurd
S:CLAIĄ
ROAD
432
4
a
37
*
t
47
.
+4 Jroom dad's
-
-
42
5000
8
105
8
107
12
110
111
112
113
Piace
84
85
8
5
53
A AN
56
PARAR
4250
Mansion House
West side of the Conheça
Hoplist Church
[ Cleveland Haus!
Presbyterian Ch.
Furnace
.
1150
2
Cemetery
4
Door
0
150
Elele
21
clinton
30
5
/34
S
8
3
3
P
1
100M
8
07
8
10
77
78
80
118/201
89
91
8
61
colicferences
sete
2
120
27
102
103
04
Bracia Light
.
-
COPY OF AHAZ MERCHANT'S FINE MAP OF THE CITY, 1835. THE ONE HUNDRED ACRE LOTS ARE INTACT
4
( C
VI ( 1
1 1
:
1
45
HISTORY OF CLEVELAND
defined, so that "this city is one of the best monumented cities of the land," and few disputes have arisen over improper lines.1
From the foregoing it is evident, that while the surveyors laid out a "Plan for the City of Cleveland," in the primeval forests, the city proper has had no guidance in its growth, but has expanded haphazard, like nearly all American cities. The original village plat was confined to a mile square bounded virtually by the lake, the river, Huron and Erie streets. When once the town's real destiny was manifest, these orderly village confines were broken and the city expanded along the lines of least resistance. These lines were the long radial country "highways," leading through the ten acre lots, out into the hundred acre lots and centering in the town. If this radial development had been properly guided by an enlightened public authority, we might now have a city with splendid vistas and orderly geography. But there was no guiding hand, and the farms, the ten acre and the one hundred acre lots that bordered the country roads were dissected into allotments with streets laid out to suit the greed of the owner and with a fine disregard for the unity of the city. It was not until 1875 that state law and municipal ordinance began to regulate in a desultory fashion, the planning of new allotments, and it was not until June 26, 1882, that the city required by an ordinance, prepared by the city engineer, B. F. Morse, that streets laid out in new allotments must conform as nearly as possible to exist- ing streets, and must be properly graded and marked with numbers and prop- erly bridged. The result of this undirected and unrestricted growth is per- fectly natural. The network of narrow, crooked and blind streets, bordering our stately "highways" is in a marked contrast to the wide and regular streets of the original town as wisely designed by its founders.
EARLY ALLOTMENTS.
The earliest allotments will here be mentioned. It was the judgment of the early real-estate dealers that the city would expand into the valley of the Cuy- ahoga. The first subdivisions, therefore, border the river.
In January, 1833, Alfred Kelly allotted lots Nos. 191, 192, 193, lying im- nicdiately south of Bath street and between Water street and the river, where now are railroad tracks and wharves. In December, 1833, all the land in the first big bend of the river, was subdivided by Richard Hilliard, Edmund Clark, and Jamies S. Clark. This was called tlie "Center Allotment." It was laid out with beautiful precision into radiating streets, with cross streets at regular in- tervals. The place where all the radii met was pretentiously named "Gravity Place." Three of its streets became important; Columbus street the great thoroughfare between the east and west side before the building of the Superior street viaduct, Merwin street bordering the river and before the '60s an im- portant shipping and warehouse street, and Commercial street which later gave its name to "Commercial street Hill." Columbus street was connected on the west with the Wooster and Medina turnpike. As a further allurement to the sale of his lots, Clark built a large block, the Center block, at the north end
1 John L. Cully, C. E., "The Cleveland Surveys," paper read before City Engineer's Club June 21, 1884.
46
HISTORY OF CLEVELAND
of Columbus street, and two blocks on the opposite sides of Prospect street where it intersects Ontario street.
In 'April, 1834, Leonard Case subdivided ten acre lot No. I on the old State road to Newburgh. In order to make this land more approachable, he widened the Newburgh road from its width of sixty-six feet as a state road, to ninety-nine feet, the width of Ontario street.
In 1834, John M. Woolsey allotted a number of two acre lots lying south of Superior street and west of Erie street.
In November, 1835, Lee Canfield, Sheldon Pease, and several other gentle- men, alloted the two acre lots in the extreme northeast corner of the city ad- joining the ten acre lots; they also plotted and laid out Clinton park, named in honor of DeWitt Clinton, then a popular public idol. Some fine residences were built facing this park, but the wishes of the promoters that it would become the fashionable residence section, were not realized.
In January, 1836, Ashbel W. Walworth and Thomas Kelley allotted the two acre lots south of Ohio street and one hundred acre lot No. 487, reaching from Ohio street to the river, a lot that had not been surveyed or included in the original plat. A majority of the original two acre lots, were thus subdivided, by 1836, or were in the hands of owners who had built upon them.
On the opposite side of the river, the spirit of speculation was not less active. In 1833 the famous "Buffalo Company's Purchase" was made by a number of Buffalo capitalists. It embraced about eighty acres, bounded on the south by Detroit street, west by the river, and north by the line of Brooklyn township. It was allotted into squares. Its Washington street and Main street are virtually the only survivors of its glory. Immediately west of this allotment, lay the farm of Charles Taylor. In 1835 he alloted it, and its name, "The Taylor Allotment," still survives. This was the first real farm to be allotted and in- corporated into the city. Immediately south of the Taylor farm and the Buf- falo purchase, a large tract was purchased by Richard Lord and Josiah Barber, and allotted by them.
In April, 1837, a company headed by James S. Clarke (also spelled Clark) al- lotted "nearly all that part of Ohio City lying south and west of the Barber & Sons' allotment." They named this allotment "Willeyville," after John S. Willey, a prom- inent attorney. Pearl and Lorain streets and Columbus street were the lead- ing streets of this allotment. It was nearly opposite the Cleveland Center allot- ment, owned by the same gentlemen. They graded at considerable expense, the hill, leading to Columbus street, and built the famous Columbus street bridge over the river. The plan was to divert the traffic from Detroit street through their allotments. As a counter irritant, the Buffalo company built a large hotel on Main street, hoping to attract the traveler that came by boat.
These allotments were built on the hysteria of land speculation that preceded the panic of 1837. The result was disastrous. Clark and his associates be- came insolvent. His fine block and his lots were sold under the sheriff's ham- mer. The Buffalo Company was bankrupt, and of its big hotel, S. O. Griswold says, "I visited it officially in 1850; its walls were badly cracked, and it was occupied as a cheap tenement house ; the only remains of its former grandeur, was
R
2
WY. Glenville village annexert
31910.
MAP OF CLEVELAND
SHOWING
ANNEXATIONS
FF
COLLIN WOOD
ANNUALO IN DIO
INCORPORATA. .. ....... ..
12 ......
..... .
....
..... .. .... .. .. . .. ... .. .. ...... . .....
....
.......
....... . .. ....
E
-----.. ....... .. ....
---..
MNO -.. .
....
.... ...
. .. ......
. .. ....
..-.... ....... ..
.. ....
. ....... . . ....
.......
....
R
4 ........
......
X
.. .... ----
.... .. ......... N
...... .. ......... ........
A A --- -. .......
....
a
... ....... ....... .. ........ ....
CC . .. .. ........
. ... .....
...
EE ....... .. ...... -... . ..
FF
S
E
L
K
A
.....
CLEVELAND HEIGHTS
L
A
K
E
W
Rage
U
I
N
NEWBURGH CITY
0
K
0
R
Z
EE
B
0
DD
SOUTH NEWBURGH
-
..... ..
...
A. Incorporated as village of Cleveland, K. Part of Newburgh Tp. 100 A lot No. 333 .X. Glenville village 2nd ward annexed 12-20- 1902.
12-23-1814.
B. Annexed to village of Cleveland by act L. East Cleveland village annexed 10-24- of General Assembly 12-1-1829. 1872.
C. Annexed to village of Cleveland by act of M. N. O. Parts of Brooklyn, Newburgh and General Assembly 12-19-1834.
D. Incorporated with A. B. and C. as city of P. Cleveland, 3-5-1836.
E. 10 acre lots annexed to city of Cleveland, 3-22-1850.
F. City of Ohio annexed 5-5-1854. F was incorporated as city of Ohio, 3-3-1836.
G. Part of Brooklyn Tp. annexed 2-20-1867.
H. I. Parts of Brooklyn and Newburgh Tps. U. annexed 2-20-1867.
V.
West Cleveland village annexed 3-5-1894 F.F. Brooklyn village annexed 4-30-1894.
W. Glenville village annexed 9-26-1808
Y. Linndale village annexed 4-11-1904.
Z. Part of Brooklyn village annexed 4-11- 1904. Reconsidered and lost, 6-31-1904.
A.A. Part of Brooklyn Tp. annexed 1-11- 1904. Part of Newburgh Heights village an- nexed 9-25-1905.
D.D. City of Glenville annexed 6-19-1905.
Village of Saith Brooklyn annexed 12-11-1905.
E.E. Village of Corbett, annexed
Village of Collinwood annexed Jan., 1910.
AA
M
<
F
ALLA
R
C
P
T
1
KLYN
H513H WBURGH
BB
BRATENAHL
CC
1
W
CLEVEL
E
EAST
E
K
D
annexed 12-14-1869.
E. Cleveland Tps. annexed 11-19-1872. Part of Newburgh Tp. annexed 9-16-1873.
R. Part of Brooklyn village annexed 11-10- B.B. 1890.
S. Part of E. Cleveland Tp. annexed 6-27- C.C. 1892.
T. Part of Newburgh Tp. part of original lot 312, annexed 2-12-1894.
.. ........
1
1
1
1
t
(
(
1
]
1
1
I
t
f
4 4 50
a
i:
1:
n
b
t
1:
t1
0
n
S
O
47
HISTORY OF CLEVELAND
its magnificent staircase."1 Even Clinton park did not escape the common dis- aster. Its pretentious houses were either moved away or torn down.
After the days of business stability returned, the allotments in the valley became the site of manufactories and lumber yards, while the residence portion developed to the east and south.
ANNEXATION AND BOUNDARIES.
On October 23, 1814, an act was passed by the legislature incorporating the village of Cleveland, the act to take effect the first Monday of the June following.
The first boundary of Cleveland is described in the act, as follows: "so much of the city plat of Cleveland, in the township of Cleveland, and the county of Cuyahoga, as lies northerly of Huron street, so called, and westerly of Erie street, so called, in said city plat, as originally laid out by the Connecticut Land Company." On December 31, 1829, the triangle between Vineyard and Superior lanes and the river were annexed, by act of legislature, the boundary then read- ing as follows: "Commencing at the northerly termination of Erie street, so called, at the south shore of Lake Erie; thence southerly on the easterly line of said street, and including said street to Huron street, inclusive, thence west- erly on the southerly line of said Huron street, and including said Huron street to the Cuyahoga river; thence down said river to a point twelve rods below the junction of Vineyard lane, so called, with the county road leading from Cleve- land to Brooklyn; thence westerly on a line parallel with said county road and twelve rods distant therefrom, to the aforesaid Cuyahoga river; thence north- erly down said river to its mouth; thence easterly along the southerly shore of Lake Erie, to the aforesaid northerly termination of Erie street."
Some years later the land between the county road to Brooklyn and the river was annexed to the village, and the boundary extended eastward and southward to embrace all the two acre lots east of Erie street and the tier south of Ohio street.
March 5, 1836, the legislature passed an act incorporating the city of Cleveland. The first city boundary is thus described in the act: "Beginning at low water mark on the shore of Lake Erie, at the most northeasterly corner of Cleveland ten acre lot No. 139, and running thence on the dividing line between lots num- ber 139 and 140, numbers 107 and 108, numbers 80 and 81, numbers 55 and 56, numbers 31 and 32, and numbers 6 and 7, of the ten acre lots, to the south line of ten acre lots; thence on the south line of the ten acre lots, to the Cuyahoga river ; thence to the center of the Cuyahoga river; thence down the same to the extreme point of the west pier of the harbor; thence to the township line be- tween Brooklyn and Cleveland; thence to the line northerly to the county line; thence eastwardly with said line to a point due north of the place of beginning; thence south to the place of beginning." This extended the boundaries roughly to Frontier and Perry streets and it was an ample provision for it was several years before the city was built up to this boundary.
1 See "The Corporate birth and growth of the City of Cleveland" p. 206. Tract No. 62, W. R. Hist. Soc.
48
HISTORY OF CLEVELAND
March 22, 1850, an area nearly twice as great as that of the original city was annexed, embracing all the ten acre lots of Cleveland township, and all the unsurveyed strip along the river, north and south of Kingsbury run. This ex- tended the boundary eastward to Willson avenue.
ANNEXATION OF OHIO CITY.
The development of manufactories in the river valley brought together physi- cally the rival towns of Cleveland and Ohio City. Their legal union was delayed by warring factions. In 1850, when the legislature had been asked to unite the two cities, -a resolution offered by A. McClintock in the Cleveland city council de- clared that, "Such a union at this time is not desirable, and is not believed to meet the views of our citizens at so short notice." The resolution carried by a vote of five to three.
The legislature passed an act providing for the submission of the question to the electors, whether Ohio City should be "annexed to and made part of the city of Cleveland."
On August 19, 1851, Buckley Stedman introduced an ordinance into the city council providing the submission of the question at a special election in Cleveland, fixed for October 14th. The vote was, "Yeas" eight hundred and fifty, "Noes" one thousand and ninety-eight.
In November, 1853, on motion of Robert Reilley, a committee was ap- pointed by the city council "to consult with the members of the Ohio City coun- cil relative to taking initiatory steps towards annexing said city to the city of Cleveland, and report at the next meeting." Robert Reilley, James B. Wigham and James Gardner were appointed, but they could not report "at the next meeting," and the conferences were continued until February I, 1854, when they reported, "that said committee had a consultation with the Ohio City committee and that said committees together had adopted the following resolu- tion, towit: 'Resolved, that we recommend to the councils of the two cities which we respectively represent, to pass an ordinance submitting to the voters thereof, the question of annexing their municipal corporations.'" On motion of Richard C. Parsons, April 3, 1854, the day of the regular municipal elections, was fixed for the vote. In Cleveland, one thousand, eight hundred and ninety- two voted for, and four hundred against annexation, and in Ohio City, six hundred and eighteen for, and two hundred and fifty-eight against annexation.
The new constitution of Ohio allowed the cities to arrange the details of annexing territory, and it was no longer necessary to ask the legislature for permission. The following commissioners were appointed for Cleveland, W. A. Otis, H. V. Willson, F. T. Backus; for Ohio City, W. B. Castle, N. M. Standart, and C. S. Rhodes.
On June 5th, the commissioners reported that they had arranged "for the terms and conditions on which such annexation shall, if approved by the re- spective city councils, take place." The report recites that the "City of Ohio shall be annexed to and constitute part of the city of Cleveland," constituting the eighth, ninth, tenth, and eleventh wards of Cleveland; that the councilmen from these wards hold their seats in the augmented city council; that detailed
49
HISTORY OF CLEVELAND
provision were made for the joint liability for public property, bonds and debts of the two cities, excepting the subscriptions to railroad stock made by each corporation. On June 5th the report was adopted by both city councils, and the union was legally consummated. On June 10, 1854, the first meeting of the enlarged city council was held.
This important annexation, extended the boundary of Cleveland beyond the Cuyahoga river, westward to the west line of original Brooklyn township lots No. 49 and 50, and southward to Walworth run.
By an ordinance passed February 16, 1864, that portion of the flats in Brook- lyn township, west of the river, included between Walworth run and the east- ward bend in the river, an area of two hundred and sixty and thirty-three hun- dredths acres was annexed. This embraced the section traversed by Scranton avenue.
February 27, 1867, two important annexations were made, including portions of Brooklyn and Newburg townships, and the land embraced by the big bend in the river, west side. All of the ten acre lots, the entire area included in the original Ohio City, and the one hundred acre lots on the northern part of Newburgh town- ship, were now a part of the city. These newly annexed areas were not very populous.
In 1869, one hundred acre lot, No. 333, lying in the northeast angle of Quincy and Madison streets was annexed.
In 1872, the village of East Cleveland was annexed. This village had been incorporated in 1866, and embraced the territory bounded roughly by Willson, Quincy, a line east of Doan and a line north of Superior. This important addi- tion to the city included many fine residence streets. The vote taken on an- nexation was as follows : in Cleveland, "Yeas" seven thousand, two hundred and forty, "Noes" two thousand, eight hundred and eighty-five; in East Cleveland, "Yeas" two hundred and sixty-eight; "Noes" one hundred and ninety-eight. The annexation was consummated October 14, 1872.
Three other additions were made in 1872: the territory in the extreme north- eastern part of Cleveland, lying between the lake and Superior avenue, and ex- tended to Ansel avenue, and a line between East Seventieth and East Seventy- seventh streets on the east line of old lots No. 347 and 349; a large, irregular portion of Newburgh township, lying between Union street and Quincy avenue and between the river and a line east of Woodland Hills avenue; and on the west side the area between Clark avenue and Storer avenue. The area of the city was nearly doubled by these annexations and its outlines extended to a line several hundred feet east of Woodland Hills avenue on the east, Union street and Storer avenue on the south, and Buffalo street on the west.
On September 16, 1873, the village of Newburgh was annexed.
No further annexations were made until 1890, when a block on the west side, bounded by Storer, Daisy, Scranton and Rhodes avenues, was annexed.
In 1892, the eastern line was extended by the annexation of an irregular strip north of Euclid avenue, along the "Nickel Plate" railway track, and in- cluding Lake View cemetery.
In 1894, part of original one hundred acre lot 312, lying in the southwest angle of Willson avenue and Fleet street, was annexed.
50
HISTORY OF CLEVELAND
In 1894, the village of West Cleveland was annexed. This village had been incorporated in 1871. It extended along the lake north of Lorain street, from Gordon avenue to Highland avenue.
Brooklyn village was also annexed in 1894.
In 1898, the western portion of Glenville was added to the city. It included the territory between St. Clair street and the lake, and east of Ansel avenue.
In 1902 that portion of Glenville village, lying between Doan street and Hall- wood avenue, and Armor street, and the city limits, was annexed.
In 1904, the village of Linndale was annexed. Its territory was south of Lorain street along the "Big Four" tracks, between the city limits and High- land avenue. It had been incorporated a village in 1902.
In 1905, the village of South Brooklyn was annexed. This village was in- corporated in 1889. In 1900 original lots 58, 59, 62 and 63, along Pearl street and State road, and in 1902, ninety acres west of Independence road were added to the village. It had been a prosperous town. The valuation of the property was nine hundred and sixty thousand, two hundred and ninety-five dollars, and its outstanding bonds and notes two hundred and twenty-eight thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine dollars. It owned a municipal lighting plant and this caused considerable discussion during the agitation for annexation. The vote on annexation, November, 1904, was, in Cleveland, "Yeas" forty- two thousand, "Noes" one hundred and ninety-eight ; in South Brooklyn, "Yeas" four hundred and eleven, "Noes" one hundred and ninety-eight.
In 1905, an important annexation was consummated, when the village of Glenville was made part of Cleveland. In 1904 the vote taken registered, in Cleveland : for, forty-seven thousand, four hundred and eighty-three, against, six thousand, seven hundred and nineteen. In Glenville: for, eight hundred and fifty-one; against, four hundred and thirty-seven. The valuation of its realty was two million, two hundred and ninety-five thousand and eight hundred dol- lars and personalty three hundred and thirteen thousand, seven hundred and five dollars, total, two million, six hundred and nine thousand, five hundred and five dollars. Its total assets, nine hundred and ninety-six thousand, ninety- three dollars and fifty-one cents, and liabilities, four hundred and fifty-one thou- sand, one hundred and thirty-two dollars and sixty-one cents.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.