U.S. Customs Service (Ludington, MI) records

his collection of nineteen microfilm reels documents the sale of vessels recorded at the Ludington, Michigan office of the US Customs Service for the years 1864-1949. Bills of sale and conveyance records are found on thirteen of the nineteen reels and mortgages are included on six reels. Vessel names, terms of agreements and names of sale participants are included. The economic aspects of vessel acquisition are clearly described in the mortgage agreements detailing the long-term aspects of boat purchases.

Information on specific vessels is readily available in the form of enrollment data filed with the bills of sale. These records become a useful supplement to the researcher concerned with vessel histories.

The certificates filed by master carpenters attesting to the accuracy of construction details provide additional material on the history of individual vessels from 1898-1939.

The financial and legal files in this collection document a portion of the regulatory work of the US Customs Service in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Document types:

Master carpenter's certificates: Contains district place, and date of issuance, name of master carpenter, place and year of build, vessel name and rig, owner, dimensions, tonnage, number of decks, number of masts, and building material.

Bills of Sale: Contains participants, amount of consideration, date, latest enrollment data, and the following vessel data: official number, rig, name, year and place of build, tonnage, dimensions, number of decks, number of masts, and type of head and stern.

Mortgages: Volumes contain name, rig, and tonnage of vessel, name of owners, place of residence, mortgage amount and conditions, relevant dates involved in completing transactions.