Women owning land pre 1900

NOT APPLICABLE

Posted By: Carol (email)
Date: 2/12/2009 at 09:46:49

In my research I have found several women, married women, who are land owners by deed in Iowa Counties.

Time frame: 1860 - 1910 approximate

Places: Iowa counties of Butler and Bremer

Background: Husband will deed property to Wife, yes, they are still married. She then deeds property to others, sometimes family, other times not.

Have not seen this before, most places I have researched, if the woman is married she is not allowed to own property in her own name, by herself (in this time frame).

Sure, I have plenty of widow's or single women that own property, sell, buy, transfer.

Cannot recall every seeing a married man, deed to his wife, and then she sells or transfers, sometimes immediately and other times years later, the same property.

Must be something here I am missing, state law, something.

Any feedback on this would surely be appreciated, a URL to look at, a book, a state law, something, anything.