Lincoln County Struggles to Index Centuries-Old Cursive Deeds

County approves $22,391 contract to help decipher 18th-century handwriting

Published on Mar. 6, 2026

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Lincoln County, Maine is indexing all of its deed records dating back to 1761, but the task is proving challenging as the documents are written in cursive from the late 18th century. The county has approved a $22,391 contract with Info Quick Solutions, a New York-based company, to help index the older records while the county's own deeds department works on more recent files.

Why it matters

Maintaining accurate property records is critical for local governments, but deciphering centuries-old cursive handwriting can be an arduous task. This project highlights the challenges counties face in preserving and accessing historical documents, especially as fewer people today are able to read and interpret cursive writing.

The details

The Lincoln County Registry of Deeds is working to index all of its deed records dating back to 1761. However, the older documents are written entirely in cursive, which has proven difficult for the county's deeds employees to read and process. To assist with this effort, the county commissioners approved a $22,391 contract with Info Quick Solutions, a company based in Liverpool, New York, to index the older records. The county's own deeds department will work on indexing more recent files, while Info Quick Solutions tackles the 18th-century cursive.

  • The Lincoln County commissioners approved the $22,391 contract on March 3, 2026.
  • The deed records being indexed date back to 1761.

The players

Lincoln County Registry of Deeds

The county office responsible for maintaining and indexing all property deed records.

Info Quick Solutions

A New York-based company that was awarded a $22,391 contract to help index Lincoln County's 18th-century deed records written in cursive.

Carrie Kipfer

The Lincoln County Administrator who announced the two-part project to index the older deed records.

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What they’re saying

“This is a two-part project. Our deeds department will work backwards indexing the more recent records, and we plan on meeting IQS in the middle who will index them forward from 1761.”

— Carrie Kipfer, Lincoln County Administrator (wiscassetnewspaper.com)

What’s next

The county plans to continue working with Info Quick Solutions to index the older deed records, while its own deeds department focuses on more recent files. The goal is to have a comprehensive index of all property deeds dating back to 1761.

The takeaway

This project highlights the challenges that local governments face in preserving and accessing historical records, especially as fewer people today are able to read and interpret cursive handwriting. By partnering with a specialized company, Lincoln County is taking steps to ensure its property records remain accessible for years to come.