I remember tissue tracing plans, scale rules, titles back to the 1800s with handwritten copies of deeds and handwritten indexes, which style and form changed as a difference Town Clerk was elected.  Progress is good, but sometimes it's nice to remember the way it was.

When I started there were slow, huge old photocopies.  The standard joke, "Never arm wrestle with a title searcher."  Lifting those heavy books and indexes on and off the shelves and to the copier kept you in shape.

 Also remember the, "call before you go" rule.  If not, you could show up at the Clerk's office and find a note posted to the front door, "Mary's birthday.  Everyone's gone for lunch, back at 2 pm."