To Liz and other Austin Researchers of SC >From Helen Austin, I really enjoyed the article written by Liz Carlin in the Austin AFAOA Newletter, which I received today. It was about one of the brave girls of the Gilder Plantation Austins. When I first started looking for my husbands great grandfather Austin born before 1800 in SC, possibly the Upcountry, I read the two books about the Gilder families at the Georgia State Library. The first was by the Charles Austin of GA, you mentioned. Next we went on a research trip to the Greenville Library and down to the Laurens Library and court house. On the way we visited the Gilder Plantation and read the historical marker erected by the family. According to the book by Jeannette Austin, there may have been an earlier plantation by the same name at another location. What I do know is that the Gilder plantation with the marker is near a town, named Mauldin, just outside the city limits of Greenville, SC. It is not so near to Spartanburg. When I read your location of Spartanburg, I thought you would want to clarify that. I could send you a scan of a map with the exact location, if you wish. So far, we have not found a definte match for our Austins among the Greenville or Laurens Co, Austins. Today we upgraded Vernons DNA test results from the 37 marker to the 67 marker. I wish some of the other Austins in the project would do the same. Copy of a note I received: You may have already received an email from FTDNA about the discounts currently available to upgrade to additional markers. This discount is available from today, Friday June 20 to June 30. Discounts like this don't come around often. If you are at 12 or 25 markers (my informant, not our Austin Project person) strongly advise upgrading to at least 37 markers as that number is needed to adequately compare DNA kits to "within a genealogical time frame." If you are considering going to 67 markers, which brings the matches within the past 300 years, this is certainly the time to upgrade. 67 markers helps us to outline the more recent family lines. Helen: Note that this message was not from our Austin project , but from a similar project of another surname. I did it anyway, because it was a bargain, and I would really like a match with our John Calhoun Austin b 1831 TN, whose father was b before 1800 in SC.