I just discovered a fantastic web site that you should all know about. Point your browser to: http://www.glorecords.blm.gov There you will find a searchable database of original government land patents for several states, including Ohio, Virginia and Illinois. You can search these by surname and then download electronic images of the patents themselves! I haven't spent any time yet searching for Beckelhymer patents. Let me know if anyone finds anything of interest. John Charles Tippet JohnDoeTippet@csi.com