I' sure we have all been thwarted in our research by : I'm sorry but those records were destroyed in the courthouse fire in ----. Earlier this year my wife and I went to Wilkinson and a few other counties. We entered the Johnson County Courthouse (beautifully renovated) and noticed a large sign in the foyer "Thank you for not Smoking". We went to the Probate Court office right off the foyer and found no one home. Then noticed smoke coming from the vault. Horrified I went closer to see if I should to call the fire department. Found the Probate Judge and her secretary puffing away around the judges desk which took up 80% of the vault. The ashtrays (several) were full and she tried to hide the cigarette she had in her hand. I didn't say anything at the time as she has been around since before Methusalah (?). Couldn't wait to get out of the courthouse and the county. I called the Governor and the State Insurance Commissioner's office to report the problem and try to get it stopped. John Oxendines office has since stated they visited the Judge's office (verified the report) and notified her that smoking in a records room is illegal. She claimed she wasn't aware of that law. If any of you happen to go by Johnson County would love to know if she's still smoking in the records vault. Jack Wynn jwynn@mindspring.com Happy Hunting!!