When I have the spare time, I'm checking out websites looking for illusive references to our family. A lot of my information comes from ancestry.com which I try to resubscribe to every year, tho their membership fees are going high enough, I'm not certain about 2007! Here are a few little tidbits that might be of interest. Source: Illinois State Chronicle, Decatur, IL, 5 May 1855: An ad for Gorin & Miles [don't know who Miles was]. "Dealers in Plain and Fancy Dry Goods, Clothing, Groceries, Boots, Shoes, Hats, Caps Hardware, Queensware, Glassware, Bridles, Saddles, &c. No. 4 S. on E. Main street. Decatury, Jan. 22, 1855." This would be Jerome Rinaldo Gorin, son of John Darns Gorin and Martha Thomas, grandson of Henry & Sarah Pell Gorin. Another reference is of great interest to me, again involving Jerome R., as I knew there was a connection or an acquaintance with Abraham Lincoln from other citations I have. "The Life of Abraham Lincoln Drawn from Original Sources and Containing Many Speeches", Ida Minerva Tarbell, 1900, p. 118-9: This is a letter from Abraham Lincoln to Dr. R. Boal of Lacon, IL dated from Springfield IL 25 Dec 1856. It appears that Boal is interested in running for Speaker of the House and is asking Abraham Lincoln for his support. In the reply, Lincoln says" "...and aslo that he thinks all the Americans will be for you, unless it be Gorin, of Macon, of whom he canot speak..." "History of the Republican Party in Illinois, 1854-1912 by Charles A. Church, Rockford IL, Wilson Bros. Press, ca 1912, p. 132. "The revolt within the party which began in 1872 and continued several years had spent its force in 178. General John C Smith received 206,458 votes for state treasurer; Cronkrite, Democrat, 170,085; Bates, Greenback Reformer, 65,689; Gorin, Prohibitionist, 2,228...." This would refer to Orville B. Gorin, son of Jerome R. Gorin of Decatur, IL. Edwardsville Intelligencer, 2 Dec 1925 (IL). Litchfield, IL, Dec 2.... A chaper of the De Molay was instituted here Friday night from Granite City, at the new Masonic Temple..... Gladin Gorin; junior councilor [sic]..." This would be George Gladdin Gorin, s/o George Gorin and Rebecca Gardner, g-son of James J. Gorin and Lucy Mansfield, gg-son of John Henry Gorin and Elizabeth Bailey Jones, ggg-grandson of Gladin and Nancy Hinch Gorin. Now - time to get ready for Christmas! Sandi PS - I have learned of a connection with one of our Gorin lines to the Davy Crockett line but can't find the documentation yet! Col. Sandi Gorin - Publishing: http://ggpublishing.tripod.com/ GORIN worldconnect website: http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/~sgorin