Linda, Thanks for all the good information. I'll contact the IL State Library. You confirm what I have suspected, that being, I believe the exact name of the paper may have been lost in translation over the years. My information says the paper was not a success and died out shortly after it was started, so I don't believe there are a lot of surviving issues out there of the limited amount ever published. The paper in question could very well be one of those you mentioned. You wouldn't happen to know the final disposition of Eaton Goodell Osman would you? He was the son of William Osman, editor of the Ottawa Free Trader. He published a number of trade magazines, maybe in the Chicago area. Thanks again, Jay ----- Original Message ----- From: Tony & Linda Kmiecik To: ILLIVING-L@rootsweb.com Sent: Monday, September 03, 2001 3:48 PM Subject: [ILLIVING] Fairbury newspapers For Jay Osman: I have a 1994 "Illinois State Library Special Report Series - Newspapers in the Historical Library" (this library is in Springfield, IL). For Fairbury there is no listing for Fairbury News, but there are for the Blade = Livingston County Blade = Independent Blade = Blade; Bugle Horn (one issue 1871); Fair-Dealer (one issue 1895); Independent; Journal; Livingston Citizen; and Local Record. For Ottawa, IL, there is an extensive listing of surviving issues of the Free Trader, beginning in 1840, up to 1927 or so, but not a solid run. For more information, you might write to them: Illinois State Historical Library, Newspaper Microfilm Section, Old State Capitol, Springfield, IL 62701. Telephone in 1994 was 217-785-7941. In years past, they had a pretty strict policy for mail requests for obit searches, and I believe they limited their requests to only IL residents. I do not know if they have e-mail. Linda K. ============================== Visit Ancestry's Library - The best collection of family history learning and how-to articles on the Internet. http://www.ancestry.com/learn/library