The 1880 census index is now available on CD. The FIFTY-SIX CD set covers ALL the states and is available from the LDS for $49. The 1880 census is the one which asked, among other things, place of birth for mother and father. Once you find someone in the index you can find the film at a library, the LDS Family History Centers or, for a fee, one of the online libraries like Ancestry.com. Rather than me explaining it read what Dick Eastman said in his May 31, 2001, Online Genealogy Newsletter. http://www.ancestry.com/library/view/columns/eastman/3963.asp Cheryl Rothwell LoganCty@mindspring.com