Dear Polley and list, In regard to write ups on early pioneer life, there is an article recently put on the Bond County Genealogy web page that you may enjoy. It is a paper written on farm life in the county around the 1830's. Since Bond Co. is just south of Montgomery, I would assume that most of it would apply to our Montgomery Co. ancestors as well. Here is the link: http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilbond/misc/Farming_A_Century_Ago.htm Juli Claussen