Dear List-members, Has anyone come across the book : "Combined Histories of Randolph, Monroe and Perry Counties, With Illustrations " pub. 1883 in Philadelphia, PA by J.L. McDonough Co. in their research? I am sure I've run across it before but yesterday at our local library's geneal. sect. I took a closer look....it's not indexed, so requires a lot of scanning..and found a literal gold-mine of information in the back...17 pages of the teeniest print I've ever run across, first divided by the 3 counties, then by Township and Range with patrons (probably contributors) listed by Name, Post. Ofc., Residence (usually the Twp. Section), Occupation, Nativity (place of birth), and date Settled. Many of these people listed not only their names but wife's maiden, parents and deathdates. Example under Perry Co.Twp 6 So.-Range 2 W..: House, William, Duquoin, Sect.19, Farmer and Stock Raiser, Perry Co. IL, 1853 with Mary Darrington, same P.O. and Sect., Wife of William House, Jackson Co. IL, 1879 and House, George, Died Sept.17, 1874, Father of William House, North Carolina, 1833 and House, Eloise (nee Grubb), Died Oct.1853, Mother of William House , Jackson Co. IL, 1844 The last column, Settled, in some cases was also the birthyear for those born in that county. So far I've been able to determine my Joseph Campbell was b. in Caldwell Co., KY and came to Perry Co. in 1838...that neighbors John Craig, Minerva J. Brown and Hugh Brown also were b. in Caldwell Co. and came to Perry in 1829 and 1830. Minerva married Joseph's brother-in-law William Russell Milligan...not sure yet how Hugh is related...but now aware of a possible connection. This is of course only a partial list so not everyone is on there, but there are quite a few....looks like about 150 entries per page. There are quite a few biographies and community histories, some of them very entertaining, Know this is getting too long but have to relate this mention of Dr. Conrad Will of Brownsville, Jackson Co., who practiced in Pinckneyville..."Dr. Will, it is said, was very fond of hunting, and, for that purpose, kept a pack of hounds, which he would often take along, when he went to see a patient and stay and hunt until the patient either got better or died. He was elected to the legislature, sitting at Vandalia, and to while away leisure hours he took his hounds along with him to coon-hunt. " Have already copied more than a dozen pages out of this book and probably will go back for more...even the illustrations are great. If anyone would like me to check this patron list for an ancestor, you can contact me. Note: this book is more than 70 years old and is NOT protected by copyright. Sorry for the length of this message but am really excited by its possibilities. [email protected]