Selma, I apparently failed to save your original posting, but I think you asked about visiting Clay County's courthouse and where else to look. Someone else mentioned renting microfilm. I don't know where you live, but if you are served by a public library with a microfilm viewer, the library can order census microfilms for wherever in the USA, ship passenger lists, and probably lots of other things I'm not aware of. My public library has ordered in microfilm for me for information not covered by their own microfilm. It costs $3.75 a roll, and comes in a couple of weeks from a genealogical information rental company. The library has a catalog of what is available. I hope you are near a library that can do this also. There is no way you could view it at home unless you are the rare genealogist that buys her own microfilm viewer. I recently read a book where the man said he bought his own viewer, but the only ones I have ever seen are huge machines. Can't even imagine what that would cost! Right now I have ordered microfilm for the 1870 census of Monroe County, as my county library does not own it yet. I have visited the Clay County Courthouse and looked at old records there. They pretty much just turn you loose - you're own your own to find things. They close at 4 p.m. The last time I made copies there they charged $1.00 per page - so I didn't make many. I presume the charge is still the same. The Brazil Public Library which is one block north off Highway 40 on Walnut St. has an annex building where some genealogical information can be found. They have some microfilms too - census records, newspapers, WPA records, etc. There is a cemetery index to who is buried where, and some books that contain transcriptions of tombstone inscriptions. However, if your ancestor, as some of mine did, had no headstone, you can't find much that way. Even so, if they are buried in a local cemetery, it's sometimes quite a challenge to find the stone even if you know there is one! Then there is the Clay County Genealogical Society in Center Point Indiana, not very far away. They are open on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday afternoons from 1-4 p.m. They have LOTS of resources. Their website is: http://www.ticz.com/~ccgslib/ I'm sure others on this list will know even more to tell you. Believe me, you rarely accomplish even a third of what you hope to in one day, unless you are really lucky! Those who advise doing as much as possible from a distance are right, believe me! I hired a researcher in Tipton County for some family there, and what she found for about $15.00 was wonderful compared to my lack of time and the expense to travel there. The Clay County Genealogical Society has researchers too, although I have never checked to see what they charge. Good luck! Laura E. Mitchell lmitch@iquest.net 2522 College Ave. lmitchell@vigo.lib.in.us Terre Haute, IN 47803 (812) 234-0692 Visit the Vigo County Public Library Webpage at: http://vax1.vigo.lib.in.us or http://www.vigo.lib.in.us Genealogists: Check the VCPL webpage for an index of obituaries in the Terre Haute newspaper, 1903-1966, http://vax1.vigo.lib.in.us/~obits/index.htm VCPL now has the 1820 census of Vigo County online: http://vax1.vigo.lib.in.us/1820/index.htm

Would like to know which cemetery this Phipps/Fipps family is in. Mary Phipps b abt 1796-1800 died by 1870 & husband James Phipps b. abt 1800 by 1860 are listed in the Cemetery records. They lived in Harrison twp. children: Frederick b. abt 1826 Margaret b abt 1829 The girls were single in the 1870 census. Mary b. abt 1834 George md Catherine Shock. He was b abt 1836. Thanks, Selma