Listmembers: Although this post isn't of a direct genealogical nature, it is of historical interest perhaps. The PBS stations are running a program that was on last night (Monday) and will continue tonight and Wednesday from 9pm -11pm. It is called the Frontier Experience and is about 3 families selected from about 5000 that applied. These 3 families "go back in time" to 1883, and live as a homesteader in Montana for a 5 month period, just as our ancestors did for a 5 year period to "prove up" on their claim. They are building their own homes and must live only with what would have been available in 1883. As there were different types of homesteaders, these 3 families are different in that one has "found" a homestead with an already built cabin, the second has one that has been started by "previous owners" and the other must build theirs from the woods. It is a most informative and interesting program and while maybe not as authentic in every detail; it gives a glimpse into what our ancestors may have been through. I urge everyone to attempt to view it. Debbie Jennings Sweet Owen and Surrounding Areas <A HREF="http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~rowan/index.html">http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~rowan/index.html</A>