Shawn Burks of our list has more information of the burning of the Monroe Co Court house which I will post - an article a day. Thanks Shawn! Sandi Fort Wayne (Ind) Weekly Gazette Nov. 18, 1887 Destructive Fire at Tompkinsville, Ky. Glasgow, Ky. Nov. 17 -- A fire last night almost entirely destroyed Tompkinsbille, the county seat of Monroe County. The court hose was burned and all the county records are lost. Strangers, claiming to be United States detectives who were gathering evidence against moonshiners, had been in the neighborhood for several days. They are thought to have committed burglaries and started the fire. The town was awakened by a loud explosion, which was discovered to have taken place in the store of Nelson & Bro., where the conflagration originated. The safe was blown open and $12, 000 is missing. The belief of the citizens is that the fire was started by the alleged "detectives" to prevent pursuit. The losses are large and very little insurance. SCKY Archives: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index?list=south-central-kentucky Barren Co Archives: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index?list=kybarren Sandi's Puzzlers: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~gensoup/gorin/puz.html