Hi gang. I am CC for Washington County Oregon, Des Moines County, Iowa, and Franklin County, Arkansas. I live in Washington County, have no ancestors there, so my work is for researchers and for the love of helping people. In Iowa I have Williamson and Beebe to look for....likewise later in Missouri. In Kentucky only Pruitt so far. In Tennessee and Missouri it is Rutledge and Owen. In Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia and Arkansas it is Kelly, Richardson and McGee. Most these ancestors ended up in Arkansas, Oklahoma or Texas.....how considerate of them to move close together and make searching easy for me<GRIN> Most of my people came from Virginia through Georgia or through Tennessee to points west, but I have tracked a bible entry for Silas and Methias Pruitt to Lancaster, KY. Methias was my great grandfather and he died October 16, 1910, family lived in Gainesville, TX then so that is probably where he died. That is being worked on in TX and OK. Methias's son Henry Melvin Pruitt was born May 25, 1882. He was my grandfather who died Feb 25, 1918 (accident) in Ardmore, OK. The Pruitt family "apparently" lived in Lancaster, KY 1882 so it looks like (subject to verification) he was born in Lancaster. Now Henry was a construction worker, but mom said his father and uncle (Silas) were farmers before they came to north Texas. Around Lancaster (Gerrard County) it is hard to know what to look for first, but it seems logical to see first if the members have records with Mathias, Silas or Henry Pruitt on them in the timeframes 1850 thru 1900, or in Henry's case 1882 through 1900. Grandma said they came to Texas around 1900, but could have been earlier, or later, but not after 1908. (They lived in Gainsville, TX then) What kinds of public records exist for 1850s era Lancaster? Did birth certificates issue in 1882? How good were the land records 1850 - 1900? Are there old newspapers extant or on microfilm for that era. What kinds of records should I look for first. Not all the Pruitt's went to Texas. Silas and Mathias parents and cousins stayed in KY, so I bet I still have cousins living in Kentucky somewhere. Happy to exchange what little I know between Pruitt researchers. Don Kelly --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.512 / Virus Database: 309 - Release Date: 8/19/03