I've heard that this cave was called Piney Creek Cave, but I'm not sure that is correct information. Mike Flannigan > Subject: Re: marriage book > Date: Tue, 1 Nov 2005 17:40:38 -0600 > From: Lanita Sconce Smith <[email protected]> > To: [email protected] > > Todd, > > Yes, the Oregon County marriage books are at the courthouse. There is > confusion because the RED BOOK, the info book that ancestry.com puts > out with info on all the courthouses in all the counties and states, > [aka the Researcher's Bible], has an error, of sorts regarding the > Oregon County records. > > The book states that the courthouse burned during the civil war, so the > older records are not available.... half right, half wrong... yes, the > courthouse burned by those dressed as Union Soldiers in 1860 something > [by cousins of the Younger boys who ran with Jesse and Frank JAMES], > BUT, thanks to the foresight of county officials like Majr. NORMAN, the > records were protected in a nearby cave at the very start of the war. > > Officials took an 11 year old boy with them to know where the records > were located in the cave on the NORMAN farm, [just in case the adults > didn't live through the war], so the older records for Oregon Co. > [started 1845] are protected. It is awesome to find 1845 marriage > records, probate, etc., when other counties are not as fortunate. I > personally have done it! > > BTW: Major NORMAN and many officials DID live through the war, but > researchers are indebted to these officials because the courthouse > burned 3 times in its history [I think that's right... I relaying this > by memory]. The older records are there, don't ask me how they were > protected the other 2 times the courthouse burned.... > > The area was right on the Mason/Dixon line, so their wisdom in > protecting those records shows the ingenuity of those men to which > today researchers will always be indebted! > > Lanita > > I'm always late. My ancestors arrived on the JUNE flower.