Okay, I am researching a couple of families for a co-worker, and I checked the Bureau of Land Management - General Land Office Records website... there, I find 2 men with same last name who bought land in Jan of 1819 in 2 different counties.. Since Missouri did not become a state until 1821, how on EARTH did they come up with that????? I know we were the Missouri Territory then, but certainly, the particular counties were not formed yet.... Anybody got an idea? Lanita