>From Pat in AZ comes these comments concerning sources and programs that reveal the genesis of counties. [ "....for example, if there is a reference to John Jones, "A" county, Kentucky, in 1845, and AniMap shows that the "area of interest" was, by 1845, "B" county, I will put John down as perhaps a cousin, or unrelated. If, on the other hand, a John Jones, who lived in "C" county in the 1860 census (my primary documentation at the time) is mentioned as in "B" county in 1845. AniMap shows me that in 1845, "C" county was part of "B" county. So, perhaps this is the same John. Another way I personally use "AniMap" is to "copy/paste" the maps into PhotoShop, and make them into hybrid maps to visually show my readers how the political subdivisions changed in a particular area. Here, in case someone hasn't posted it, is a great list of state and county formation sites and resources: http://jrshelby.com/hcl/.... Pat (in Tucson) ***** One more comment that all should remember about the shifting of county lines upon creation of a new county: Just as we do now, many citizens have lived near the county boundaries and paid little attention to where those lines were. They often attended a church that was close to their homes, no matter that it was in a different county, usually got married in the county in which the bride lived, no matter that she lived across the line, traded goods and bought and sold merchandise of every sort in that of the two (2) counties where the market was the most advantageous, very often enlisted in the armies in a neighboring county and were discharged there, worked wherever there were employment opportunities so long as the distance was not more than a couple miles, and generally had relationships with neighbors, again, no matter the lines. Finally, many routes for census takers necessarily ended at county lines, and so it was that the residences numbers of adjoining neighbors may have been in censuses taken and numbered by different enumerators. For these reasons, among many, it is imperative that all researchers seek the precise location - the "where" - of the homes of ancestors. That is done through deed and surveyor records, and, of course, through maps available in most every county. Paul