Dear Researchers, Professional genealogists always advise beginning genealogists to begin searching the US censuses. (And we all begin again when we find a new ancestor--like the father of a previously unnamed wife of one of our ancestors) Admittedly this census search is NOT easy to do. However, if one lives near an LDS family history center (FHC), there may be a tool or two at that center, no matter how small. Practically all LDS FHCs have on hundreds of microfiche a very useful tool called AIS = Accelerated Indexing System. This is a comprehensive census INDEX (not the census itself) for the entire US through the 1850 census. For some midwestern and western states the census index goes beyond the 1850 census. This tool MAY help you find migrating families--heads of households only. But even if you have a common surname to search, you may know where that family was in 1850 census. Therefore, start with that Search (each census year is called a Search). Then move backwards and pick up likely candidate families in earlier census indexes. This is filed not only by searches but by surname, first name, [not in this order--I'm recalling from memory] county, state, page number, and year of census. You may find that the person whose whereabouts you knew in 1850 was earlier in another State in 1840 and still another State in 1830, and so on. Search 1 is the earliest censuses' indexes. To make up for the destroyed 1790 census, there may be tax lists for early years--a great people-finder. You should know that the error rate is high--but if you find your ancestor, what do you care? Collect your ancestors' neighbors. For instance, if you know the wife's maiden name, look for her family and her cousins and her uncles, etc. To find an LDS center near, go to this website: www.familysearch.org On the lower right is a link to a list of FHCs around the world. Below that is the online catalog for the vast genealogical library at Salt Lake City. Take a look at it. And on that website, check the 1880 online census--tricky to use, but try it anyway. Misspell the name, just like the census-taker did and also the indexer. Happy hunting! E.W.Wallace