Hi Folks -- While reading the Pacific Northwest magazine in the Sunday paper, I came across what could be a source for folks to check. The article is about Granges. The National Grange traces its roots back to 1867 when farmer Oliver Hudson Kelley, working for the US Department of Agriculture, was asked to report on farming conditions in the South after the Civil War. Disturbed by the dire situation, Kelley and six other men organized what became a vital force in American democracy, according to Grange history records. By 1875, nearly 1 million members belonged to the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, as the Grange is officially known. So -- if you suspect an ancestor went West to farm, and you can't find him, maybe Grange records could help. And, BTW, women belonged with equal status. While this article obviously speaks to WA state Granges, they were organized in other farming states/areas. Might be fun to google "blah blah county Grange", for an example, and see what turns up. Stay well all -- Terri