I keep digging and have found the following that may be food for thought............... The Ohio University Library in Athens, Ohio is the designated regional repository for local government records for Belmont County. This is probably where they should have been sent to begin with. There is a branch of OU across the road from where many of these records are currently housed. This could be another potential site for housing these records. OHS in Columbus would also be another site to consider. This is the web site for the Ohio University Library in Athens and a little info. about them: http://www.library.ohiou.edu/subjects/genealogy/index.htm Archives and Special Collections -- 5th Floor The Department of Archives and Special Collections is the designated regional repository for local government records from eighteen southeast Ohio counties: Athens Belmont Gallia, Guernsey Hocking Jackson Lawrence Meigs Monroe Morgan Muskingum Noble Perry Pike Ross Scioto Vinton Washington It has acquired some, but by no means all, records from the above counties. A good portion of this material has also been microfilmed and is available in the Microforms and Nonprint Department as well. The Department of Archives and Special Collections department maintains a guide to this material: Guide to Local Government Records in the Ohio University Library. The 1992 edition (with supplements) is available for purchase. The Department maintains the following Web sites: