Dear Anna, I found him on the 1880 Milan Township census index. It only lists heads of households. Page 111B, family number 150. He is listed with a Jacob Kramer and Clarissa Shupe. Here is a little blurb from Hewson Peeke's 1916 History of Erie County, page 94: "Amont the first and last of the ship builders was Valentine Fries, a self-made man, who came to Milan about the year 1849 and began the grocery business in a small way. Careful attention to business and steady, hard work, together with the strictest integrity, gave Mr. Fries the necessary means to enlarge his business, and to invest a limited amount of money in vessel property. The time was opportune, and he soon increased his marine investments. In the '70s and '80s he built, at Fries' Landing (formerly called Wards and Abbotts), several of the largest and finest sailing vessels on the lakes, including the Marion Page, the Golden Age and others. He also built the steam barge Charles Foster. As a trustee of the township he was very active in bringing about the graveling of the flats north of Milan, an improvement that has been a very great benefit to farmers on that side of the town because the roads prior to this were next to impassable for several weeks every spring and fall." This may also be of interest. I have a 1940 Erie County Rural Directory. There is a Valentine A. Fries listed. He lived in Huron Township, but had land in Berlin Twp. He held 100 acres valued at $9,480. Hope this helps a little. Shelly Clipson-Shock Powhatan, Virginia In a message dated 2/10/03 9:42:56 AM, [email protected] writes: >I am looking for information on Valentine Fries, a shipbuilder in Milan. > He lived there from about 1845 to 1900 when he died. > > > >According to his obituary and other information I have gathered, he was >a wealthy and prominent citizen of Milan, but I cannot find any mention >of him in the censuses nor other family members (surname Paul) who were >alleged to have come to MIlan to work in his various enterprises. > > > >How could a man of his stature escape the census? > > > >Is there somewhere I can write to request the list of land transactions >during the late 1800s to ascertain his whereabouts that way? > > > >Thank you. > > > >anna > > ============================================================================ Researching: Clipson, Gaunt (Gant), Hendrickson, Jarrett, Mason, Miteff, Schoonmaker, Siehl, Stickreth, Towne, Vladiff, Yaple (Jappel, Yeaple) Whoever said "Seek and ye shall find" was not a genealogist.

If sks has access to the 1900 Ohio Federal Census Index would you please look for info on a THOMAS HAYNES (HAINES), age about 74 in Montgomery County . Your help is appreciated, Kay Staub Genealogy without documentation is mythology