Thanks to all of you who wrote to answer my question. I went back through my file and saw that years ago I made copies of some old deeds which I found on film at LDS. While they aren't deeds of the ancestor in question, they were the deeds of other family members/neighbors and Chilicothe was mentioned. So that's likely where I can look. It was in The Handy Book for Genealogists that I saw Fairfield was formed from Washington and Ross. That's why I thought records might be in those respective county seats. That's why I wondered which county Berne Twp would be in. Something else, while we're on the topic of land records - my ancestor James S. Collins, Jr. bought a parcel of land from his father for $1. The amount I don't question - it was his age. I believe he was b in 1808 and the date of the deed is 1823. He was 15. Was this common? Lori