This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: jeannesanbell Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.ohio.unknown/13551/mb.ashx Message Board Post: I'm at a brick-wall on this line in my family so I'm going to try this shotgun approach in an appeal for help. I'm looking for birth records and parents names of a William R. Brown, born approximately 25 Feb 1834, in Ohio. The last verifiable fact I find on him is his marriage to Venia Moden-Brown, 10 Dec. 1865 in Warren County, Indiana. On the 1870 US census, he was living with Venia and three children in Warren County and he was running a wood mill with Samuel M. Brown, wife Isabelle, possible a brother or cousin. I know he was in the Union army in the Civil War and was captured as a prisoner of war at Stone River, Tennessee. And I have a date of death at 20 March 1877 and I believe is buried in Independence Cemetery, Warren Country with son, Elmer, and brother/cousin, Samuel, I can't pin him down in the 1860 or 1850 US census because the name is so common and there are several possibilities, I have no way to confirm one over another. The 1840 US census just give head of household and number of children of a certain age and I don't know his parents' names. Is there any place to find Ohio birth records going back to 1834? I understand the state didn't require records earlier than 1880, so courthouses will not have then and I don't know what county he was born. How do professionals find these records? Is there a way to analyze the census to better determine which Wm Brown is the one I'm looking for? Thank you Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.