This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: rbollmer1 Surnames: Brown, Steadman, Moden, Weaver, Keene Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.ohio.unknown/13551.1.1.1.1.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: I have a similar problem with my own family. Our local probate court has put many of their early records online, guardianship papers included. That is why I suggested looking for those. You might also find a will, either from the Brown's or the Weaver's. Unfortunately, there are very few counties with records online. I did check for both Brown and Weaver genealogies on the archives site and the genealogicalbooklinks site, but found nothing which looked like a match for you. I also checked the county histories for Fountain & Warren on the county genweb sites. I thought he might have been mentioned as you said he was running a mill. Again nothing. The only thing I did find was an index listing Phillip & Mariam (Keene) Weaver marriage in or near Providence RI on 3/29/1812, on the familysearch site. This would seem to match your Weaver family. If you are not close enough to visit the counties you might try posting queries on the county boards for both Fountain and Warren IN to see if anyone can tell you about county records or do look-ups for you. I am assuming you have already posted on the 4 surname boards (Brown, Weaver, Steadman, Moden) but if not you might also try that. The third thing to try is to contact the genealogical societies for the two IN counties to request look-ups. I ruled out Iowa from the 1850 census because it looked like the enumerator used Ia for the state abbreviation for Indiana. (Remember there were no standardized state abbreviations in 1850.) There were way too many people on the same page with the Ia for state of birth to suppose that everyone in that part of Indiana had been born in Iowa. I would say that it would be historically improbable at the least. Most settlers did not go west then come back east, although it is possible that children might have been sent back after the death ! of the parents. Just not likely considering the whole of the census page. I did rule out the William A whose father owned the hotel. That family was listed in the biography section in one of the county history books I read. His birth year was very close to that of your Wm R., but I could find no relationship between the two families. You cannot rule out OH as a place of birth, but in the absence of available state birth records and without knowing the county, it is almost impossible to find your Wm R. Brown's birth if it was in OH. There are a couple other websites which I will check to see if anything has been posted which looks like a match. They are less reliable, but might have something to help. As you have found, many do not thoroughly research before adding to a family tree or other website, but they may lead to new information. 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.