I was born in Drexel Hill, grew up in Montgomery Cty., moved out in the 60's and had not returned for over 30 years. When I did I was like a kid in a candy store! Living in Southern Calif. for years one tends to forget there is anything but new, there are so many beautiful old places in Del. Cty. and I was amazed that people think nothing of buying and fixing these places up and restoring them to live in (the men must have "honey do" lists a mile long), thankfully they have an appreciation for the history of the area. Barb, you should take pictures of the remainders of the old farmsteads you saw. The Case books you mention, I bought both of them while I was there last and they are a must have for anyone researching the area. I also bought a set for my niece who lives in Aston and she blames me that it now takes her twice as long to go anywhere due to her checking out things she spent her entire life passing by without a thought. I can't wait to get back there again this year, it is like stepping back into the past, the feeling of walking on the same ground as my relatives, actually seeing the homes they lived in, the land they worked, so many years ago, is awesome. Now, if I could just get my nieces as interested in genealogy as I am...I guess they are too young, or am I too old :> Nancee, Ca. In a message dated 1/25/2007 6:39:51 A.M. Pacific Standard Time, SELLETTB@neumann.edu writes: Your right about that, Mark. I, too, am a Maris descendant (as well as Mendenhall, Dixon, Clayton--just to name a few). Many of these were Quakers. I've lived in this area for over fifty years and I didn't really appreciate how deep my families roots were until I started doing research. It's so exciting to see a place where you know your family lived. Many structures still existing, though you wouldn't know it because of 'improvements' to the building. Bob Case's book about Concord Township was really an eye opener. I had been past many of the homes featured in the book and hadn't realized just how old they really were! I just had a lovely chat about a week ago with the head grounds keeper at OLA (next to Neumann College where I work). He told me some pretty amazing stories about the old farmsteads that were located on the property. Many are gone now, but you can still see the remainders of them (I went & looked on my lunch hour). Neat! Barb >>> mark.dixon@att.net 01/24/07 4:24 PM >>> Trust me, there are tons of old farmhouses around. Many have been demolished, but many, many remain. (Things last when you build with stone.) Anyone with deep roots in Delaware County (i.e., several families who were here over multiple generations) will find that there are many things to see. Finding them is work, though. Since the county has no historical society worthy of the name, researchers have to spend their time in township societies whose collections and organization vary in quality. And their hours are skimpy. I didn't know that one of my Maris ancestor's house still stood in the middle of a modern development in Upper Darby until I came across an old newsclipping about it in the files at the Springfield Township Historical Society. The stuff is there. Mark