Bill, You may think you're abandoned in Blythe, CA, but if you have an LDS Family History Center in town, you're golden! You can get almost all of their filmed archives, from census, Bible, vital records, wills, everything---from around the world. The film rental program is only about $3 a roll (you have to view it there, but really, how many people have a microfilm reader at home?). I've gotten so much information there that it is amazing. They also have CD collections: Social Security Death index, Korean and Vietnam death index, International Genealogical Index (IGI), Ancestral File (people's submissions), Scottish Records index....the list is huge! At the one here, they have the 1881 census for Great Britain and many other films and fiche that stay in the library. I met a couple in Concord, NH, who are filming NH records for the LDS. They are very willing to share info. You'll find that many states have had their records filmed by the LDS, and those are the copies that the states use. I've also spent 5 wonderful days doing research at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. Very impressive---and free! The LDS have the largest genealogy collection in the world. Try it! You'll be surprised what you find! ---Robin Chalmers