i think i saw on another list sometime back that a Plantation for most folks back then was not large as we think of them being. it said(i think) they called their farms plantations as a matter of course. today i was reading a book about Women during the civil war. one plantation was 25,000 acres. this seems huge to me. carlene---also Mr. Wyly, my grandfather supposedly came down the river from Shawnee Town, Illinois abt. 1879 then came to Texas by horseback. he was said to have been abt. 16. what route do you think he may have taken? I do enjoy your postings and the "ramblings" carlene