Sndy,, this is the right direction! It was a Hays reseacher of the long ago computer crash that had told me that he had done extensive search at the time and KNEW the Hays were from West Virginia despite what the census said. since he was of the Hays lineage I feel he knew what he was talking about...too bad all was lost including this important contact! he wa also the one that told of the Catherine Hays and Mitchell of much earlier years , information cooming from PA. . Different generation, but passed down famiily names.. Now we need Pensylvania! Lenora