Just finished reading the May 2005 update posted by Mike St. Clair on the Grainger Co. US GenWeb site. Let me add that a cousin and I visited the Archives in mid-September and they were, indeed, up and running! We were most impressed - even got to use the new elevator. The tireless volunteers who managed to get all this accomplished despite their working conditions and the conditions of some of the records deserve unlimited praise. In a few short hours, we found a number of things we did not have, including a marriage record not found in any previously read sources or compilations. That by itself, knocked a few layers off the top of my "brick wall" known as the Bibbins family. Stevvi and James Cook were the volunteers for the day we were there, and were so knowledgeable and helpful. James interrupted his work to show us the originals of some early 1800 land grants he had just that moment found loose in a file! The new Grainger Co. Archives is just terrific and is in very capable hands. Its location is quite secure, not likely to flood, though what a tornado would do is anyone's guess. I would encourage everyone who can do so, to make the research trip - I don't think you'll be disappointed. In fact, all three of the archives we visited - Grainger, Hamblen, and Jefferson Cos. - had material we had not seen before. We left Stevvi & James Cook wishing we could stay longer, and vowing to return soon. Eleanor McCain Concord, NH

Thanks for your e-mail Eleanor. For those of us living too far away to visit the Archives, is it possible to request information from there? Best wishes, Evelyn Daniels Hansson ----- Original Message ----- From: "ELEANOR McCAIN" <eleanormccain@comcast.net> To: <TNGRAING-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, September 30, 2005 4:15 PM Subject: [TNGRAING-L] Grainger Co. Archives > Just finished reading the May 2005 update posted by Mike St. Clair on > the Grainger Co. US GenWeb site. Let me add that a cousin and I visited > the Archives in mid-September and they were, indeed, up and running! We > were most impressed - even got to use the new elevator. The tireless > volunteers who managed to get all this accomplished despite their > working conditions and the conditions of some of the records deserve > unlimited praise. > > > > In a few short hours, we found a number of things we did not have, > including a marriage record not found in any previously read sources or > compilations. That by itself, knocked a few layers off the top of my > "brick wall" known as the Bibbins family. Stevvi and James Cook were > the volunteers for the day we were there, and were so knowledgeable and > helpful. James interrupted his work to show us the originals of some > early 1800 land grants he had just that moment found loose in a file! > > > > The new Grainger Co. Archives is just terrific and is in very capable > hands. Its location is quite secure, not likely to flood, though what a > tornado would do is anyone's guess. I would encourage everyone who can > do so, to make the research trip - I don't think you'll be disappointed. > In fact, all three of the archives we visited - Grainger, Hamblen, and > Jefferson Cos. - had material we had not seen before. We left Stevvi & > James Cook wishing we could stay longer, and vowing to return soon. > > > > Eleanor McCain > > Concord, NH > > > > ==== TNGRAING Mailing List ==== > To UNSUBSCRIBE please send your message to tngraing-l-request@rootsweb.com >