Sandy, Thanks so much.... but I am unable to use microfilm, I have no reader. For 25+ years I have written to the archives/court houses and they have passed my letters along to local people (high school kids, retired school teachers, etc) who have contacted me with with a quote of the cost of copies, postage and their time to secure a particular document. I had a retired school teacher in Smith-TN send me a hand written extraction of every piece of paper in the court house about LANCASTER's and it took at least five years to get it all. Some she found in boxes that even they didn't know they had. She said that the court house was the only warm place in the winter time. I am sure she has `gone to her reward' by now. jerree

Jerree-- This is funny! "> She said that the court house was the only warm place in the winter time." Remember the discussion on the Stewart list about the 'hollars'? I'll try to confuse you a little more now. Tennessee has 8 different terrains. (From West Tennessee to East Tennessee, we have the Mississippi River Valley, the Costal Plain, the Western Valley, the Highland Rim, the Central Basin, the Cumberland Plateau, the Valley and Ridge, and the Unaka Mountains.) The Highland Rim encircles Middle Tennessee (kinda like a donut) and the Central Basin is in the center of the circle (the donut hole). Stewart and Montgomery Counties are located in the upper west of the Highland Rim while Smith County is in the upper east of the Highland Rim. (Nashville, Murfreesboro, Franklin, Gallatin are in the Central Basin.) The Cumberland River flows very near the courthouses in Carthage (Smith Co.), Nashville (Davidson Co.), Clarksville (Montgomery Co.), and Dover (Stewart Co.). Clarksville is on a hill over-looking the river. Dover and Nashville are more at river level---as is Carthage. The difference is Carthage is in a valley on one side of the river and has "hills" on the other side of the river. Carthage has a different 'microclimate' because those hills tend to trap fog, moisture, etc. while blocking the sun a little longer. As I've said before, as world traveled as you are, it's a shame you haven't visited Tennessee! You also asked about the Native Americans in the area so another time I'll try to tell you about them--from the nomadic hunters of the Ice Age (spearpoints have been found in Montgomery Co.). Sandy Ellis