Re: the posting of "...Thanks for the info!... I have a distant relative who had a license for a tavern and will include this info in the family narrative." I learned one of the inputs to my posting on this subject was paraphrased from a published book: SOME EARLY SOUTHERN SETTLERS by Billie Redding Lewis. Please acknowledge credit to the author if you distribute the following info from my earlier posting: (2) "In researching for my books on SW Virginia I learned that a night in an inn with meals and transportation was not valued as much as a gallon of whiskey. As you know when the Pilgrims came to New England they had never tasted water; same with those to Virginia; however, there were no land conducive to vinyards, or so they thought; so they raised corn and made corn liquor which they used as currency or for bartering. They sometimes used both methods. Sold the whiskey and used the money, but more often they bartered whiskey for something. I have a letter that one of my ancestors said he would settle the bill if the indebted would just send him so much whiskey. When my mother read the letter she was highly indignant until I explained the monetary system of the 17 and 1800s." Thanks to all who provided input, understanding the lives and times of our ancestors is just as important as learning family names and dates, to me (and others), possibly more. Our ancestors were 'real people' who did important things, each in their own way, when building the framework for our great country. Just like you and I in today's world, one vote, one petition or one attempt to 'make a difference' in some positive way, large or small, can indeed help us to collectively build an even better country and society. Neil McDonald It's also important to have a little fun along the way.