Don - That's interesting. The period of time is about right. My great grandparents were born 1835 and '37. Their first child was pre Civil War in 1859. The others were born after the war was over. They lived in the Penhook area on the eastern edge of Franklin Co. As I said, they traveled by rail all the way from Franklin Co. to Callaway Co. My great-great grandfather Isham Hodges, born ca 1792, was also a blacksmith and farmer in the same area of Franklin Co. It might be interesting to see if your Dickenson family lived in Callaway Co., MO in the 1890 census. These two small towns were directly across the river from Jefferson City, MO which is the state capital. On their side of the river were primarily agricultural communities. The ferry from Cedar City to Jefferson City was one of the main passage routes for migration westward. I'm sorry that all I have is that little tease of a newspaper clipping that has left me puzzled for over 30 years as to who Mrs. Dickinson/Dickenson was to my family. I can only assume that she was a friend with possibly with a VA background. As my great grandmother grew up in the same area with a father who was also a blacksmith and farmer, the friends of the family in VA would probably be mutual. In a message dated 7/16/07 9:49:48 PM Mountain Daylight Time, DDickenson@aol.com writes: > This was possibly the wife of Samuel Noten Dickenson, son of my third great > > grandfather, Robert Nathaniel Dickenson from Franklin Co., VA. Samuel was > born July 22, 1845 in Edgar Co., IL (the family had moved from VA to IL in > 1835) and he died July 26, 1919 in Grandville, Kent Co., Michigan. He was > listed > as single and still living in Edgar Co., IL in the 1880 census and he > married Alice Cracraft there on February 5, 1884. I have no information > beyond > that date. > > Don Dickenson ************************************** Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL at http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour