When I haven't been able to locate church records, birth and death records, etc. etc. etc. -- but DO have census record -- I have gotten microfilm copies of newspapers and have gone through them to find wedding announcements, obits -- quite often, I have come up with a little tidbit that gives me a personality insight into the ancestor I am researching. An example: I was looking for a marriage record from 1834 in Rochester, NY. Couldn't find a thing. After a lot of searching -- a newspaper from Rochester carried the wedding announcement. BINGO! Newspaper research takes a lot of time -- when you don't know exact dates -- but, if you have a general idea it can produce good results. Regards, Colleen Hager City, Wisconsin