thnks.... 8-) I just remembered now (been a few years back we went through all that).. that the 1880 Federal Census John Murphy household was listed as being in Mechanicsville, MONTGOMERY County, Maryland... which is what set us off trying to find out where in Montgomery Co. could such a town have been and that led to the discovery that Olney ahd long ago been called that.. Also the Railroad passed through Olney then.. and my grandfatehr (born in harford Co., MD) worked for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad... and somehow or another he had to meet my grandmother..... thanks again... 8-) Joe [email protected]