Hi- I hope you find some data on your Rio ancestors, Stan. Myu ancestors are from Columbus, and I made a trip there several years ago. It was fantastic. The town itself still looked much like it must have when my great grandfather lived there. The old buildings have been preserved, and they try to protect the historical aspects and the "small town" feeling. I spent time at the library, even though the librarian said they didn't have much. But I spent days finding stuff she didn't realize was valuable for family research. I hope you have good luck like that. Pat Darling Montana "sr" <flagman3@earthlink.net> wrote: Well, now that I know there are folks out there, I impatiently ask questions. Did Wis. have state census in 1870-80? Does anyone have the state or federal census that they would like to do a look up? Are there folks out there with info on Rio in this time frame? Has anyone ever heard of a place called 'Blue Cart' Are there specific sources that might pertain to Norwegians, or was there a church that may have records. Any good URL's to search? Tips on Wi research? Sorry if I'm impatient, but after 10 years of searching in MN, I have made some progress! Thanks , Stan . ____________________________________________________________________ Get free email and a permanent address at http://www.netaddress.com/?N=1