larry/nancy baldwin wrote: > Hello, > > The ancestors I am trying to find moved throughout the four or five countys > by Eau Claire. At times they were in Chippewa, Dunn, Barron, Rusk, and/or > Jackson, as well as Eau Claire. To clarify a little, they weren't nomads, > but there are many adult siblings and cousins, who all came from the Ottawa > County area of Quebec in the 1860's and 1870's, and settled around that > area. How can I search the area the most effectively. You are the only one > with a mailing list , but nobody in Eau Claire has heard of the Murphys, Mc > Donnells or Dunnigans. I see that Dunn County has a Genealogy Society. Do > you know if the other countys do? I am planning todrive over to do some > research, and would like to find places that would help me find where these > folk lived, worked, and who their families were- maybe where they died. > > Can you give me some ideas? > > Thank you, > > Nancy Baldwin Hi Nancy, I did a little research this afternoon and found the following addresses: Chippewa Co. Genealogical Society c/o Anne (Adams) Keller 123 Allen St. Chippewa Falls WI 54729 Dunn Co. Genealogical Society P O Box 633 Menomonie WI 54751 Barron Co. Genealogical Society 1122 Knapp St. Cheteck WI 54728 I couldn't find a society for either Jackson or Rusk counties. Have you ever tried doing research at an Area Research Center? The one thought that jumped out in my mind while reading your message was, if you're not sure who was where, why not check the census records first? Most ARC's have the census records for the whole state, so depending on where you live, you could be saving yourself a long "drive". I think there was a 1880 soundex which would make your searching really easy. Once you pinpoint your ancestors, then it's much easier to then go to the local court houses, etc. and look the records up yourself -- or contact the local Gen. Soc. for help. I hope this will give you some help. If you have more questions please feel free to ask. Also, if anyone else has any suggestions here -- come on and jump in. The more help, the merrier! -- Nance