Dear newcomers to these lists: All genealogists need to know about a useful tool in trying to locate your ancestors who were living in time for the 1850 census or prior censuses. This tool is located at all LDS family history centers and is on hundreds of microfiche. If you do not know whether there is an LDS FHC in your vicinity, check the lists on <A HREF="www.familysearch.org">www.familysearch.org</A> A link to the lists should be on the lower right--there are over 3,500 of them around the world. To learn about AIS (Accelerated Indexing System) on the microfiche, which I mentioned previously, go to the Search tab on the first screen of the familysearch.org On the left, click on Sorted by Title A listing beginning with the letter A should be immediately available Look for the second item entitled "Accelerated Index System" Read each link under that title and learn as much as you can. Then telephone your LDS center and ask the hours and days of opening. They are not open all the time, as they are staffed by volunteers--unpaid, that is. Make a list of all the surnames you want to search--and the places where you think they lived. Remember that in 1790 and earlier, the US was not very big. Kentucky had not yet been admitted to the Union, so it May be called Virginia. Some tax lists are included (very helpful) to make up for missing 1790 censuses. I would start with the Search which closely matches when I know my ancestor was living. For instance, if in 1850, my person were living in Ohio, I would look in the Search for 1850 for Ohio. Each Search is a different census year, or a different part of the country. This is why you need to read the instructions!!! Please know that this Index (AIS) is full of errors--misspellings (use your imagination), omissions, duplications, etc. Still, it can be a useful tool. Read the instructions carefully (maybe even print them out), and begin with one of the later Searches (census year). But do NOT overlook the 1850 and 1860 mortality schedules. Amazingly, I discovered two ancestors on the 1860 mortality schedule--gave their ages and what they died of--oh, yes, and where they were born. This was a lot more information that I had been given by previous genealogists of these two families!! Learn to use this tool. I think it may help you over some brick walls. All professionals use AIS when starting out with a new client. E.W.Wallace