Greg, James Henry Woods Sr was born somewhere in PA in 1822, and his parents in NY. He married in Bradley Co, TN to a RoseMary Self, in 1845. I haven't located him yet in 1850-or 1860, but most likely extreme southern IL, or KY, or TN. Some of the Woods family had even settled in MO territory early in 1800s. James Jr and Margaret were born IL in 1862 and 1864. But on 1870 census, the family was in Webster Co (Seymour and Marshfield ) in SW MO, where my father was born. So I'm still flying blind on this genealogy trip into the past, because he died when I was 8.

I agree on how important could be the census records of 1850 and 1860. I also understand IL may have had a state census in 1866. Thanks for your reply.bob