I suggest looking in Bagg's book on Utica or other Oneida County histories (Wager, ec.) as they contain extensive discussions of Post and his family. I do not recall the name, however. Philip Lord, Jr. Director, Division of Museum Services New York State Museum Room CEC 3097 - Empire State Plaza Albany, NY E-mail: [log in to unmask] (518) 486-2037 Website: http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/services.html >>> [log in to unmask] 10/26/02 12:23AM >>> Evening, all, Can someone help this person in their quest. I'll pass along any replies. Thanks. David Minor >>My name is Karen Cain. My screen name is Pippa, a name I took from my research on the Erie Canal. Pippa Post is a character I met in a book by Harvey Chalmers, How the Irish Built the Erie Canal. Ever since I read this book I have been trying to find Pippa as a real character. I want to write more about her. She is the only female character of any importance in the book and she is a major character in the story. A very outstanding woman for her time and instrumental in the building of the canal according to Chalmer's story. From clues in the book about her family I traced her to be a daughter of John Post, the first postmaster of Utica. I found the family geneology in a reference book of Utica history but no mention of a daughter named Pippa. I think this must be a nickname. I researched this particular area of canal history for two years and have many notes. But before I proceed I want to know for sure that she is a real character and not fiction.<< David Minor Eagles Byte Historical Research Pittsford, New York 585 264-0423 [log in to unmask] Visit the Canal Society of New York State page at http://www.canalsnys.org/ To be put on the mailing list for the weekly TimeMaster radio scripts (WXXI-FM 91.5), as well as news of updates to my homepage and a URL of the week, e-mail me at the address above. http://home.eznet.net/~dminor includes NYNY, a series of timelines covering New York City and State, from approximately 1,100,000,000 BC to 1991 AD. "I would undertake to supply your demands if your generosity is equal to them." -John Bartram, U. S. naturalist