Gail,

HQ is indeed a great resource for the reasons you cite and there is usually little or no cost involved for most people.

NEHGS (sorry I flubbed the initials before) is the New England Historic Genealogical Society, http://www.newenglandancestors.org/. I don't know what the cost for annual membership is, but one of the databases they offer is based on Carter G. Woodson's book "Free Negro Heads of Families in the United States in 1830". If you recall they provided free access to this database during the month of February and it's a really great database. I don't do enough research in that time period for me to justify the cost of an annual membership but if you do it's well worth the cost.

Ron