This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Steinmeyer, Eckman, Eckmann Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/JW.2ADI/820.1.1.1.2 Message Board Post: The evidence I have for Henry Louis STEINMEYER being adopted is indirect. We first see Henry at age 4 in the 1880 census of Sacramento, CA (Roll 71, p. 84C), living with Frederick W. STEINMEYER and his wife, Anna. Henry's relationship is given as "Adpt Son." As the Relationship field is supposed to relate to the head-of-household, this makes it clear that Henry is not Frederick's biological son, but it does not rule out that he might be Anna's son from a prior marriage, though usually in such a case he would be called a step-son, rather than an adopted son. By the 1900 census, Henry is married and living with his wife. We find Frederick & Anna still living in Sacramento, CA (Roll 98, p. 184B), and living with them is Frederick's widowed mother-in-law, Catherine ECKMAN. Assuming Catherine had not remarried after birthing Anna, we have tentatively determined that Anna's maiden name is ECKMAN. In the "San Francisco Call" newspaper, there is a mention of the 1873 marriage of Fred. Wm. STEINMEYER & Anna ECKMANN, so indeed, ECKMAN/ECKMANN is Anna's maiden name. What this marriage record also tells us is that Anna did not have a prior marriage (unless it was to another ECKMANN!), so unless Henry is her illegitimate son, he is her adopted son, too. Also of importance in the 1900 census is that Anna gives her child-birthing status as "0|0," meaning zero children born (so obviously, zero children surviving). In my opinion, the weight of evidence here overwhelmingly supports that Henry was adopted. Of course, we still want direct evidence, not just indirect evidence, so I would search the records in Sacramento County for the guardianship/adoption papers for Henry. If we're very lucky, they will name at least one of his parents. Am I going to do it? No, because I'm not a descendant of Henry. My work on this line is finished.