The following was posted by Ted Steele <[email protected]> on Wed, 26 Jan 2000 on the Yuba County GenConnect Query Forum: - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Surname: Steele, Steel My great-grandfather, William Wilson Steele, left his home in Delaware County, Iowa, for the gold rush on 1 April 1852. (That date is taken from his obit.) He remained "out west" until August 1866, when he returned to Iowa. I have no details as to how he travelled, where he wound up, or what he did there. We do know that he was injured (the family story is that he "took an arrow in the leg") because he walked with a crutch when he returned to Iowa. Can anyone provide me with basic sources to search? I have already checked the Federal and State censuses for California during this period. There is a possible Wm Steele from Iowa listed in the 1852 state census in Yuba County (p. 134), but the age isn't right. The guy in the census is age 28; my William (b. 1835) would have been 17. Are there indexes to claimes filed, wagon trains to/from, etc??? I'd appreciate any leads. Thanks, Ted - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Any replies should be sent to the Yuba County GenConnect Query Forum [<http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Ca/Yuba>] unless it is personal or involves live people addresses etc. when it should be sent to Ted Steele <[email protected]>. --