I have been searching for my gr gr grandfather Simpson Franklin Gates (born IN) and his son Michael C. Gates (born MO) in the 1870 census for ages now...actually it seems like eons! They have to be out there somewhere. On ancestry.com the 1870 census will pull up some 300 odd Gates, if you search by last name only. I have gone through this list time after time. Odd thing is...most of those Gates (while born all around the world) seem to be in CA and just 1 or 2 other states. This strikes me as being very strange. I did find a S.F. GATES (age 1 yr) in a family in Wilson Co KS...that could be linked to my MO Gates, after the civil war and 1880, my family is then found in Randolph Co AR...but between the war, and 1880???? The KS enumerator simply used initials...darn him. I believe there is no true index for this census? Does anyone have an idea or suggestion that might help me with this search and the 1870 census? Gena Gates Lally Genealogy = disturbing the dead, and irritating the living.