My grandparents --J.H. Hammond and wife Mary ?? (dates on either not known, nor Mary's maiden name). I have tried to locate anything on my grandparent's but keep hitting a brick wall. Here's the story, Please tell me what I can do to locate anything on this family before Jan. 1914 and about the parent's after the children were placed in a orphanage. J.H. & Mary along with 4 children drifted into Atlanta,Ga. either late 1913 or the beginning of 1914. It was reported that they had been going from place to place begging. They claimed to have come from Spring Place,Tn. (Knox Co. outside of Knoxville,Tn) and said that they had no relatives. Mr. Hammond was much older than his wife and at the time of refferal had been to the Volunteer's Of America's shelter at 164 Auburn Ave, the Alms House and the House of Christian Belpura League. He disappeared before the children were refered to the Children's Home Society for placement in Jan. 1914 and was never located. The mother , at the time of referal was staying at the Volunteer's Of America "Shelter" where she did domestic work. I have searched the 1900 & 1910 as well as the 1920 census for Tn. Ga. and surrounding state's but have either missed or they were not on the census. If the parents did not have any relative's as they reported, was this because the relative's were no longer living or could this ffamily have come to America from another country. Or did they mean, they did not have any relative's in or near Atlanta,Ga. ???? Not haveing more detail's about J.H.or Mary Hammond make's it even harder to find them. What did J.H. stand for and what was Mary's maiden name?? And no dates on either does not help what so ever. What happen to J.H. where, why did he disappear after being with his family for at least 14 or so years without a trace?? The date's of birth on the 4 children was guessed at by the orphanage, there was question marks above each child's date of birth. The oldest daughter was said to have been born about 1900 being 13 at the time of placement in orphanage. And the youngest (my father) was said to have been born about 1909 being 5 yrs old. The day and month of my father's birthday, was the day & month he arrived for the very first time at his foster parent's home. So they chose this day & month to celebrate his birthday, this was suggested by a worker from the orphanage who carried my father to his new foster home. I have found 2 of my dad's sibling's families but still searching for the oldest sister's. But I want more than anything to know what happen to my grandparent's. Where and what kind of records would I look for on them. I desperately need your advice as I'm not an expert by no means. Thank You, Pat