This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: ed57176 Surnames: Classification: census Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.gibson/5616.3.2.1.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Follow up on David A. Gibson: It appears David A. Gibson (1846) also moved from Illinois to Nuckolls County, NE in time for the 1880 US Census. He is married, has a child, and listed as a plasterer. He is still there for the 1900 US Census -same wife, two children. Later US Census records show David A., his wife and oldest child in Colorado. This move to Colorado occurs between 1900 and 1910 - how this fits with the timing of Elisha's death in 1909 has yet to be determined. While still circumstantial, it appears David A. Gibson followed Elisha's family to Nebraska and moved on about the time of his death. In 1870, Bascom Gibson is still in Illinois and his vocation is listed as plasterer. This makes me wonder if Bascom and David A. worked together for a while or if one learned the plastering trade from the other. In other records, Mercy Gibson is found in the 1880 US Census for Lawrenceburg, Dearborn, Indiana living with daughter Laura Gibson Dobell and family. This is the same county where the 1833 Indiana marriage record for David Gibson (1802) and Mercy Allee was recorded. There are records on familysearch.org directly linking several of the children listed in the 1850 US Census to David Gibson (1802) and Mercy Allee. This verifies Mercy's maiden name. It seems most of the children married and went their various directions after the death of David (1802) in 1864. I am beginning to build a family tree for the this family just in case the connection is ever proven. There seems to be a considerable set of records about Mercy's ancestors. No definite links have been found to continue David Gibson's ancestry. Again, none of this positively establishes David and Mercy as the parents of Elisha, but it does establish a relationship between Elisha and David A. which seems to be more than just farmer and farm hand since they both moved to Nuckolls, Nebraska at about the same time. If Elisha is indeed the "missing" older brother from the 1840 US Census it is a puzzle why he left the family by age 18 when the other children seemed to have only moved on after David's (1802) death. Part of me wonders if it has something to do with Elisha's blacksmith apprenticeship. Perhaps he was supposed to learn the trade then come back home to support the family farm with his new skills. Perhaps in marrying Ann Maria Lewis and establishing his own farm he exceeded and/or derailed the expectations of his father. Elisha and Ann Gibson were described by their son-in-law as "Presbyterians of the strictest kind." Perhaps David Gibson was even more strict and kept the family close as long as he could. This is getting interesting. If even half of my theories are close, these Gibson families seem to have some kind of connection. Lacking the definitive record establishing Elisha's direct relationship to this family, I am certain there is something here to continue looking into. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.