This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Kensler, Cansler, Sioux maidens, DeSmet, Livermore Classification: Biography Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/ok.2ADE/1795 Message Board Post: During her retirement, Mabel Bridges (4/6/1891 - 4/18-1976), using a card file, gathered notes on the earliest Fremont county pioneers. I'm copying the following from Mabel's notes. 1.--1848: William Kenchlear and Extosie-to-Bow were married Oct. 18, 1848 by Father P.J. De Smet.--Atchison county, Missouri, Marriage Book "A", page 24. N.B.: This was the famous Jesuit priest, P.J.DeSmet.--W.F. 2.--1849: Peter Livermore and wife Julia sold half of the northwest quarter of section 23 township 67 range 42 to William Kensler.--Hist. of Fremont county, pp. 402-3. 3.--1850: Federal Census, Fremont county, IOwa William Cansler....40....b. Canada Stacy (Exstacy)...22.........Missouri Angel...................11........Missouri Missouri................6..........Missouri Susan Toussaint....3.........Missouri Serrel.................9/12.......Missouri N.B.: Since Kenseleur (my perferred spelling) was married to a half-breed Sioux woman, one needs to realize that when "Missouri" is used for her place of birth, it means in the "Missouri River Country" and not within the borders of the State....Kenceleur was one of the most enterprising of the FRENCH VILLAGERS: He founded the town of Rulo, Nebraska and was largely responsible for the engineering skill needed for the building of the famous Platte River Bridge on the Oregon Trail in western Wyoming....His son, Toussaint, was later for be executed in Wyoming after being convicted in a well-known trial. He claimed his innocence up to the last, saying he had been framed.--W.F. 4.--1850: Kensler and Livermore licensed to operate a toll bridge across the Nishnabotna.--Minutes, July 1, 1850. N.B.: This bridge crossed the Nishnabotna at the place where Hamburg was later founded. This so-called "French Bridge" was a smaller version of the much larger Platte River Bridge so famous in the history of THE WEST.--W.F. 5.--1852: Fremont county Census, "Madison township" William Rensler (sic)....4m....2f 6.--1854: Mabel notes that he is not shown in this county census. If I remember correctly, his group built the Platte River Bridge during the winter of 1853, so, if correct, he could well have been in THE WEST taking care of whatever needed to be done with its construction and correction during the spring months.--W.F. 7.--1856: Iowa State Census, Fremont county, "Madison township" William Kensler....52....b. Canada....10 years in the State Julia....................17.........Ind. Ter. Zu.......................10.........Iowa Susan (Tousan!)....8..........Iowa Serril....................6..........Iowa Harriet................5/12.......Iowa