Try the Illinois State Archives at this site _http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/archives.html_ (http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/archives.html) If the global search works, it's very good. He's listed as a laborer in the census for 1900 in CA, so maybe he wasn't a farmer. He's also listed as a widower. Do you know if his wife died in Illinois and that's when he moved to California. Anyway, the best way to search is just by his last name and then check the results for Jens. The global search is temperamental but when it works, it is great. Joan in Illinois