My g2gfather, Thomas S. Jordan, was born on 3 January, 1832 in Macon, Bibb county, GA (according to his obit). Both of his parents were born in GA (according to his later census). I have no information about his life between 1832 and 1847. In 1847, he began apprenticeship as a printer in "the Advertiser" office (this is from his newspaper obit in Ashland, AL - I am assuming that this means the "Advertiser" newspaper in Montgomery, AL, but could possibly be in Forsyth, GA). I can not find him on the 1850 census, either in GA or AL. In 1852, he was foreman of the job office that printed the Code of Alabama (Brittan and DeWolf, State Printers, Montgomery, AL), according to a bio. writeup - I have no documentation for this. A Thomas JORDAN was a member of the Columbian Lodge, No. 7, Columbus, Georgia, in 1854 (according to the GA Lodge Book for that year). I suspect that was my g2gfather, who would have been 22 years old. On the 10th of October, 1859, at Wedowee, Alabama, Thomas married Mary Creel who was born in Carroll county, GA; she was the daughter of Jordan Creel and Mary (Polly) White, both of Carroll county, and a descendant of John Creel and John White of early VA. The 1860 Randolph Co., AL, census, Wedowee, Dwelling 17, has: T.G.W. Jourdan (28 yrs, male, printer, born in GA, married within the yr), Mary Jourdan (22 yrs, female, HW, born in GA, married within the yr), and Cinthia Jourdan (38 yrs, female, HW, born in SC) Thomas G.W. Jordan married Cynthia Smith in Harris County, GA, July 14, 1853. Thomas S. Jordan and Mary Creel married in 1859. Apparently, the man listed in the Randolph county census is Thomas S., not Thomas G.W. Where was T.G.W., and what relationship is he to Thomas S.? On July 21, 1860, Thomas and Mary's first son, Joseph Wiley Jordan, was born in Randolph county, AL. In 1862, a second son, William D. Jordan, was born to Thomas and Mary. In 1864, their daughter, Mary, was born. Thomas was a courier for the C. S. A. between West Point, GA and Talladega, AL during the Civil War. I can not find him on a muster roll. After the war, he farmed for a while near Opelika, AL, then worked as a printer until starting his own newspaper, The Opelika Reformer. The 1870 census shows: Girard Beat No. 1, County of Russell, AL, Post Office Columbus, GA, 27th day of June 1870, J.B. Healy, Asst. Marshall 515--598 Jourden, Thomas 38 M W Farmer GA Mary 32 F W Keep House GA Joseph 10 M W GA William 8 M W GA Mary 6 F W AL Little Mary died at age 7; Mary L. C. JORDAN, born March 4, 1864, died August 29, 1871, is buried by herself in the Girard Cemetery in Phenix City, Alabama. Thomas and Mary then adopted another little girl, Mary Dyson, b. 1876. Apparently they did not legally adopt her, since she kept the surname Dyson. In 1876, Thomas, Mary and the children moved from Opelika to Coosa County, AL, where he and his sons published The Coosa News. In 1878, they moved to Ashland, AL, in Clay county, where they began publishing The Clay County News. The 1880 census for Ashland, Clay Co AL; Stamped page 69; 03 Jun 1880; Asst Marshall J F Cole; Dwelling #58; Family #58: JORDAN Thomas W M 48 Married Printer GA GA GA Mary W F 42 wife married KH GA GA GA Joseph W. W M 20 son printer AL GA GA Willis D W M 18 son printer AL GA GA DISON Mary J W F 4 adopted AL AL AL Thomas was active in the Baptist Church, the Masonic Lodge, and the local Democratic Party. Son Joseph worked with newspapers through medical school, then practiced medicine in Ashland, Clay county, Alabama until his death in 1951; he was elected to and served in the Alabama state legislature in the 1930s. He married (1) Elizabeth Cannon, with whom he had six children before her death in 1991 (Joseph Dotson, Florence Aryadney, Thomas Wiley, Lula Elizabeth, Minnie Iola, and Lidia Isabella); and and (2) Augusta Wesley, with whom he had five children (Mary Beatrice, Jesse Alonza, Uriah Lavert, Otis Leon, and Katie Dell). Mary Creel Jordan lived with Joseph Wiley's family until her death in 1921. Son William D. was married to (1) Victoria __?__, with whom he had two children (Lester L. and Thomas Bennett); (2) Frances E. Stevens, with whom he had five children (Mittice, Alma, Mollie, William Ambrose, and Payton Howard); and (3) Mae Belle __?__, with whom he had four children (Willie Belle, Fannie Mae, and twin sons who died as infants). Adopted daughter Mary Dyson m. Robert L. Thurman in 1893 in Clay county, AL. At 9:15 PM, 6 May, 1894, Thomas S. Jordan died in Ashland, AL; he is buried in the Old Ashland City Cemetery. I can find no trace of his birth family. Thomas is my most frustrating brick wall; I would greatly appreciate any and all suggestions, connections, or help of any sort. Thank you!!!!