In a message dated 8/24/2004 9:37:14 PM Central Standard Time, KnowltonEW@compuserve.com writes: Ellen, Please excuse if I have answered this already. If it is not you, someone else has been searching this family for quite a while because I recognize IT now from many postings. My latest web searches suggest that it was not Barbara Smith and Benj Knowlton who married in Marshall, IL, but one of their daughters. There is a Clarke county history on line that states this. Or do you have a marriage record? Have you looked for Barbara's divorce record in IL? Have you found ANY of the family before 1880? I notice that Barbara's mother lived a long time and has another name than Smith--looks like Sopha Echols on the 1900. Have you traced her also? Might give you some clues. On the 1880 the daughters are Susan, Jessie, and Florence. Hattie has already married? Divorce was so serious then that Benjamin must have been a real cad--maybe lied about his background or even his name. I assume you have collected 1930, 1920, 1910, etc censuses on mother and the girls plus all marriage and death records, church records, city directories, obituaries, etc. Something in Marshall will lead you back to 1870. Hello! Yes, I do actually have a marriage record for Benjamin Knowlton and "Barbary Smith" dated 3 September 1858 in Clark County, as well as a marriage record for their daughter (my g-grandmother) Susan Knowlton and Louis Korn from 1883. I found a quote in a book saying that Hattie married Ivan G. Barlow in 1879, also in Clark Co. Here it stated that her father, Benjamin Knowlton, was from Massachussetts. On Barbara's death certificate, it said her parents were Alfred Smith and Mary "Owenslager" (this information was provided by Jessie Knowlton, who never married). However, on the 1900 census, as well in a newspaper announcement, her mother was listed as Sophia Eckel. I have found the will of Henry Eckel leaving all his possessions to his wife "Sophy" but there is no mention of any children. I did find a Henry and Sophia Eckel in the 1870 and 1860 Clark Co. censuses with children listed as Bernhart and Anna M. (or Emma). According to the 1900 census, Barbara and Sophia immigrated from Germany in 1850. I did find Benjamin and Barbara Knowlton in the 1860 census with Hattie, but that is the only definite record I have of him in a census. Other than that, I have found no further mention of Alfred and Mary Smith, Benjamin Knowlton or Louis Korn. In 1900, Barbara was living in Marshall, IL with her mother, Sophia, and Susan's sons, Ray and Ben. In 1890, Susan was living in Terre Haute but her husband was no place to be found. I frequently found her under her maiden name. Unfortunately, when I went to Marshall IL a couple of years ago, the divorce records were unavailable. I did find a Benjamin Knowlton in Lake County, IL in 1870, but I don't know if he is mine. I found Louis Korn and his parents in 1860 in St. Louis, MO and in 1880 in Marshall, IL. but haven't found them in any other census. These Korn and Knowlton men are very elusive! I am really hoping to find where Benjamin Knowlton came from and where he disappeared to. I don't know where he was living between his birth (about 1836) and when he appeared in Marshall in 1858. I guess I am just unsure of how to continue with him since I have no idea who is family was. *sigh* I appreciate your help and suggestions! Ellen