This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Harris Patterson Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/HAB.2ACI/850 Message Board Post: Hi, I found my Emeline "Emma" Patterson in the 1870 Wyandotte Co., KS census. She is a cook in a family. Emma married a Hugh "Louis/Lewis" Harris. I have never been able to find Hugh "Louis/Lewis" Harris in the 1870 census. However, I believe they married between 1870 and 1880, probably in Wyandotte Co., KS. They moved to Lyon Co., KS, where they lived most of their lives. No marriage record for them in Lyon Co., KS. Can anyone point me in the right direction to find a marriage record? This family is African American. Thanks! Diane Payne in Seattle, WA

Hi Diane, I have a couple of thoughts on this couple. Since county recorded marriages won't help you, you might ask a research librarian if there were any area newspapers that might have covered a marriage. It seems to me that you need to know exactly where they lived - to identify churches - and if the 1870 census has the ward where Emma lived, there should be ward maps available either through the library or county courthouse that will help you pinpoint her neighborhood. I know that Quindaro, which is at about 27th St in KCK had a large African American population because it was an important stop on the underground railroad. It is supposed to have it's own set of important records for the community. I don't know when KCK city directories began; other KS and IA towns seemed to publish as early as 1860-70. I know that by the turn of the century, there were KCK directories. These listed people every year. You might get a general year of marriage if Lewis turned up in one with Emma because the old directories often listed all the members of a household. Do make sure that you check out what newspapers were publishing for your area of Lyon county. They are my best source of info for the years when counties didn't keep records and the last place that people seek info. The smaller papers are actually best, they tended more toward local gossip. Most are copied onto microfilm and you can request, through your library or family center, that they be sent and then look through the rolls yourself. Lastly, I am probably not a great person to be trying to help you. I can't begin to know the lay of the land for African American research. In reading through the little old newspapers, I've often clipped articles, planning on writing how horrible and extreme the prejudice was in the late 1800s and well into the 20th century. The Ku Klux Klan was still going strong in the 20s/30s and I am sure there was a good deal of segregation. I urge you to find a someone or a group whose expertise is in the area. The downtown KCK librarian should be a great source for that. There are also some links through the KU historical site. http://www.ku.edu/heritage/towns/kansascity.html You're welcome to the help and, again, good luck, Pat On 5 Jul 2006 18:06:42 -0600, dianepay@aol.com <dianepay@aol.com> wrote: > > This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. > > Surnames: Harris Patterson > Classification: Query > > Message Board URL: > > http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/HAB.2ACI/850 > > Message Board Post: > > Hi, > I found my Emeline "Emma" Patterson in the 1870 Wyandotte Co., KS census. > She is a cook in a family. > > Emma married a Hugh "Louis/Lewis" Harris. I have never been able to find > Hugh "Louis/Lewis" Harris in the 1870 census. However, I believe they > married between 1870 and 1880, probably in Wyandotte Co., KS. > > They moved to Lyon Co., KS, where they lived most of their lives. No > marriage record for them in Lyon Co., KS. > > Can anyone point me in the right direction to find a marriage record? > > This family is African American. > > Thanks! > Diane Payne in Seattle, WA > > > ==== KSWYANDO Mailing List ==== > KSWYANDO-L Discussion List > List Administrator > John O'Brien > JohnOBrien@kc.rr.com > > ============================== > View and search Historical Newspapers. Read about your ancestors, find > marriage announcements and more. Learn more: > http://www.ancestry.com/s13969/rd.ashx > >