My great grandparents married in MN in 1867. They first settled in MO about 1870...give or take a year or two. Their first child was born in MO abt 1870, the second one within a year or so of the first one. I have searched numerous times and do not locate them in the MO census for 1870. In 1880 they are found in the MN Federal census due to a family illness, they remained in MN for nearly 10 years. When they returned to MO they settled in Oregon Co for a short time and then homesteaded some land at Dora in Douglas Co. Within 5 years that land was sold (I think) and they returned to the Rover/Highland Twp. area of Oregon Co. Sorry to make such a long story out of this...BUT....Does anyone know how I can find where they 1st settled in MO in the early 1870's? I do not have exact dates of birth for the first child but feel fairly certain that I am correct within a year or so. Were birth records kept at that time? I located them in Douglas Co by doing a land records search. Family has stated that they returned to Oregon Co about 1890. And I have census records for the years after that. I have several marriage records for the children in later years....but those years between the marriage of Alanson W. Barnes/Barns and Harriett Briggs Barnes/Barns in MN and settling somewhere in MO, are a complete blank. Several people on the list have done census searches for me without result....Any other suggestions? Thank you... Gena Gates Lally