I am hoping the ever-helpful members of this list can help me clear up a mystery. I know for sure that my gggrandfather, Leander J. Carpenter married Permelia Ellen Howe in 1856 in Wisconsin and migrated with his young family to Nebraska in 1866. Sources include a family Bible belonging to his wife, family members, and his daughter's lengthy obituary from a Liberty newspaper. Moreover, he is listed on page 716 of "Portrait and Biographical Album of Gage County, Nebraska," published by Chapman Brothers in 1888. Leander settled first in Pawnee County near Mission Creek and later in Gage County, in or near Liberty. He died in 1893. The problem? Not one state or federal census--1870, 1880, or 1885 (state) includes Leander and his family. Records for the 1890 census, I recall, were largely destroyed. While I have no access to these records myself, a kindly volunteer worked overtime to hunt down this individual, with no luck. Can someone tell me how this elusive individual could have evaded every census? One, I could understand. Sorry for the long post, but I am really curious. Barbara Archer