I have a gap from about 1865 to about 1876 in knowledge of a male ancestor, born circa 1843, who spent some of his childhood in Morris County and later lived in Essex and Union counties. His newspaper obituary, of unproven reliability, suggests that he went prospecting in a company of about 40 men, and it mentions Arizona as a place he was in and California as a destination (unclear whether he made it to California). Does anyone else on the list have an ancestor from Essex County who prospected in the West, or who went missing around those dates? Thanks in advance for any help. Dave McMane Paris, France