This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: amagi71 Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.ohio.unknown/13571.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Hopefully I am not leading you down the wrong path with the following, but here a couple interesting possibilities: 1. The 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal census records for California show a Thomas L. McDougall and his wife living in California. In 1910 they are living in Los Angeles. In 1920 and 1930 they are living in Carpinteria, Santa Barbara, California. He was apparently born in Ohio in 1877 and his father's birthplace is listed as Scotland. Could he be an older brother who was given the name of the father? Two potential problems, however. First, his name is given as McDougall as opposed to MacDougall (Mc vs. Mac). Second, his mother is listed on two occasions as being from Kentucky and on another from Ohio. This is quite different from something as specific as "Irish free state." Doing a quick check of other Mc/MacDougall's born in Ohio in California from 1920-1930 yields a few other names but none that seem to come close to fitting. 2. In 1920 widower John Adams and his daughter Rose E. Adams both of New York are living in Precinct 45 of Los Angeles. This is obviously Rose and her father (although their birth years are clearly incorrect.) Arthur is not listed with them. Presumably he must be living in the general area of Los Angeles as you noted above. My best guess then would be a misspelling of MacDougall or perhaps a career that took him out of the state causing him to miss the enumeration. That might be a bit of a stretch until you consider that the 1924 voter registration record for Precinct 91 indicates that he was a "conductor." Presumably this means a railway conductor? Would that explain why he isn't found in the other records? In 1930 he is now listed as a restaurant owner. Got tired of being on the rails away from his wife? As I said, I hope this isn't misleading, but when all else fails... Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.