Want to Thank those of you that have helped me again. If anyone is searching the Madden or Simpkins family and can't find them after about 1851 they may have gone to California. After help from this list I traced the John and Elizabeth "Rightmire" Madden family to Solano County California. Charles Simpkins probably was a partner to John Madden at least for a time. When I first found this family in California I had visions of them embarking on a trip across the great plains in a covered wagon, but have found that they went by ship (Port unknown) crossed the Isthmus (Now Panama) on foot and then on by ship probably to San Francisco. There destination was the gold mines, but apparently this venture didn't last two long and they went on to other enterprizes. Alice