Perhaps someone could offer some tips for beginning wagon trail research. I am been doing other research for some time, but I am not that familiar with wagon train research, and perhaps I am missing obvious sources. I have checked a number of websites on the subject, and reviewed numerous passenger lists, such as they are, but find nothing helpful even slightly helpful. My ggg grandparents went west, evidently as a courting couple, and married in Folsom, CA, near Sacramento in 1866. They aren't lost--they later went back to Brookfield, Wisconsin and stayed, where ggg grandpa had many many stories about his adventures on the trail west. He was, by family tradition, leading or otherwise participating in taking wagon trains west for a period of many years. He had a buffalo rug and a large gold nugget which was said to be from "the gold rush," but he was too young to have been a 49-er in California, so we have wondered about that.. (Someone on the list mentioned a gold strike in Montana). Supposedly he was a friend of Bill Cody and learned to speak some Indian languages. (A local historically minded person here in Wisconsin interviewed CB about all his experiences on the trail shortly before his death, but sadly, nothing was evidently done with that manuscript, which seems to be lost to history as a result, a reminder to us all to assure that our research is placed somewhere and not lost if something happens to us.) The names I am looking for are: Charles B. "C.B." COLEMAN, b. 1841, Cazenovia, Madison Co. NY, m. Folsom, CA, 1866, d. 1930 in WI. Perhaps his parents: Hiram Augustus "H.A." COLEMAN, b. 1817-? and MATILDA CARPENTIER/CARPENTER C.B's bride, Julia Sapronia FORSTING, b. 1841, Cazenovia, Madison Co., NY, d. 1926 in WI. Julia father: John Henry FORSTING, b. 1825/6 in The Netherlands, d. 1876 in WI. and either Julia's mother, Laura A. Strowbridge CLARK, who disappears from all records after Julia's birth but is not believed to have died then, or the second wife, Helena PLATTNER, b. 1825 in Hoboken, Madison Co., NY, d. 1895, WI. John Henry's brothers, Andrew FORSTING and Lester FORSTING, who are also believed to have gone west. All suggestions for further research are appreciated. Pam Berger, berger@netstream.net