Was Great Great Great Grandpa Coleman Counted Twice In The 1860 Census?

Just this week I was on http://www.ancestry.com/ and searching for information on my Coleman line. My great great great grandfather Alexander ( Elic ) Coleman was born 10 January 1805 in Connecticut, traveled west and ended up in Nebraska where he passed away on 01 September 1873

I found him in the 1860 Iowa census on 21st of July listed as Alexander. Living with him is his wife Kate and 9 children.

I was on the hunt for Alexander in the 1870 census and could not find him. At this time I decided to add his nick name of "Elic' at http://www.ancestry.com/ and a leaf came up with a hint.

I though Yea it is the 1870 census, but no it was another 1860 census for Elic Coleman. First thought was no way but went and looked at it. It was from the area in Nebraska where he had lived but I did not recognize any names of the people in the house he was living There was another Coleman listed in the home . I left that census and keep searching for him in 1870 with still no luck.

I then decided to go back to the 1860 Nebraska census and look again to the name of a Coleman man living in this house with Elic and it was William which was one of Elic's son's name.

I looked at the others living in the area and they are all names that I recognized.

This census was taken 17th August 1860. It seems that Alexander / Elic was in Iowa when that census was taken then left and traveled to Nebraska with his son William to visit family and friends and get land to settle with his family.

So while being counted twice in the 1860 census can be confusing, I did find when he went to Nebraska to settle, bringing the rest of his family at a later time.

The Nebraska state census taken in 1877 I have found Alexander's son John Henry and his family.

Checking the 1880 census I found Catherine as head of house and living with her is daughter Jane and a Hester Paul. Hester was unknown to me but by looking at the relationship I found that she was the younger sister of the head of house and that she was widowed. I now have a sibling of Catherine that I did not know of. A new relative to search in the future.

The census's are great tools. They can tell us where our family lived and who were their neighbors.

The hunt continues another day..

Thanks for stopping by.. Grace