I was doing a bit of research for a friend on an ancestor named Amos Owens.  He was born in Rutherford, North Carolina, about 1821, and he died there in 1906.  All of his census records are in Rutherford, but I couldn’t find one for him there in 1880.

One result did pop up for him, but the residence, was Albany, New York.  It just didn’t seem right.  But a negative fine is just as important as a positive find, so I took a look:

He was a prisoner in the Albany County Penitentiary.  Turns out Amos made more than a bit of moonshine in North Carolina.

Always look in the expected places first.  But if those don’t pan out, start to open your search.  You just never know what might be hiding in your family tree. :-)

Happy Searching

Ancestry Anne