My ancestor, Lewis Gentry Wright, first shows up in the census records in 1850, as Louis Burks. He has a brother, Grundy Burks, listed in this same census. Lewis was born abt.1839 in MO, and Grundy was born abt. 1837 in KY. Here's the kicker: DNA evidence shows that Lewis is a McCarty. It's a convoluted, hot mess with lots of twists and turns.
In 1860, Lewis is listed as a Wright. The Emeline Burks that seems to be his mother in 1850 is now Emeline Callaway and is living with him and his new wife. She has a daughter (along with other children) named Sarah Burks in 1860. A scratched family note in our possession states that Sarah is Lewis' cousin. I have a copy of Sarah's death certificate from California, and it only lists her mother as Emeline Burks. No father. Since Lewis died in 1877, we have no death certificate.
In the last five to six years, I have put together family history from all six descending lines of Lewis' children. Every line tells the oral history of Lewis changing his surname to Wright, but we have no record of what his original surname was.
The courthouse burned in 1901.
I am open to any and all suggestions.