He was married in Bellview IL to Amelia Medora Hamilton and lived there at least until 1880. He is there in the 1880 cencus and lists his parents as being born in Saxony. I loose him after that cencus. I found his wife in Wisconsin in the 1900 cencus but she has remarried. In 1900 his son, Frances Leander Melcher, is living in Wisconsin and lists his father as being born in Vermont.