Isaac and Hattie lived in Carson Valley for some years, at least between their marriage in 1859 and the birth of their two youngest, surviving daughters, Mary Ann and Emma Jean. Mary Ann was born on the 11th of July 1862 and Emma Jean on the 9th of June 1863.

Another daughter called Marguine was registered in the 1860 Census, age 3 months, and is also to be found in the 1862 Territorial Census for Douglas County, Nevada. Isaac was 27 years old, Harriet 23  and Mary (as written) 3 years old. They were recorded in Long Valy and Wades Valy. In the same census, Luther Olds age 32 was recorded on the Olds Ranch, with wife Mary age 23. The population of Douglas County in 1862 was 995 in all.   

Harriet thus became a mother when she was only 15½ years old, a tough situation in Carson Valley in those days but probably not unusual. And it appears that the baby girl Marguine did not survive, as there are no further records of her - no birth certificate or record of her burial. Perhaps this is not so strange - I have found no birth certificates for Mary Ann or Emma Jean either.

1860 US Census

According to the 1860 census,  Harriet lived with her older sister  Melvina in the same house in Carson City, together with Ike, Luther, the children, and a group of lodgers.



Read more about Ike´s connections with Luther in On Trial for Murder and The Olds Brothers.

Luther Olds age  31 Farmer/farrier, born in NY
Melvina Olds age 20. Born in TN
Cordelia Olds 3 years old, born in Utah
Isaac Olds 2 months old, born in Utah 

Free Inhabitants in Carson Valley in the County of Carson City Utah enumerated on the 28th day of September 1860

Isaac Gandy age 25. Occupation Trader Born in England. Value of personal estate $ 875
Harriet Gandy age 16. Born in TN
Marguine Gandy 3 months old, born in Utah

(At this time Carson City was part of the Territory of Utah. It later became part of the State of Nevada.)

I have found no official record of Isaac's and Harriet's marriage, but after contact with the County Recorder I discovered that many records were lost in a fire.

In the family tree for Isaac and Harriet on Rootsweb their marriage is recorded and the source is given as follows:

" Statement of Leah C. Olds to Leonard E. Olds."

There is some confusion about Carson City and Carson Valley. Most of Isaac's acitivites were in Carson Valley. Christine Craigo has pointed out that I sometimes get these mixed up. In Isaac's days Carson Valley was a place with a number of villages e.g. Sheridan, Mottsville and Douglas County seat Genoa. Carson City is about 15-20 miles further north.

See enclosed map showing location of Carson City and Carson Valley, the latter showing Sheridan where Luther Olds' ranch was located. Maps courtesy Christine Craigo

Searching for possible family notices in the local paper, I found two references to Isaac Gandy in the Carson Daily Appeal during this period, both in 1865. The Daily Appeal had a column headed "LIST OF LETTERS remaining at the Carson City Post Office September 16 1865" with the instruction "Persons calling for these Letters will please say ADVERTISED". I guess this Post Restante service was for those with no fixed address or people on the trail.

There were two lists of names from letters waiting to be collected: Ladies' List and Gentlemans' List. The Ladies List was much shorter than the Gentleman's List.

Isaac's name was on the lists published in the  Carson Daily Appeal on September 17th 1865 and December 2nd 1865. Perhaps these letters were from his family in England - I know they did have some contact.

In 1870 Isaac filed a land patent with the county recorder of Douglas County, Nevada, to register ownership of a plot of land. Douglas County, Nevada, is due south of Carson City and Lake Tahoe (see map). The plot comprised 80 acres and lies right next to the Nevada/California borderline, almost opposite the townships of Markleeville and Woodfords in Alpine County on the California side of the border. Read a transcript of Isaac's land patent here and more about Isaac's real estate holdings here.

Notice

"This is to certify that I have this day purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land of Isaac Gandy situated in the lower end of Upper Dutch Valley commencing at cap Smiths east line thence running one mile down the Valley and eighty rods wide exclusively for Ranching purposes"

Carson Valley, March 15/60

                                                   James Pierce

My transcription from copy of handwritten entry by Carson County, Utah (Ter) Recorder, courtesy of Nevada State Library and Archives

Together with Pierce, Isaac ran a stagecoach line and livery out of Salt Lake City. Read more here