One of the few things I’m not entirely sure about James Collins is his birth and where he came from. First off, the name “James Collins” isn’t exactly what you’d call unique. Even the census records can’t keep it straight. I have found his birth location to be everything from Iowa to Ohio to Indiana. According to his headstone, he was born January 28th, 1836.
My wife is connected to Mr. Collins through her paternal grandmother, Barbara Collins. Previously, I had his parents marked down, but recent research indicates that I may have been following the wrong path, so I disconnected that line for now until I can get a clearer picture, which I hope this site will do for me.