Thanks for your response. I have a question: When you say that you wish someone with the Goins surname would realize that the AA Goins' were free for a quite a while, who do you mean? I only ask because I have received much resistance from some of the Gowen's/Goins aficionadoes on a list that shall remain nameless.

Again I have an 1850 Ohio Census and on it, in the column for race ( W B or M), it is either blank or has a check mark; no letters. The only clue I have is where the Census was taken: in a black ward of the city. This isn't conclusive but a start.

Just my research experience.