Hi,

I see Harry C and family in 1910 - including a daughter in law, and child:

Name: Harry C Thompson
Age in 1910: 56
Estimated birth year: abt 1854
Birthplace: Virginia
Home in 1910: 4-Wd Erie, Erie, Pennsylvania
Neighbors: View Results
Race: Colored
Gender: Male

I guess what I don't see is how you connect this family in Erie to the John L found in Oregon, other than the name of the son being the same? Did I miss something in your explanation?

I see that Harry is listed as mulatto as is his wife, and grandson in 1920:

Name: Harry Thompson
Age: 63 years
Estimated birth year: abt 1857
Birthplace: Virginia
Race: Mulatto
Home in 1920: Erie Ward 4, Erie, Pennsylvania
Home owned: Own
Sex: Male
Marital status: Married
Relation to Head of House: Head
Able to read: Yes
Able to Write: Yes
Mother's Birth Place: Virginia
Father's Birth Place: Virginia
Image: 875

It could be possible that son John L left his wife and child and went West to pass - but you will need some "connectors" (data) to prove it. Or did he pass? Please clarify - are you saying your boyfriend did or didn't know he had African ancestry - or are you saying that record keepers marked John L as white, when he wasn't hiding it from family. If it is the latter - it happened all the time. If it is the former case, that happened too.

Sorry if I sound confused.

Denise