Brick Walls.......Leon Dargin

Well it has been a while but I have been very busy working on my genealogy. I have basically started over as I am learning so much on sourcing my information and genealogical research methods. I am currently working on what has been my Brick Wall all along and am trying to use as many of the methods that I have learned about in the book "Advanced Genealogy Research Techniques" by George G Morgan & Drew Smith.

My Brick Wall ancestor (and I usually use that phrase with parenthesis around it as I am not quite yet willing to say that I have exhausted my resources) is Leon Dargin born 1858 died 1920.

I recently watched the ancestry.com webinar: Genealogy Brick Wall Q&A and Crista Cowan suggested that as we research and run into issues or are just trying to identify what it is we are looking for, that we use the following format to identify what it is we need.

What Do I know?
How Do I Know It?
What Do I want to Know?

So here is my Puzzle:

What Do I Know?

Leon Dargin born 10 Feb 1858 in St Louis, MO, married Margaret May Hallenbeck, 8 Jan 1895 in New York City. They had three children Amy Frances b 1896, John Hayden b 1897 & Elizabeth Vanover b 1911. He died 14 Feb 1920 in New York City. His parents are listed on his death certificate as John Hayden Dargin & Elizabeth Vanover, His marriage certificate has mother as Elizabeth Dix. I believe his Mother was Elizabeth Russell Vanover and that she died Feb 1858.

There is some conflicting information on birth year, the marriage Cert & 1900 Census have him born abt 1860/61, and his obituary would have the year as 1857

How Do I know it?

Marriage Certificate

1900 US Census, 1910 US Census, 1915 NY State Census

Death Certificate, Obituary

What do I want to know?

I want to find him in the 1880, 1870, & 1860 census, to help confirm parents. I think I may have found him in 1880 listed as Wm L Dargin in New York City but cannot find any evidence of any other name listed for Leon. I also think I may have him in 1870, living in Birmingham, Al with John Hayden Dargin, Mary Dargin & Henry Dargin.

Danica