Hi Ken! I've searched, but to no avail. I looked through all the records I could find of ships that left New York around March 26, 1852, cannot find a record of him. What is odd is that most ships took several months to arrive in San Francisco from New York (I searched many departure and arrival dates through the Panama Canal), but Ira seems to have arrived in about a month or a bit more as he died May 12, 1852 in California. So, I can't figure out how he got there so quickly if it was truly by boat (which the newspaper article inferred). I found a record of one of the other members of the party from Malone who settled near San Francisco and got a job at a newspaper there. I did find a record of Permelia living in Malone on November 16, 1853 because it says she has letters waiting for her at the post office. I also managed to get the microfilm of the Merrill Advocate Newspaper and found her obituary, but it says next to nothing just that she died at her daughter's home. I did find her grave online and someone took a photo. It's on www.findagrave.com with Cyrus beside her. That's all I know. If you hear more, please let me know! ~Laurie