Jonna Peterson's ancestor William Hawk Stout is one elusive fellow. She can't find a record of his birth, his parents' names or even his final resting place. This man's life has acquired a legendary quality — relatives still puzzle over his mysterious past and the few traces of his existence he left behind.

Peterson has found proof Stout isn't a figment of her family's collective imagination, though, and several clues hint he's American Indian. But she's had trouble discovering any new information. Let's take a look at what she knows and how she can start putting together the puzzles of this mystery man's life.